Well we certainly made up for the missed rain in the early spring. what looked like a potentially very dry spring has become a constantly wet one...not that I'm complaining...unless you're getting into flood situations it is hard for a farmer to complain about rain.
All this rain has driven me in doors and thankful the field work is on track so it hasn't been an inconvenience. I did inter-plant the heirloom tomatoes into the lettuce beds this past week. As the tomatoes establish and grow I will harvest the head lettuce around them. If all goes well, the lettuce will be out and I'll be able to thickly mulch the beds before I trellis the tomatoes and they really leaf out. I actually have extra transplants which surprised me since I was underestimating the length of my beds, but I think I planned on an 18in spacing and decided to do a 24in spacing. The larger spacing will allow for both easier harvesting and less competition for the tomatoes, and since the soil is supporting both the tomatoes and the lettuce, it already has a lot on it's nutritional plate, so to speak.
I'm excited about our heirloom varieties...we are growing Copia, a large-sized orange/yellow tomato, and Rose de Berne, and medium sweet red. Our third variety is not an heirloom but a personal favorite of mine, Sun Gold, an orange cherry of intense flavor that is prone to splitting and therefore can't be found except at farmer's markets. I need to figure out where to put the extra Sun Golds and I'm thinking about inter-planting them with the spinach since that will be cleared out for the summer any way.
The most exciting happens around the farm is selling sunflower shoots at Eastern Market for the past couple weeks. Each week we've brought more and each week we totally sell out. Last year, we never sold more than 6 lbs at market (in 4oz bags) and last week we sold all 10lbs that we brought. Who knows if this will continue, but we had a few back orders this week so we ended up cutting 14.5lbs for market...I'm keeping my finger crossed. :) Of course our success is also due to the lack of variety at the Grown in Detroit table right now and thus our shoots are more tempting to folks, I'm sure as soon as we really get into the harvesting season they'll take more of a back seat...which is fine, we'll just take advantage of our early season markets as much as possible.
Speaking of markets, Northwest Market will be starting this Thursday (4p-7p...I think) and our sunflower shoots will be represented, so if that is more your neighborhood than Eastern Market come check out the Grown in Detroit table. The Wayne State Market (Wednesdays, 11a-4p)will be starting up the first week of June and we'll be there too, so check us out and support Detroit farmers!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Land!!!
LAND!
a landless farmer is a sad thing. so far Raw Detroit has been able to do some field production due to the extreme generosity of our neighbors but we could be growing sooo much more.
Many urban farmers and rural farmers for that matter are limited by time not space. So many have to sustain off farm employment thus limiting their time and energy for growing. Currently I do not have that problem. I have all the time in the world to devote to farming but am being stalled by a lack of land to farm. Due to this, the land we have been working is all prepped, planted, and weeded and now I've got a little too much time on my hands.
You may wonder, "why I thought there were 30,000 vacant lots in the city of Detroit, how could you be limited on land?". well it isn't quite that simple. Yes, there is quite a lot of vacant land in my neighborhood which is why many of us are here. the two main issues are security and water access. If you are not farming on land that is adjacent to your property or to a neighbor you have a relationship with than both issues become tricky. In the city you can't currently hook up a water meter on a vacant lot so you have to have access to a house near by or a fire hydrant. The security issue is tough too because again if you aren't farming next to your house or if you don't own it at all then putting up a fence and keeping an eye on your vegetables isn't so easy.
we are looking at a house and adjacent lots near our house but that property is a shining example of the extremely messed up system that we live with. the whole history reeks of scam and at this point we have figured out the owner of the house and the tax payer for the house and surprisingly they aren't the same person/entity! The house was empty until a couple weeks ago and now there are folks coming in and out even though there is no water on or electric meters.
Feeling a little sketchy, I went or to the house and starting taking some soil samples a couple lots away. I got some curious looks but that was it. so we'll see if the land is worth getting anyway. Cause of course we don't want the house without the land and vis versa.
We are also going to look into land that our neighbors own to see if those would be possibilities for us to lease for additional land.
Its honestly pretty damn complicated.
a landless farmer is a sad thing. so far Raw Detroit has been able to do some field production due to the extreme generosity of our neighbors but we could be growing sooo much more.
Many urban farmers and rural farmers for that matter are limited by time not space. So many have to sustain off farm employment thus limiting their time and energy for growing. Currently I do not have that problem. I have all the time in the world to devote to farming but am being stalled by a lack of land to farm. Due to this, the land we have been working is all prepped, planted, and weeded and now I've got a little too much time on my hands.
You may wonder, "why I thought there were 30,000 vacant lots in the city of Detroit, how could you be limited on land?". well it isn't quite that simple. Yes, there is quite a lot of vacant land in my neighborhood which is why many of us are here. the two main issues are security and water access. If you are not farming on land that is adjacent to your property or to a neighbor you have a relationship with than both issues become tricky. In the city you can't currently hook up a water meter on a vacant lot so you have to have access to a house near by or a fire hydrant. The security issue is tough too because again if you aren't farming next to your house or if you don't own it at all then putting up a fence and keeping an eye on your vegetables isn't so easy.
we are looking at a house and adjacent lots near our house but that property is a shining example of the extremely messed up system that we live with. the whole history reeks of scam and at this point we have figured out the owner of the house and the tax payer for the house and surprisingly they aren't the same person/entity! The house was empty until a couple weeks ago and now there are folks coming in and out even though there is no water on or electric meters.
Feeling a little sketchy, I went or to the house and starting taking some soil samples a couple lots away. I got some curious looks but that was it. so we'll see if the land is worth getting anyway. Cause of course we don't want the house without the land and vis versa.
We are also going to look into land that our neighbors own to see if those would be possibilities for us to lease for additional land.
Its honestly pretty damn complicated.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
I'd rather get paid in food than money
ahhh, Michigan weather...today has been a beautiful example of the schizophrenic meteorological happenings in this Great Lakes state....the day as it has unfolded....beautiful sunny 72 for the morning, 5 minute INTENSE thunderstorm in which both Vera (my dog) and I freaked out but were loving it (well I was, Vera was shaking, poor thing), then the sun comes back in and now its just off and on....
well at least we got a little bit of rain, it really has been a very dry spring. I'm so glad I was able to get some irrigation for the market garden, it has been very necessary.
I got some additional lettuce transplants from the Garden Resource Program to fill in the gaps in my beds...definitely will need to grow more transplants for the fall planting. I think I've been been working/planning under the assumption that my beds are ~60 feet long and I don't think that's true. Especially because I got 65ft long pieces of row cover for them and a few of the beds are longer than that...must get out the measuring tape. always best to over estimate in farming then under.
the white scallions are coming long nicely and I'll be doing another planting of a red variety this week. I'm kinda excited about these "Red Baron" scallions them seem much more hardy then the "Parade" variety I already planted...the leaves are quite a bit thicker, so hopefully they do well...they'll look beautiful on the market table!
the second planting of spinach is coming up very nicely...much thicker than the first and I think it will be a really great seller at market.
the garlic continues to grow like mad and I can't wait for scapes! If you haven't had garlic scape pesto you've got to try it...soooo good!
our family garden is also doing really well...this warm weather and all the rain over the weekend and the cold crop transplants are twice as big as before...plus I have them under row cover which is protecting them from the flea beetles and giving them a little extra warmth during the night. Our peas are well established and I put some stakes in today...will need to decide soon how I want to trellis them, I have some poly twine but I need that for the tomatoes...so maybe I could get some netting from GRP. We've also got baby lettuce, carrots, chard, spinach, radishes, orach and beets coming up. I LOVE having a family garden...it is nice to get paid for your hard work but I think I'd rather get paid in food than money :)
well at least we got a little bit of rain, it really has been a very dry spring. I'm so glad I was able to get some irrigation for the market garden, it has been very necessary.
I got some additional lettuce transplants from the Garden Resource Program to fill in the gaps in my beds...definitely will need to grow more transplants for the fall planting. I think I've been been working/planning under the assumption that my beds are ~60 feet long and I don't think that's true. Especially because I got 65ft long pieces of row cover for them and a few of the beds are longer than that...must get out the measuring tape. always best to over estimate in farming then under.
the white scallions are coming long nicely and I'll be doing another planting of a red variety this week. I'm kinda excited about these "Red Baron" scallions them seem much more hardy then the "Parade" variety I already planted...the leaves are quite a bit thicker, so hopefully they do well...they'll look beautiful on the market table!
the second planting of spinach is coming up very nicely...much thicker than the first and I think it will be a really great seller at market.
the garlic continues to grow like mad and I can't wait for scapes! If you haven't had garlic scape pesto you've got to try it...soooo good!
our family garden is also doing really well...this warm weather and all the rain over the weekend and the cold crop transplants are twice as big as before...plus I have them under row cover which is protecting them from the flea beetles and giving them a little extra warmth during the night. Our peas are well established and I put some stakes in today...will need to decide soon how I want to trellis them, I have some poly twine but I need that for the tomatoes...so maybe I could get some netting from GRP. We've also got baby lettuce, carrots, chard, spinach, radishes, orach and beets coming up. I LOVE having a family garden...it is nice to get paid for your hard work but I think I'd rather get paid in food than money :)
Sunday, April 25, 2010
to eat or to sell...a debate in progress
it smells so good outside! there is nothing better than a little warm spring rain, especially when we've been going without for a while. plus it makes a good excuse to take a day off from working in the field.
So we are really rolling now. We've got a bed of Swiss chard, 1/2 bed of spinach, full bed of Magenta head lettuce and 1/2 bed of scallions. The garlic is doing really well and I'm still debating whether I want to sell it or eat it...we do have a lot but we also eat a LOT of garlic and I'd love to have it last us through next winter and save seed. so i think that path may be winning out.
I've come to similar conclusions this season. I've been really reevaluating my goals with the market garden and feeling like my time and efforts are best put toward our family garden and preserving our harvest. For example, with the garlic, why sell the garlic so that you can have money to buy someone else's (non-organic or non-local) garlic, when I could store it for us and continue my garlic obsession all winter long! I still very much like to grow for market and there are of course some food items that we simply will not be able to grown our own and money comes in handy (ex. olive oil & most grain crops). Plus I suppose there are a few things that unfortunately you just cannot barter or trade veges for...but we're working on that :)
I'll be finishing up bed prep and planting the rest of the head lettuce (a romaine) this week and also planting the second half of the spinach bed.
We've got our new irrigation (funded by a grant) in and it has been working well, but according to my rain gauge we got almost an 1 inch of rain last night so I don't think we'll need to turn it on for a couple days.
So we are really rolling now. We've got a bed of Swiss chard, 1/2 bed of spinach, full bed of Magenta head lettuce and 1/2 bed of scallions. The garlic is doing really well and I'm still debating whether I want to sell it or eat it...we do have a lot but we also eat a LOT of garlic and I'd love to have it last us through next winter and save seed. so i think that path may be winning out.
I've come to similar conclusions this season. I've been really reevaluating my goals with the market garden and feeling like my time and efforts are best put toward our family garden and preserving our harvest. For example, with the garlic, why sell the garlic so that you can have money to buy someone else's (non-organic or non-local) garlic, when I could store it for us and continue my garlic obsession all winter long! I still very much like to grow for market and there are of course some food items that we simply will not be able to grown our own and money comes in handy (ex. olive oil & most grain crops). Plus I suppose there are a few things that unfortunately you just cannot barter or trade veges for...but we're working on that :)
I'll be finishing up bed prep and planting the rest of the head lettuce (a romaine) this week and also planting the second half of the spinach bed.
We've got our new irrigation (funded by a grant) in and it has been working well, but according to my rain gauge we got almost an 1 inch of rain last night so I don't think we'll need to turn it on for a couple days.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
blogging...oh boy
Ok, so I'm not the world's best writer nor am I a very good speller and my grammar and vocabulary is, well...lacking. So why on earth would I be creating a blog where the whole world can read my silly thoughts and spelling errors. Does it sound bad if I say because "everyone's doing it"?
Besides being a follower :), I'm also a strong believer in good communication and as a small-scale farmer it is so necessary to communicate with your community and customers. You know..."tell your story" :). So here I am writing my thoughts out for all to see.
The farm is going really well. We set-up the sunflower shoots in a our attic and have already doubled production since last year! I do the growing and Jack does the deliveries. We've set up the 8 foot bike trailer to accommodate the shoots and we are very proud of our human powered delivery system. As soon as the lettuce and scallion transplants are out in the field we'll have even more room for increasing shoot production...so if you are interested in getting a regular flat let us know :)
We are currently farming on the Kemp's lot that we start last year and we've planted a bed (3ftx60ft) of chard and spinach. Head lettuce and scallions will go in next week. I've added a ton of compost to all beds and hoping that will help production this year.
With the help of the Greening of Detroit we are trying to purchase a house and adjacent land. The house is just on the next block and a block south on Theodore. There are 3 lots on the eastside of the house and 5 or more on the west. The house itself is in really good condition but the ownership situation has been a bit confusing and wrecks of scam. So thankfully I've got some assistance to try to figure it all out. If we were able to purchase that land this year, I could at least get it tilled and planted with a cover crop for the winter and then start it up for next year. So we're keeping our fingers crossed.
Besides being a follower :), I'm also a strong believer in good communication and as a small-scale farmer it is so necessary to communicate with your community and customers. You know..."tell your story" :). So here I am writing my thoughts out for all to see.
The farm is going really well. We set-up the sunflower shoots in a our attic and have already doubled production since last year! I do the growing and Jack does the deliveries. We've set up the 8 foot bike trailer to accommodate the shoots and we are very proud of our human powered delivery system. As soon as the lettuce and scallion transplants are out in the field we'll have even more room for increasing shoot production...so if you are interested in getting a regular flat let us know :)
We are currently farming on the Kemp's lot that we start last year and we've planted a bed (3ftx60ft) of chard and spinach. Head lettuce and scallions will go in next week. I've added a ton of compost to all beds and hoping that will help production this year.
With the help of the Greening of Detroit we are trying to purchase a house and adjacent land. The house is just on the next block and a block south on Theodore. There are 3 lots on the eastside of the house and 5 or more on the west. The house itself is in really good condition but the ownership situation has been a bit confusing and wrecks of scam. So thankfully I've got some assistance to try to figure it all out. If we were able to purchase that land this year, I could at least get it tilled and planted with a cover crop for the winter and then start it up for next year. So we're keeping our fingers crossed.
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