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.

Transplanting Seedlings

When seedlings are bunched in a tight area, it's best to "transplant" them to uncrowded areas of the garden bed so all have room to grow and breathe. If the garden bed is full, then it's a survival of the fittest situation -- only the strongest seedlings survive while the rest are "thinned" (plucked and eaten!) I actually found it heartbreaking to pluck the weaker seedlings -- there is just such life and energy behind these tiny plants that somehow find a will to live and push their way through the soil. So, I'll be transplanting as much as possible and giving as many healthy seedlings a chance for a good, happy life.

A Few Rules of Thumb:
1. Seedlings are ready for transplantation once they've developed their first true set of leaves.
2. It's best to transplant seedlings before they've developed their second set of fully developed leaves. (Longer roots and longer stems are more easily damaged...)
3. Remove seedlings 1 by 1 and replant each seedling before removing another.

Steps:
1. Use a stick, fork handle, Popsicle stick, or pencil (whatever is handy - the possibilities are endless...) to loosen the ground underneath a group of crowded seedlings.
2. Pick up individual seedlings by their leaves. Though it's tempting to pick up the seedlings by their stem, this actually bruises the stem and causes irreversible damage, leaving the plant unable to transport water and nutrients.
3. Once you have the seedling with it's long root system intact (the roots tend to be two to three times as long as the stem and leaves), use your stick to create a nice hole in the ground deep enough to hold the roots.
4. When placing the seedling into the hole, take care not to bury the entire stem. Look to see where the next set of leaves will be sprouting and make sure not to cover these tiny leaves with dirt.
5. Use your stick/fork/pencil to lightly fill the hole around your seedling (without compacting the soil).
6. Once you've redistributed all of your seedlings so that they all have room to grow, it's time to water. It's best to water from above your head versus low to the ground. This creates a nice, light sprinkle versus a downpour. Give enough water to moisten the soil, but take care to avoid puddling in the bed!

Horses & Leadership

One of the two Peruvian Pasos on the farm, Estrella, had been playing games. Whenever her caretaker approached her stall with a bridle, she turned away, leaving the caretaker chasing her in circles around the stall. It was unsafe and frustrating -- and the behavior seemed to be getting worse by the day.

I kept thinking to myself, "The Dog Whisperer" would not approve if Estrella was a dog...I'm so struck by the way horses and dogs seem to have an innate ability to sense humans' internal states. Maybe it has to do with the pack/herd hierarchy dynamics -- they must have a leader and be confident in their leader as a matter of survival.

When the horse trainer visited the farm to offer strategies to break this behavior, I watched, fascinated, as she coached each apprentice to approach with calm, assertive energy -- and with a clear intention of leading the horse out of the stall. Sure enough, Estrella responded almost immediately when the apprentices altered their approach. Without fuss, she walked right out of the stall and has continued to do so. The apprentices' big mistake was assuming that Estrella was afraid to leave the stall. Rather than leading her, they approached gently with an intention of coaxing her beyond her fear - and sometimes allowed her to stay in her stall rather than insisting she go out. In fact, Estrella was perfectly content following a capable, confident leader.

When I think about the times I most effectively lead a team, the common thread was my ability to communicate a clear, simple vision with confidence at heart. I'm happy to be surrounded by animals who constantly demand that calm confidence of me. It's valuable practice.

Bees Know Best

Hello Hello. Welcome to my new blog - and to beautiful Woodbridge Farm. It's already been five weeks since my adventure began on February 18, 2010. As expected in mid-February, my first day at the farm was gloomy & cold. But, before I could dwell on what seemed to be a never-ending Winter, I learned that the insect world was already preparing for Spring. In fact, as I moved 100 bales of hay on my first day, the queen bees busily laid thousands of eggs in their hives. The bees knew Spring was right around the corner, and sure enough, in the weeks to come, the days grew longer and longer - perennials & seedlings sprouted - calves were born - and snow turned into LOTS of rain.

Every Thursday & Friday, I come home utterly exhausted, but in the best of ways. I so appreciate the opportunity to know what it takes to grow (and raise) food that promotes personal health - and the health of our local land and economy.