Seeding

Last week Meadowstone hosted two different groups from UNH Cooperative Extension, one Monday evening for a workshop and discussion on how we as a farm incorporate cover crops into our high tunnels and fields -from planning to planting. Discussion focused on how cover crops can be used as a method to manage soil fertility and lessen the impacts of extreme weather on the farm, like drought and flooding. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) was present to educate attendees about financial incentive programs to utilize to start incorporating cover crops on their farms.

The second workshop was Wednesday morning with the UNH cooperative Extension New Farmer School participants. Tim discussed Site and Soil as well as farm infrastructure, equipment, and systems. They visited us in the morning and then stopped in at Tellman Hill Farm in Whitefield for a tour of their orchard. We hope to carry their apples again this season in our farm-stand this fall. They open September 4th for PYO.

Above: Beginner farmers participants discussing equipment, tools, and systems.

You will notice in the picture above the seeder on the back of our John Deere tractor. We utilize this seeder to mainly plant cover crops including the spring mix planted at the Oxbow back in May pictured below. The mix contains Peas, beans, field turnips, sun hemp, sun flowers, and more. As mentioned in previous newsletters cover cropping is an important part of our approach to growing healthy food and healthy soil. Cover crops help build organic matter, protect the soil from erosion, suppress weeds, improve soil structure, and support the diverse soil life that makes our gardens, greenhouses, CAT tunnels, and fields productive. Over time, these practices have helped us build healthier, more resilient soils while reducing our reliance on outside inputs.

Below the Drill seeder in action: Cover Crop Planting Garden 7 last season.

We utilize the Earthway seeder to direct seed greens, cilantro, radishes, turnips, cilantro and cover crop seeds. we can easily navigate shorter beds, plant in greenhouses, and easily decide how close to put the rows. The earthway seed plate can easily be changed to adjust for seed size and space between seeds in a row, we can also adjust for seed depth at planting. Below you can see greens being planted using the earthway.

Over a decade ago, we brought the paper pot planting system to the farm and over the years have used it for Onions, cilantro, scallions, spinach, lettuce mix, turnips, kale, arugula, and greens mix. These days we use it mainly for spinach and other greens, and scallions. We seed the trays in our seed room and then once seeds have germinated and establish a thriving root system, we are able to plant the tray in the ground. We use this system to help extend our season and use bed space as efficiently as possible. We can remove tomatoes from a greenhouse in the morning and have growing spinach planted in the afternoon.

Check out the two videos below to see a much younger Sam seeding in the seed room with this system and then some ready-for-the-ground spinach planted.

We use the water wheel transplanter to plant transplants mainly, however also garlic “seeds” each fall.

……and finally, there are times we resort to the method many of us use in our home gardens: planting seeds by hand.

Pickup
Come anytime between 3 pm and 6 pm to choose your share on your pickup day.

As always, please bring your own bags or box to gather your choices.

Remember to contact us in advance if you will be unable to pick up on your day, so that we can store your share in our walk-in refrigerator to keep it fresh. You can email or call us to let us know. Thank you to all of those who have already arranged another time to pickup!

Here's what you will find in this weeks share:

 Everyone gets to take Scallions

Full shares receive an additional 11 choices

Small shares receive an additional 7 choices.

Want some recipe ideas?

CHECK OUT THE CSA RECIPE PAGE!

Your Farmer, Sam (For Tim, Mikaela, Jeannie, Jim, Evrald, Shawn, Jav, Colin, Jaime, Wyatt, Ani, Franconia, Riley, Ridge, Thatcher and Pam)