Sunday, June 13, 2010

FARM NEWS 6.13.10

The rain came right on schedule this week. Farmer Dan is a copious note taker and list maker, thus he creates a notebook that holds keys to the farm. So we know that rain came last year during the first week of CSA harvest. We can also take a peak into the notebook to find out what's on Dan's mind and what will be happening on the farm this week. Between harvests the crew will be direct seeding radishes, dill, cilantro, lettuce, arugula, beans and mustard greens. There is also greenhouse seeding for crops that we transplant: basil, cucumbers, zucchini, beets, rutabegas and turnips. There is also transplanting melons and more komatsuna as well as trellising tomatoes, applying soil amendments and lots of weeding.

To top it off on Monday afternoon we have our annnual CRAFT visit. CRAFT is the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training. Dan and I participated in the original CRAFT program in Western Mass/Hudson Valley when we were apprenticing. And together with another CRAFT-alum and other local farmers we started a CRAFT program for our own apprentices here in Connecticut. Many small organic/sustainable farms rely on apprentice labor. Apprentices earn a small stipend and room (often quite rustic) & board (all the produce they can eat, plus other farm products - eggs, milk etc.) while they work and learn the craft of farming. We offer our apprentices the chance to see other types of farm operations through visits to the other CRAFT farms. The hosting farmer usually picks one topic to cover in depth and also leads a farm tour to demonstrate those practices. Tomorrow Dan will be discussing biointensive planting and drip irrigation. A potluck dinner follows where the apprentices can share experiences and each other's culinary offerings.
All in all another busy week!

This week's harvest: lettuce, radishes, salad turnips, garlic scapes, mustard greens, Swiss chard, Napa cabbage, cilantro

For more info about the farm and recipes check out chubbybunnyfarm.com
Enjoy!

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