Pollination

20160518_075341We had a visit from Eli the bee guy today! Eli is a PhD candidate from WSU, studying abundance and diversity of native pollinators. Today was his annual spring pollinator 20160518_152900survey-he’s been studying the farm over the course of three years. Because we don’t use pesticides or chemical inputs, we enjoy a wide variety of native pollinators helping bring food to the table.

Veggie starts Sat. 9am-3pm

14619361396522125791122Stop by for cucumbers, summer and winter squash and pumpkin starts. We have a few more greens (kale, chard, lettuce), brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, bok choy). Lots of tomatoes and peppers sweet and hot!  9am-3pm Saturday. Come up the driveway – greenhouses to the left of the house.

Reminder: Starts for sale! Sat/Sun

Great starts to grow ‘yer own veggies! Peppers (many types of sweet and hot), tomatoes, (slicers, sauce and cherries), lettuce, broccoli, Napa cabbage, swiss chard, kale, and bok choy! Saturday 9am-noon, Sunday noon-3pm. 928 Wilson St NE. Come up the drive to the garage! 6 packs/$2.50, 4″ pots for $3.

Got starts?

20160418_180747Wow! Feels like summer! Time to start thinking about getting starts in the ground. What’s your garden plan this year? If you are looking for peppers (many types of sweet and hot), tomatoes, (slicers, sauce and cherries), lettuce, broccoli, Napa cabbage, swiss chard, kale, and bok choy – we’ve got ’em! Saturday 9am-noon, Sunday noon-3pm. Come up the drive to the garage! 6 packs/$2.50, 4″ pots for $3. We’ll be happy to tell you about the varieties we’ve chosen and why! And in two weeks, we’ll have summer and winter squash and cucumber starts. Let the planting begin!

From the field

2016-04-09 07.22.37Delicious, nutritious food starts with a healthy fertile soil.  A key element of our soil building program is using cover crops – in this case rye and hairy vetch – to add organic matter, fix atmospheric nitrogen into the soil and make sure precious minerals don’t leach out with the winter rains. You still have a chance to taste the results of our work – we have a few more CSA shares available for 2016!  Sign up by the end of the month.

 

Small Miracles

The tomatoes are up! And the onions!20160312_115407 Despite the cold, wet, grey day, the greenhouse holds the promise of summer, emerged from tiny seeds. These plants will grow up to provide produce for our CSA (shares still available) , 20160312_115329supply our Farm Stand, and some should be available for purchase as starts for home gardens!

Seed Starting

The seeds have arrived! And because we have such a short growing season in the PNW, it’s important to get an early start. Today, the Farmer has a goal of getting 400 onion and tomato seeds into the soil blocks in the planting trays. These will go on heating mats and the soil kept moist to encourage germination. There is a certain zen to the task – the radio is20160214_140049 on and the Farmer is at peace.