The farm is moving on from last weekend’s four consecutive frosts (Friday-Monday). Between the excessive heat of midsummer and the early coming of frost, it’s been quite the season. “Under the circumstances” Julie says “I’m modestly pleased that we are still in business and we’ll have some interesting stuff” left to enjoy over the rest of
The week began with a grape theme, with a Monday visit from Myai who came over for a grape tasting with Jack and the crew. Several years ago, Jack mentored Myai in organic grape growing through a NOFA program. Monday’s visit was in keeping with a tradition in Vietnam of bringing one’s first harvest to
This Saturday afternoon found Julie and WWOOFers Davida and Gavin out in the fields sowing fall cover crops – oats and barley, phacelia, millet, buckwheat and sunflower. The inspiration for this mixed bag of cover crops is forward-thinking agronomists like Australian soil ecologist Dr. Christine Jones. Dr. Jones advocates for farming practices that “maximize diversity in both cover crops and cash
Julie ended her long tenure with NOFA/Mass on Monday. On Saturday, she was celebrated by the board and staff with a small gathering and the gift of new perennials for the farm – a Cornelian cherry, garlic and white-flowered chives, anise hyssop, black cohosh, asparagus seedlings. She also received a gift certificate to purchase more plants in spring.
We had another productive week on the farm this week. Eric has taken over mowing everything and now has the orchards in a place of easy access.He also gets up really early every morning and accomplishes our daily foliar feeding. We are now back on schedule after it being hit or miss for several weeks.