A few people have told me they wanted to post a comment on the blog, but had trouble or couldn't figure out how to do it. So I decided to try it myself, since I didn't really know how to do it either. It was a little confusing.
This is how you do it:
1. Go to the bottom of the post you want to comment on and click the link which shows the number of comments.
2. Type your comment in the box.
3. Click the drop-down menu next to 'Comment as:' under the box and select 'Name/URL'.
4. In the 'Edit profile' box which pops up, enter whatever name you want to show with your comment.
5. Leave the URL box blank and click the 'Continue' button.
6. Click on the 'Preview' button if you would like to see how the comment will look. Then click 'Post Comment'.
7. There is one last step which helps prevent comment spam by proving you are a human being rather than a computer (it's sad that this is necessary, but it is). Type the weird wavy characters into the word verification box and, once more, click 'Post Comment'.
That's it! Only seven steps :-)
Friday, May 21, 2010
Critters of Rain Song Farm
We don't have any livestock, just two indoor cats. However, there are many critters who have decided to make Rain Song Farm their home. Some of them may have been here before we were!
We have lived here for nine years, and though we only started the 'farm' in 2008, we have been following organic practices for the land since we moved here. Long before we decided to grow vegetables, we managed the property with wildlife and conservation in mind. We don't use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers anywhere on our property, and we have left most of the land natural, with trees, brush and whatever grasses, wildflowers and groundcovers that happen to grow. We have also planted wildlife-friendly plants such as lantana and mulberry and fig trees. Many of the plants were so wildlife-friendly that the wildlife (deer) loved them out of existence.
Here is a selection of the critters with whom we share Rain Song Farm.
We have lived here for nine years, and though we only started the 'farm' in 2008, we have been following organic practices for the land since we moved here. Long before we decided to grow vegetables, we managed the property with wildlife and conservation in mind. We don't use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers anywhere on our property, and we have left most of the land natural, with trees, brush and whatever grasses, wildflowers and groundcovers that happen to grow. We have also planted wildlife-friendly plants such as lantana and mulberry and fig trees. Many of the plants were so wildlife-friendly that the wildlife (deer) loved them out of existence.
Here is a selection of the critters with whom we share Rain Song Farm.
A butterfly enjoying cilantro blossoms
A tortoise who disappeared suprisingly quickly after I took this photo!
Luna moths mating on the side of the greenhouse
Baby house wrens in a nest inside the greenhouse
Snails mating on the side of, you guessed it, the greenhouse.
There's something about that greenhouse, isn't there?
A monarch caterpillar munching on butterfly weed
Male eastern bluebird perching on the mailbox, looking for insects.
Can you tell he sits there often?
Barred owl perched on the back garden fence
Mama and baby. So cute. A few days later I watched that fawn strip all the leaves off one of our blueberry bushes. The deer are the primary reason we built a 6-foot fence around the main garden. But we still ooh and ahh over the little fawns every spring.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Little Babies
There are little babies showing up all over the garden. I could be talking about insects, because they certainly are making plenty of hungry offspring right now, but I really mean baby veggies. The powerhouse crops of late spring are starting to produce their fruits.
We enjoy watching the plants grow from seeds to seedlings, through their 'childhood', and into fully mature, blooming plants. Then we get to watch the little babies emerging out of those flowers which were fertilized. The past week or two we have been delighted to see the first tiny tomatoes, squash, and snap beans appearing on the plants.
Here are some photos (for a closer look, click on a photo to display it in a larger window):
Botanically speaking, the fruits are not plant 'babies'. Seeds are truly the babies. Fruits are the ovaries which produce the seeds. I think that is most apparent on squash and zucchini plants. In the zucchini photo above, the young fruit is part of a female blossom; there is an immature male blossom immediately to the right (green, on the end of a slender stalk). The young fruit/ovary will continue to grow while its blossom is open, but if the blossom is not fertilized, the fruit eventually shrinks and falls off. We are never sure that the first few squash fruits we see in the spring will actually survive. Soon, though, when there are male blossoms open on several plants, odds are good that the bees will get around and transfer the male pollen to most of the female blossoms. In fact, the bees were quite busy among the squash plants while I was taking these photos.
By the way, this is why cross-pollination is not a problem in the first generation. The fruit forms from the tissue of the 'mother' plant. The seeds are the only parts which contain genetic material from the 'father' plant. So, if you grow a bunch of varieties of squash or peppers together, you don't have to worry about getting yellow zucchini or hot bell peppers this year. It is only a consideration if you plant seeds saved from those fruits next year - then you may end up with some interesting crosses. I have to remind myself of this every season, it seems. In the back of my mind, for just a minute or two, I still wonder if that spicy serrano plant will corrupt my sweet little Italian peppers.
I find the science behind what is happening in the garden to be fascinating and I believe it is essential knowledge for an organic gardener. Yet, when I walk through the garden and see the growth and change, it still feels like magic. And that is the best part.
We enjoy watching the plants grow from seeds to seedlings, through their 'childhood', and into fully mature, blooming plants. Then we get to watch the little babies emerging out of those flowers which were fertilized. The past week or two we have been delighted to see the first tiny tomatoes, squash, and snap beans appearing on the plants.
Here are some photos (for a closer look, click on a photo to display it in a larger window):
The tomato in front has a shriveled blossom hanging from its end
A tiny snap bean still holding on to the remains of a blossom
This pattypan squash is so new, its blossom hasn't opened yet
An Eight Ball squash
Zucchini, Jr.
Botanically speaking, the fruits are not plant 'babies'. Seeds are truly the babies. Fruits are the ovaries which produce the seeds. I think that is most apparent on squash and zucchini plants. In the zucchini photo above, the young fruit is part of a female blossom; there is an immature male blossom immediately to the right (green, on the end of a slender stalk). The young fruit/ovary will continue to grow while its blossom is open, but if the blossom is not fertilized, the fruit eventually shrinks and falls off. We are never sure that the first few squash fruits we see in the spring will actually survive. Soon, though, when there are male blossoms open on several plants, odds are good that the bees will get around and transfer the male pollen to most of the female blossoms. In fact, the bees were quite busy among the squash plants while I was taking these photos.
By the way, this is why cross-pollination is not a problem in the first generation. The fruit forms from the tissue of the 'mother' plant. The seeds are the only parts which contain genetic material from the 'father' plant. So, if you grow a bunch of varieties of squash or peppers together, you don't have to worry about getting yellow zucchini or hot bell peppers this year. It is only a consideration if you plant seeds saved from those fruits next year - then you may end up with some interesting crosses. I have to remind myself of this every season, it seems. In the back of my mind, for just a minute or two, I still wonder if that spicy serrano plant will corrupt my sweet little Italian peppers.
I find the science behind what is happening in the garden to be fascinating and I believe it is essential knowledge for an organic gardener. Yet, when I walk through the garden and see the growth and change, it still feels like magic. And that is the best part.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Ambassadors
We are small-scale farmers who support local food, sustainable and organic growing practices, and the farm-to-consumer marketing model. We value these things because we believe they are good not only for our own health, but also for the health of our customers, our community, and the future of our species and our planet. A natural outcome of these values is the practice of cooking and eating fresh, minimally-processed, responsibly-produced food that is nourishing for the body and the soul.
When charismatic, articulate ambassadors for this kind of food do things that reach a large audience, it makes me happy. I recently came upon two posts on Chef Andrew Little's blog (thanks to Blue Heron Farm and GreenAkeys Farm blogs for pointing the way) linking to videos of excellent TED2010 talks about improving the food we eat. I found both inspiring. The information is presented in an interesting, thought-provoking way that fires me up to do something about it!
The first video is Chef Jamie Oliver speaking about overhauling the American diet. This talk gives us a chance to hear the ideas and motivation behind his project in West Virginia without the reality-TV gimmicks. The bar chart of mortality statistics is arresting; Oliver points out the irony of our obsessive fear of homicide while we are killing ourselves with food and lifestyle.
When he talked about encountering children who are the third generation to grow up without a family tradition of cooking, at first I wasn't surprised. But then I really thought about it and I was astounded by the idea. Ed and I both grew up in homes in which we sat down with our families almost every night to eat a home-cooked meal prepared by our mothers. Both of my grandmothers baked bread from scratch, cooked meat from animals they raised, and preserved home-grown produce. I can't imagine growing up not only without knowing how to cook, but also without thinking of cooking as a normal part of life. With so many Americans so far removed from preparing their own food, is it any wonder that we, as a nation, are dying of diet-related diseases?
I had another 'aha' moment when Oliver spoke about how fast food restaurants (and prepared food manufacturers and other restaurants) have "weaned us on to these hits of sugar, salt and fat, and x, y, and z". I think the term 'hit' is perfect. That is how it feels to me, now that I am aware of it. How many times have I continued eating something after I am no longer hungry, still trying to get more of that 'fix'? Our palates have been trained and our bodies and brains now expect regular doses of these concentrated flavors. With that perspective, it is easy to see why so many of us are disinclined to eat real food - it doesn't push those buttons with the intensity and immediacy of food-like substances which have been designed to do just that. Though these ideas have been well-discussed in the past (Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation and Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma come to mind), I was glad to be reminded again of the challenges which have been built into our culture's food landscape.
Oliver concludes with his wish as winner of the 2010 TEDPrize: "I wish for everyone to help create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again, and empower people everywhere to fight obesity." He already has a great start on this with his Ministry of Food program in England. It sounds great to me! Let's cook!
I'll get to the second video, Chef Dan Barber talking about sustainable food production, in another post.
When charismatic, articulate ambassadors for this kind of food do things that reach a large audience, it makes me happy. I recently came upon two posts on Chef Andrew Little's blog (thanks to Blue Heron Farm and GreenAkeys Farm blogs for pointing the way) linking to videos of excellent TED2010 talks about improving the food we eat. I found both inspiring. The information is presented in an interesting, thought-provoking way that fires me up to do something about it!
The first video is Chef Jamie Oliver speaking about overhauling the American diet. This talk gives us a chance to hear the ideas and motivation behind his project in West Virginia without the reality-TV gimmicks. The bar chart of mortality statistics is arresting; Oliver points out the irony of our obsessive fear of homicide while we are killing ourselves with food and lifestyle.
When he talked about encountering children who are the third generation to grow up without a family tradition of cooking, at first I wasn't surprised. But then I really thought about it and I was astounded by the idea. Ed and I both grew up in homes in which we sat down with our families almost every night to eat a home-cooked meal prepared by our mothers. Both of my grandmothers baked bread from scratch, cooked meat from animals they raised, and preserved home-grown produce. I can't imagine growing up not only without knowing how to cook, but also without thinking of cooking as a normal part of life. With so many Americans so far removed from preparing their own food, is it any wonder that we, as a nation, are dying of diet-related diseases?
I had another 'aha' moment when Oliver spoke about how fast food restaurants (and prepared food manufacturers and other restaurants) have "weaned us on to these hits of sugar, salt and fat, and x, y, and z". I think the term 'hit' is perfect. That is how it feels to me, now that I am aware of it. How many times have I continued eating something after I am no longer hungry, still trying to get more of that 'fix'? Our palates have been trained and our bodies and brains now expect regular doses of these concentrated flavors. With that perspective, it is easy to see why so many of us are disinclined to eat real food - it doesn't push those buttons with the intensity and immediacy of food-like substances which have been designed to do just that. Though these ideas have been well-discussed in the past (Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation and Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma come to mind), I was glad to be reminded again of the challenges which have been built into our culture's food landscape.
Oliver concludes with his wish as winner of the 2010 TEDPrize: "I wish for everyone to help create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again, and empower people everywhere to fight obesity." He already has a great start on this with his Ministry of Food program in England. It sounds great to me! Let's cook!
I'll get to the second video, Chef Dan Barber talking about sustainable food production, in another post.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Toads and 'Todes
After a wet winter, we have had a somewhat dry spring. Since the middle of March there has been hardly any rain. Our rainwater tanks were basically empty. So we were glad that there was rain in the forecast for last weekend, though we hoped the rain wouldn't come in the middle of the farmer's market.
The sky looked threatening most of the day Friday and Saturday, but the rain didn't come and we stayed dry through the harvest and the market. We were also able to get the pepper plants in the ground on Saturday afternoon, which was a very good thing. They were pretty tall and becoming root-bound in their little pots.
We got half an inch of rain in the middle of the day Sunday. I would have liked more; I guess we farmers are never quite satisfied! The timing was perfect for Ed to apply our latest natural pest control: beneficial nematodes. These microscopic worms are parasites of soil-dwelling insects. They are a different species from the plant-parasitic nematodes which cause root knots on tomatoes and other plants. They are a bit finicky about the temperature, sun and moisture, so it is important to apply them in the right season, weather and time of day. Sunday afternoon after the rain turned out to be perfect.
I had a good laugh when Ed told me he was going out to spray some "todes". The nematodes come in some organic matter and basically need to be "dissolved" in water and then diluted before being sprayed on the soil. After a little while, I could hear Ed pumping up his hand-held sprayer.
I wandered out into the garden to admire the tomato and pepper plants and enjoy the cool breeze. Ed was making his way down a row from which we had just harvested the last of the beets and carrots when I heard him chuckle. He called me over to see what had amused him. While he was spraying near the end of the row, he had seen something move. When he stopped and looked closer, this is what he saw:
This funny little toad had decided to take up residence in the hole left by a carrot. He sat there calmly as we leaned in closer and closer to take the photo. Apparently he felt very safe in his hideout.
It just goes to show that we never know what will happen in the garden. Some days, squash and beans seem to appear overnight. Other times, we go out to harvest a perfectly ripe tomato, only to find out that some critter has been there first. And, every once in a while, we end up spraying 'todes on a toad.
The sky looked threatening most of the day Friday and Saturday, but the rain didn't come and we stayed dry through the harvest and the market. We were also able to get the pepper plants in the ground on Saturday afternoon, which was a very good thing. They were pretty tall and becoming root-bound in their little pots.
We got half an inch of rain in the middle of the day Sunday. I would have liked more; I guess we farmers are never quite satisfied! The timing was perfect for Ed to apply our latest natural pest control: beneficial nematodes. These microscopic worms are parasites of soil-dwelling insects. They are a different species from the plant-parasitic nematodes which cause root knots on tomatoes and other plants. They are a bit finicky about the temperature, sun and moisture, so it is important to apply them in the right season, weather and time of day. Sunday afternoon after the rain turned out to be perfect.
I had a good laugh when Ed told me he was going out to spray some "todes". The nematodes come in some organic matter and basically need to be "dissolved" in water and then diluted before being sprayed on the soil. After a little while, I could hear Ed pumping up his hand-held sprayer.
I wandered out into the garden to admire the tomato and pepper plants and enjoy the cool breeze. Ed was making his way down a row from which we had just harvested the last of the beets and carrots when I heard him chuckle. He called me over to see what had amused him. While he was spraying near the end of the row, he had seen something move. When he stopped and looked closer, this is what he saw:
This funny little toad had decided to take up residence in the hole left by a carrot. He sat there calmly as we leaned in closer and closer to take the photo. Apparently he felt very safe in his hideout.
It just goes to show that we never know what will happen in the garden. Some days, squash and beans seem to appear overnight. Other times, we go out to harvest a perfectly ripe tomato, only to find out that some critter has been there first. And, every once in a while, we end up spraying 'todes on a toad.
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