Posts Tagged ‘lettuce mix’

Our First CSA!

June 2nd, 2009
Honey in the Heart Farm | Blog

We had our first CSA pick up yesterday which was very exciting and a bit anxiety producing…. But all in all it went really well.  We only have ten members, which feels like the perfect amount at the moment.  Our first box contained little gem romaine lettuce, pac choi, lacinato and red russian kale, easter egg radishes, salad mix, a bundle of bergamont mint, a garden bouquet of daisies and geraniums, and a pair of beeswax candles that we make through the winter.  It was wonderful to have people come out to the farm and know that our produce is feeding their families this week.  These first few weeks definitely feel a bit sparse in terms of what we have to offer, so it will be nice when we hit midsummer and all the boxes will be overflowing.

Besides our first harvest day, the last few weeks have been busy with emptying out the hoophouse and planting peppers, eggplant, winter squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons and direct-seeding corn, basil, summer squash, and more root crops.  Things have been pretty overwhelming, and I’m realizing just how tied to the land farming really makes me.  Watering has to be done every day, and an eye kept out for the leaf-miners on the chard and how much flea beatle damage is on the pac choi, and all those daily occurences that cannot be missed.  I’ve never been so knowledgable about one spot of land, the kinds of weeds that grow there, the local snakes and butterflies, where the water pools.  It’s amazing to see it progress as the land dries out and one wildflower replaces another and the grasses begin to turn brown and produce seed.  I’m also realizing that I’m more committed to a place than I’ve ever been.  Even if it is just through the season, as it’s quite hard to grow things through the winter here.


Last Market finito

October 29th, 2008
Four Frog Farm | Blog

I went to the last Tuesday market in Nevada City today.  It was a busy market.  So many people came out.  We haven’t had such a busy market all year.  It was nice to end it with plenty of shoppers.

For my part, I brought lots of kale, chard, eggplant, peppers, lettuce mix, winter squash, cherry tomatos, peas, basil, celery and broccoli.

It was a nice close to the season for me.  Although, I have a solid week of work before the season is over for me.

Honestly, these last two months have been completely busy and nearly overwhelming for me.  Not a “scary’ overwhelming, like in April when I was freaked out about the CSA and didn’t think I would be able to shepherd all this food into 24 weeks of 30 boxes.  It’s been overwhelming as of late with the shear volume of work.  Every day of the week is harvesting, or preparing the new 10 acres with irrigation.  We’re coming close to finishing the irrigation and getting the cover crop in, along with some rock phosphate.

I’m pretty much exhausted, but in a good mental space.  I’m dearly looking forward to some rest, and sleeping in.  Farming’s a lot of work, and it doesn’t stop.  You have to know that.

Andrew


CSA Week 19

September 10th, 2008
Four Frog Farm | Blog
This week Ryan and I are harvesting and carrying out farm duties.  Cristen is away for the week, hiking with her special guy friend in Oregon. Ry and I didn’t get the earliest start today, so we had only a few hours to harvest for the market and do some lettuce mix/cilantro/dill/spinach planting that I wanted to get in to be ready for the last couple of markets around here in late October.  We were rushing a lot, eating lunch on the way to the market, but we got everything done that we wanted… Read the rest of this article »

August Report

August 3rd, 2008
Four Frog Farm | Blog
After 2 long months of hot weather, it appears that we are in store for more hot weather.  That means, more irrigation, more aphids, more tomatoes, and less salad mix. My season started in February, full on.  I just completed month 6 in the season.  The CSA still has 2 more months, while the markets go for another 3 around here.  If I had more space I would be a little more excited about the fall, but as it is, there isn’t much room for a huge fall thing.  I am making… Read the rest of this article »

Farm Update

July 3rd, 2008
Four Frog Farm | Blog
Now we have completed week nine of the CSA.  This week we offered: tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, squash, carrots, lettuce mix, turnips, garlic, sweet corn!, kale and bulbing fennel. It was a good week, and next week is looking great also, with potatoes and leeks on the menu.  It seems a little out of season to have potatoes and leeks, because I love potato-leek soup a lot, but, hey, those will be ready. Out at the farm, the tomatoes are really productive, yet could be looking better. … Read the rest of this article »

A Transition

June 13th, 2008
Four Frog Farm | Blog
So much has changed in the past 5 months. Of course the physical layout of the farm has changed dramatically…going from virgin meadow to cover crop to intense/intensive vegetable cultivation.  Alike, my mind is wrapping around and becoming comfortable with the ever-changing dynamic of the farm. We have completed six weeks of the CSA, a quarter of the season, with 18 more weeks to go.  We have had broccoli every week, buy now that we are approaching consistent mid-90 degree temps at… Read the rest of this article »

Hello

June 2nd, 2008
Four Frog Farm | Blog
Just wanted to say hi.  The farmers’ market went well today.  We keep selling out of food, so that is a good thing.  I am so happy that our Saturday Morning Market is so well attended.  The people are great - the other growers, shoppers - they are all happy to be a part of the market.  And so are we. I think the big hit this week was a toss up: the spring mix, or the lettuce mix.  The spring mix has mixed leafy-brassicas - tat soi, arugula, kale, big mustards, mizuna.  The lettuce is… Read the rest of this article »

First Market

May 21st, 2008
Four Frog Farm | Blog
This last Saturday Andrea and I packed up the truck, left Ryan at the farm to take care of the recently transplanted veggies, and went to our first farmers’ market.  It was a blazing hot morning for mid-May. We brought mostly heat-sensitive greens, such as kale, lettuce mix, spring salad mix.  We arrived at the market area at 7am and our booth area was already in a beam of sun.  So, I drove to the nearest store to get an EZ-Up, only to find the store was still closed.  I returned to the… Read the rest of this article »

More CSA

May 12th, 2008
Four Frog Farm | Blog
The first boxes had: Daikon radish, salad radishes, kale, tat soi, baby stir fry mix, lettuce mix, broccoli, rosemary, oregano, dill and baby spinach. Next week it will be very similar, yet much more broccoli.  Carrots are still a couple of weeks away, as are beets, peas, cabbage, cauliflower and chard. We are gearing up for a maha (great) week at the farm, with many hundreds of row feet to be direct seeded.  We are getting 50 yards of compost to bolster the tilth and nutrition of the soil. … Read the rest of this article »

Three farms are starting from scratch.

They are turning the dirt and hoping to be successful enough to turn a profit, and to become a valuable part of their communities as suppliers of organically grown food.

Peaceful Valley is giving them a head start by offering them special pricing as part of this Freshman Farmer program.

The Farm Blogs

Freshman:
New Farms Coming Soon!
Sophomores:
Daily Grace Farms
Crescent City, CA
Freestone Family Farm
Vernal, UT
Wise Moon Farm
Redding, CA
Graduates:
Coyote House Farm
Palermo, CA
DeepSeeded Community Farm
Arcata, CA
Driftwood Farm
Fort Bragg, CA
EarthDance Farm
St. Louis, MO
Ellwood Canyon Farms
Goleta, CA
Four Frog Farm
Penn Valley, CA
Hand Sown Homegrown Heritage Farm
Poulsbo, WA
Home Plate Organic Farm
Orleans, CA
Honey in the Heart Farm
Nevada City, CA
Willow Springs Farm
Penn Valley, CA

Blog Topics

About the Farms

Coyote House Farm
Palermo, CA
Daily Grace Farms
Crescent City, CA
DeepSeeded Community Farm
Arcata, CA
Driftwood Farm
Fort Bragg, CA
EarthDance Farm
St. Louis, MO
Ellwood Canyon Farms
Goleta, CA
Four Frog Farm
Penn Valley, CA
Freestone Family Farm
Vernal, UT
Hand Sown Homegrown Heritage Farm
Poulsbo, WA
Home Plate Organic Farm
Orleans, CA
Honey in the Heart Farm
Nevada City, CA
Willow Springs Farm
Penn Valley, CA
Wise Moon Farm
Redding, CA

Tags

Archives

Stories From Peaceful Valley

Tips on growing and pruning raspberries & blackberries February 2, 2012
Charlotte from Peaceful Valley
Growing Raspberries & Blackberries February 2, 2012
GrowOrganic
Planting & Growing Rhubarb January 31, 2012
GrowOrganic
Planting & Growing Horseradish January 30, 2012
GrowOrganic
Fruit tree pruning—specialized advice January 27, 2012
Charlotte from Peaceful Valley
Planting and Growing Artichokes January 24, 2012
GrowOrganic
EGG Demo January 20, 2012
Stephanie from Peaceful Valley
Envirocycle Demo January 20, 2012
Stephanie from Peaceful Valley
Mr. Soaker Hose Demo January 20, 2012
Stephanie from Peaceful Valley

Recent Comments

Charlotte, Peaceful Valley on 2012 Freshman Class Application
Daily Grace Farms on Weed Patrol
Driftwood Farm on Weed Patrol
Driftwood Farm on HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Recent Posts

Meta

Username:
Password:
Remember me?
Entries RSS
Comments RSS