Stress Test

Here in CT, the weather has been nuts. 80+ degree days followed by frosts and 25 mph winds. Before the broccoli, beets, lettuce, onions, fennel, etc. were transplanted into the field from the greenhouse, they were "hardened off". Luckily, the days following their exit from the protective womb of the greenhouse were mild, cloudy, drizzly, 60 degree days. Mother nature was kind, but she's not holding back anymore.

Today, as we hoed beds of broccoli & fennel for about 5 hours, we noticed the leaves of these crops were slightly purple. This, I learned is a sign of stress. The plants are still able to photosynthesize at this point, but to help them along, we sprayed algae onto their leaves. "Foliar Feeding" = feeding through the leaves. (It was funny, for a moment this afternoon, it smelled as though I had been transplanted to the ocean. Wishful thinking.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foliar_feeding

All very fascinating. I'm curious to see how the plants respond.

Ignorance Is Bliss

Most days on the farm, I find myself saying, almost on repeat..."Nope, never done that...Oh I had no idea...What? Really!!...Oh - that must be why..." etc. I must say that it's very liberating to feel unapologetic about not having any answers!

I take orders with a smile. (At least most of the time -- I was less than super-cheerful as I planted my 527th onion in the field today.) I ask dumb questions. (Dumb Question of the Day: "So what would happen if I planted a full-grown onion? Answer: "Ummm - it would probably just rot and then go to seed...")

This must be what was meant by "ignorance is bliss". No one expects me to have the answers...And, at least for now, I'm reveling in the freedom of learning just to learn.

A Children's Garden

By some stroke of luck, I'm finding myself writing the curriculum for a 20-week farm-based preschool program, complete with a children's garden! It will be 1.5 hours per week during Woodbridge Farm's CSA pickup on Fridays, and I can hardly contain my excitement!!

This is the "before" picture of the children's garden. Can you imagine how gorgeous it will be once the brambles & overgrown weeds are removed, the sprouting day lilies & hydrangeas are transplanted along the fence, and the child-friendly garden beds are dug? Or how lovely Circle Time will be underneath the shade of this beautiful tree?? Lucky kids & lucky me!!

This weekend, I'll be planning the garden design and choosing storybooks, songs & activities. What a joy! I can't wait to post the "after" shot once the space is designed and prepared for the kiddos' arrival at the end of May.