Looks Like a Farm

More often than not you get can get a lot done quickly on a farm with many good hands.  On a sharp morning last week a group of committed folks and I transplanted our first spring brassicae succession as well as some head lettuce.  

I wanted to get everything in before the sun got high and people dispersed, so we pushed for an early start.  I had made and marked the beds a few days before and we got started around 7:30am.  While bigger farms use machinery or tractor implements, we transplant everything by hand on our farm.  When you are in transplanting mode, it makes sense to keep the work flowing and efficient.  So, we had two people dropping the starts at the right spacing in front the rest of the folks on either side of a bed actually getting the plants in the dirt.  Once a flat is finished another needs to be started pretty quickly or the planters will catch the droppers and the lag in efficiency gets me feisty.  If you can keep the transplanting flow moving along everybody feels good and a fun energy takes over.  This is one of my favorite times on the farm.  Although this morning in particular was rather biting, so the energy really had to overcome numb fingers.

We farmed hard and got everything in the ground by noon, and all watered in by 3pm.  It felt good to see so many statuesque plants patch-worked in the ground ready to feast on Georgia soil.  Greatness.

TG

A Royal breeze bends

my blurry eyes toward the top.

Paint a day.

Your farmer, Jack Matthews

A Good Start

It’s almost Spring and it feels like farming out there.  The past few weeks outside at Full Moon make you wonder why everyone doesn’t do this.  We are working to transition the farm from winter rest to a good grow.  Motivation is high and seeds are germinating.

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon seeding the third succession of greens in the hoophouse, and I feel like we have a pretty good early season crop established.  Multiple varieties of beautiful greens, red beets, and carrots have provided a lot to look at in a house of plastic.  In fact, the first of the tender greens are ready for harvest tomorrow morning. Woo Woo!

As for the fields, bed prep for our first spring transplanting has involved a couple weeks of patient process.  Back in the fall, a rich cover crop of winter rye and clover was established to benefit and overwinter the tillable dirt.  Once January turned to February, a mow and disc of this cover incorporated all the organic matter into the earth, and the last month has given time for that matter to decompose down.  Now the raised beds are ready to be made and the plants to be sown in them.  Oh the beauty of ecological transition.

I leave you with a little ‘Tractor Gospel’…

One Mother told me

not always in clover is a right man rich,

as I have been warned by ants.

Your farmer, Jack Matthews

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Spring ho!