New crops and methods--Sunn Hemp

Each year there a new methods that are tried to improve the soil, reduce weed populations, compaction and make the farm work as ergonomic as possible. Here is an experimental cover crop planting of Sunn hemp--grown for its ability to fix nitrogen as a summer crop, a rare quality in a summer cover. No, there isn't any non-agricultural effect from it in case you were wondering. :-)

Tucking in for the Winter

Here is Elizabeth rolling the cover crop seeds to tuck in the fields for the winter--they deserve a rest after yielding so abundantly.

The colors of summer harvest: we never tire of looking at all the beatiful shapes and colors of the food that we have the opportunity to tend and harvest.

So Many Melons!

It's Melon Time! Here is Eric with a variety of watermelons: Orangeglo, Cream of Saskatchewan, Sangria, Charleston Gray, and Sugar Baby. Red, Orange, Pink, Yellow, and Cream-colored watermelons and lots of different flavors and textures. Eric is in his glory!

Mid Summer Harvesting

It's onion harvesting time, and cucumbers and zucchini and beans and beets and melons and tomatoes and eggplants and well...we can safely say it is an abundant time of harvesting.
Here are Tim and Eric curing Red Tropeo onions in the 2nd greenhouse

May in motion

It's May and we are moving right along. This is a picture of the cover crops that do so well during the winter to keep the soil covered and enrich it at the same time. The rye provides tons of organic matter, and the crimson clover, with the conspicuous red flower, pull nitrogen from the air and stores it on root nodules to be released later for the spring and summer vegetable crops. Essentially free fertilizer. We are looking forward to the start of the harvest on June 5.

Scott

Winter Oasis

What can be better than the greenhouse as winter turns into spring...