In the next few weeks things will start to change dramatically at the farm. As always the crew will continue to seed, transplant, cultivate, hand weed and harvest. But now we will also begin the process of closing up ground for the season. Fields where crops have already been harvested will be plowed. We'll be spreading compost on them and then seeding them with cover crops. Cover crops are plants that we don't plan on harvesting but instead will grow to be incorporated back into the soil to increase the organic matter and nutrients. Cover crops like vetch, peas and other legumes help add nitrogen to the soil. We tend to use a mixture of vetch and triticale (related to wheat and rye). Cover crops also protect the soil during the harsh winter months. Bare ground can erode in the elements and valuable nutrients can be lost in the process. Cover cropping is an art unto itself, just like many of the other facets of farming - cultivation, agronomy, pasture management, etc. It is just one of the balls that we juggle a this hectic time of the year. Meanwhile the bounty keeps coming in.
This week's harvest:
tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, carrots, onions, leeks, celery, lettuce, zucchini, basil, potaoes, collards, melons.
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