Northwest Harvest Interview 2015

I recently had the privilege of being interviewed by Northwest Harvest about working with local food banks. Here is a link...
 Notes From the Field

Preparing for Spring with Cover Crops and Soil Building 2015

Our summer season has officially come to a close. The leaves are continuously transitioning into their winter apparel, issuing forth a profusion of reds, oranges and yellows in the maple understory on the hills surrounding our farm. And although it may seem like a season of rest is upon us, there are still a number of jobs yet to accomplish before retiring the garden until the spring. Maybe you are a fair weather gardener; your season encompasses the warmest months of the year that span from May until September. This abbreviated version of the growing season leaves out some of the most critical times of the year for both building soil and preparing your garden for the next summer. The time that exists between early September and early November is what I typically think of as one of the two shoulder seasons. The fall shoulder season can be a very productive time. It is the season for planting greens, cilantro and spinach. It is the time for preparing beds for over-wintering leeks, carrots or parsnips. It is the time for planting garlic, for mulching unused beds, for pulling the weeds that are going to seed and for putting away irrigation. And although the summer squash and cucumbers may be tiring under the strain of the cooling nights, the summer planted kale, collards, chard and choy are all thriving.   The spring sown Brussels sprouts and celeriac are nearly ready for harvest. And it is when you may be tilling under your summer sown cover crops and sowing your cover crops to overwinter.

So how does one go about using these very limited last days of the growing year to the best of their abilities? How does one prioritize the jobs that are left to be done? Perhaps it is best to begin by mentally jumping forward to the spring. What are your goals for the next season? Improving soil texture? Reducing moisture loss? Hastening your first harvest date? Fewer irrigation repairs? All of these questions can help to pinpoint the goals for fall that will increase your enjoyment of your garden during the coming spring.

For me, soil building has been a long standing priority. After working in many sandy gardens, it became obvious that an increase in soil organic matter should be a goal for every growing season. The most effective way of doing this has been to incorporate a cover crop into the garden at least once a year. Many gardeners working with small spaces find the easiest way to add a cover crop rotation without giving up growing space is to plant the cover at the end of the season (September) and allow it to overwinter. During the winter, the fall planted cover crop protects the soil from nitrogen loss to the atmosphere and soil erosion from wind and rain. In the spring, the crop is allowed to grow until it is at the 50% flowering stage and is then turned under and allowed to decompose. This added organic matter has several functions. The small pieces of decomposed plant material act like sponges, trapping some additional moisture in the soil. This is incredibly important in arid regions where maintaining good soil moisture is critical to healthy plant growth. The added organic matter also loosens clay-rich soils. It opens up pore space which allows air to move through the soil and allows plant roots to grow. If legumes are used as the cover crop (ex. peas, vetches and beans) it can act as a readily available source of nitrogen when incorporated in the spring.

 If cover cropping is not an option, an alternative form of soil building involves fall mulching. Although most people consider baled alfalfa as animal feed, it also makes a rich and effective mulch. We have been using alfalfa as a mulch for our garlic for the last two seasons. There is a noticeable increase in plant vigor in the beds that received the alfalfa mulch vs. straw mulch. After some consideration, the reason for this became blindingly obvious. Straw is strictly a straight carbon source and sequesters nitrogen from the soil as it breaks down. Alfalfa (a legume) when incorporated in the spring, increases rather than decreases the amount of nitrogen available in the soil thereby boosting the production of following crops rather than stealing from it. Weed-free alfalfa can be used to cover dormant beds to protect from wind erosion during the winter months. When spring arrives, it is shoveled into the beds and allowed to decompose just like a cover crop.

The list of fall-related gardening projects is long and involved. It is hard to do it all. However, taking the time to care for your soil is probably the job that will offer the most immediate and satisfying rewards. Have a great winter, and Happy Gardening!

Winterizing Your Garden 2015

Now that the harvest moon has come and gone, it is time to think about tackling those last tasks in the garden before winter. A little preventative maintenance can save a handful of headaches in the spring. Here are a few jobs to consider tackling before the weather really gets cold.

By now, most people have finished using their irrigation systems but probably have not gone through the job of winterizing them. Clearing all of the stagnant water from your lines will save you the trouble of replacing broken fittings and split hoses in the spring. If you have above ground drip lines or black poly tubing, you should have the ability to open up the ends of the lines and allow any extra water to run out. Typically this means removing either the figure 8 piece or the end cap from each line. If there are low spots in the line, it is a good idea to help gravity along by starting at the water’s source and then slowly lifting the line in a hand over hand motion moving toward the end so that any extra water flows out from the hose and eliminates unforeseen puddling in the low spots. If you have a below ground irrigation system, you may need to put a little extra work into clearing the line. An air compressor can be a useful tool in physically ‘blowing’ out the lines. The strong jet of air does the work of pushing the water out of any low spots.

If you have garden hoses laying around, clear these of excess water as well. To eliminate any unnecessary weathering, coil up the hoses and put them inside an out-building or on the shady side of your house. Lessening exposure to direct UV rays can help lengthen the life of your hoses.

Gather up all of the hand tools that you may have left lying around the yard. Shovels, rakes, trowels etc. should be brought in for the season and put inside an out-building or at the very least under the eaves of your house. As with the hoses, the length of life for your handles can be extended by lessening exposure to moisture and UV radiation. Some people will take the time to polish any rusty tools with a small piece of sand paper and then oil the tools for the winter. This is always an option for the more ambitious and conscientious gardener. At the very least, look over the handles of your shovels and rakes. If they are starting to splinter and crack, consider replacing them now so that you are ready to go next spring. Spare handles can be purchased at most home supply stores.

For your wheelbarrows, roll them in out of the weather and prop them up against a shed or wall so that water does not gather in the bucket. As with the shovel handles, wheelbarrow handles are also replaceable. Rather than purchasing a new wheelbarrow, consider repairing the handles instead.

Mulch any unused garden beds to protect from wind and water erosion. Good mulches are grass and alfalfa mixes. Be sure any mulch you are purchasing is weed free. Spread the mulch to a depth of 4-6” over the top of dormant beds. In the spring, this mulch can be turned into the soil and allowed to decompose.

And finally, if you keep a notebook, make a short list of any improvements or changes you want to make to the garden next season. Do it now while it is fresh in your mind.

Happy Gardening!

Mother Earth News Blog Post #5 Community Education Through Farm Tours

I wrote a brief post about the Sustainable Living and Farming Tour that happens every year in Leavenworth. Here's the link to the post.
Community Education Through Farm Tours

An introduction to row covers 2015

Summer is taking its swan dive into fall. The weather is cooling off and nights in the Upper Valley have been dipping down into the 30’s . There has been a bit of talk around the area about how to best protect crops when the weather begins to chill. There are several options available and it partially depends on your budget and ambitions.

Floating row cover is available for purchase and comes in a number of thicknesses. This cover is essentially a white, spun polyester fabric that allows light and water to penetrate (the thicker the fabric, the less light transmission) but protects plants from excessive cold or heat just like an insulating blanket. The covers can be lain directly over the plants and can ‘float’ on top of them. However, this is less than ideal since the leaves that are touching the fabric still tend to be harmed by the cold. A better solution would be to do one of the following things in addition to using the floating row cover.

For those who planted a movable garden (containers, pots etc…), the first thing to do is move those planters closer to the house at night. The warmth from you home will help to protect your plants. Also, move the planters to the down-wind side of the house if possible. Cold mixed with wind can desiccate your tender plants leaving them limp, lifeless and stressed.

If your plants are in raised beds, consider building a hoop structure to cover the entire bed. If the raised beds are made out of thicker material (boards of the box are at least 2” thick), you can drill small pilot holes spaced every 12-18” with a ¼” drill bit. Then, you can take a stiff wire that is the same diameter as the hole (such as ¼” bailing wire) and you can bend a half-circle that fits snugly into the corresponding holes on opposite sides of the bed. This will create a ‘hoop’ over the top of the bed that is strong enough to support a light-weight row cover or contractor’s clear plastic. A quick tip, the wire hoops can become floppy if they are either too tall, or the span across the bed is too far. This type of hoop works well for beds that are 4 feet across or smaller. Larger spans will require a different plan.

If your raised beds are larger than a 4 foot span or if you would like to create a structure that is a little beefier, galvanized electrical conduit can be bent into a sturdier hoop structure. To secure these hoops, it works best to sink a pipe ‘sleeve’ into the ground on the outside of your beds that the bent conduit hoop can slide into (just like the wire slides into the holes in the example above). To create the pipe sleeves, purchase galvanized pipe that is of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the conduit so that the conduit can easily slip into the pipe but there is not so much extra space that the conduit is loose or rattles inside of this sleeve. Cut the pipe into 18 inch lengths and use a sledge hammer to sink the pipe into the ground leaving 6-8 inches of pipe exposed out of the ground. This will set the pipe deep enough that it can withstand wind and weather and will leave an above ground section to support the hoop.

For most home gardens, these simple hoops combined with a cover will be enough to stave off the cold for a few additional weeks….enough time to harvest all those tomatoes! Good Luck and Happy Gardening!

The Retirement of a Generation of Farmers

**I wrote this short essay as part of our farm's CSA newsletter this week. I thought it would be best to share it on the blog since the gravity of it's contents is something to be considered among a broader audience than just our CSA. Maybe you agree?

Yesterday, I was once again reminded that farming is a very special career choice. I openly admit to getting frustrated at least once or twice a summer (maybe 3 times!) with the workload and lack of time off. Willy is much better at coping with it than I am and he certainly takes the brunt of the work upon himself. Often, he is at the farm literally from dawn until dusk with me arriving at a more civilized hour and leaving before it is time to make dinner. He really, hardly, ever complains. He loves his work and feels an almost parental attachment to the fields and the crops. While most people enjoy a few days off every week (that little thing known as a weekend), Willy may take off a 1/2 day now and again but never, ever more. The idea of leaving the farm for an overnight (or 2!) does not cross his mind. Indeed, he has told me regularly that he doesn't feel like he has to go to work when he gets up in the morning. Farming to him isn't work, it has become who he is.

So it is with great sadness yesterday that I was reminded that more than a handful of very dedicated farmers in our area are retiring this season with no one stepping in to replace them. This isn't the type of job you advertise for. There rarely is that one special person who wants to step in and 'buy the farm'; accepting the responsibility, long hours and low pay that come along with this commitment. Farming as a career choice makes very little sense; it is a lifestyle choice, or nothing.

To put our predecessors lifetimes into perspective, Grant Gibbs just celebrated 40 years of farming on his homestead in Leavenworth. 40 years of fighting the weather, building the soil, scrambling to find help, and persisting against all odds. Those farmers who are retiring are some of the pioneers of organic agriculture in this region. Watershine Woods, Jerry Pipitone, Ken Toevs... (and across the state Terry Carkner, Nash Huber and others...) they have all decided that it is time to move into the next phase of life. An entire generation of farmers who's time has come and gone. The gap that they are leaving behind makes me feel nauseated and humbled. Farming is a career built on experience. Year after year an accumulation of knowledge increases one's skill and chances of success. Those who have spent a lifetime in the soil hold a wealth of knowledge greater than any doctorate degree can decree and broader than any book can hold. So who is left to turn to for advice and support when these scholars are no longer available?

'We are all counting on you now.' was the message I was left with yesterday after discussing this situation with my dear friend Kim Lohse (another pioneer in her own way as she, in her retirement, continues to champion for local food) 'But no pressure!' she says with a smile. And isn't that the truth of it? One generation retires and the next must step up and try and fill their shoes. But I don't nearly feel ready to lead the charge. Somehow, an entire generation gap has presented itself between those who are retiring and our younger generation who are still learning the ropes. Where are the farmers who come in between? An entire middle-age missing from farm life.

I sincerely hope that our generation and the one following us can pick up the slack. I don't really know if we can, but I know that we will try. I am continuously inspired that there are people like my husband who find that their place in life comes with calloused hands and dirty work clothes. With any luck, there will be more choosing this path behind him.

Mother Earth News Blog #4 Selling Your Abundance and Building Farm To Table Relationships

I promise...once summer is done, I will have time for more creative writing. But for now, I can be found posting at Mother Earth News, writing for the Wenatchee World and posting newsletters for our farm on our farm blog Tierra Garden

Here is the latest Mother Earth News post about forming farm-to-table relationships and working with restaurants.