Tag: Gardening

On The Farm In June
Gardening · Homesteading

On The Farm In June

Sarah

June was overall cool, with a few few warm days in the start. I am still learning how to deal with the micro-climate here on the island, and I am getting results finally.

The start of June and my little garden pots barely going.

The strawberry plants putzing along.

My anemic looking tomato bed.

Thyme in bloom.

Blueberries getting there.

The first peas.

At the end of the school year we got a tour of the school’s farm school – and brought home a few starts that were getting sad in the greenhouses. This little mint start came home.

And a tiny kale that was barely holding on.

My overly pampered basil started showing signs it would make it.

Kale did great in June, with harvests weekly.

The first Golden Raspberries, from the plants I brought with us to the new land.

In a bid to defeat the chronically cold weather/winds, I had a light bulb moment of wrapping plastic sheeting around the fencing, and using binder clips. Who knew it would work so well. I will be writing about this soon – it took my very sad plants and gave them a leg up – quickly.

Wild strawberries.

In June real work began. We hired a local tree company to remove the dead and severely sick trees near the house, and carved it back to a 30 foot perimeter, to create a fire break. Having trees knocking on the roof was scary enough in windstorms, and we didn’t want these to fall on the house. This was a time to hire professionals. They did the tree removal, and to save money we did the limb stripping, and bucking of the trees. We are still working on it, but it has opened up the forest incredibly. It is SO much healthier.

The first carrots, doing a thinning.

Zucchini, kale, lettuce, lettuce, chard and carrots.

Wild Evergreen Huckleberries. They will ripen in late summer/early fall.

Native Black Caps (black raspberries).

First zucchini flowers.

Little baby deer, toodling around. We have multiple mamas that eat in our lower fields. One has twins, with the spots still on. I put up with them for now, since all they do is trim the grass.

However, these 2? You can’t grow anything without pillaging going on……

Dealing With Microclimates
Gardening · Homesteading

Dealing With Microclimates

Sarah

At our old house, in Maple Valley, Wa, our grow zone was considered 8b. However, I treated it as a 7B due to late freezes in early spring. Where we live now, in Freeland, Wa, it is zone 8b.

So same zone, right? Well….no. You can have it on paper that it is, but microclimate plays a big factor. It has been a huge learning curve for me this Spring, to learn how to grow food where while it claims it is only 2° cooler on average, in reality it is 10 to 15° cooler, and the steady winds keep it cooler.

Old house:

In the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Mount Rainier brought storms, hail and snow in the off seasons, but we often had stretches of weather above 80° and Arctic freezes from Canada that took it below freezing for weeks in winter. Land is flat, in town and exposed to sun.

New house:

Live within a mile of open water, of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, on the narrow section of an island. Cooling winds blow in the morning and evening year round. Weather is influenced by the rain shadow of the Eastern Olympics. Land is sloping with forest behind house that holds shade, though farm areas are sunny.

With the (very) limited garden we got in this year, in early spring, I was getting frustrated. Nothing was growing at the rate I was used to. You’d think the lightbulb would come on, but it isn’t always that easy. I have had a lot on my mind, as we clear land and get it ready for fall planting.

Then I realized at the start of June I had to insulate my tomatoes if I wanted them to grow. At our old home, we could “field grow” (uncovered) them with few issues. Here, once we go into full growing, they will have to be under caterpillar tunnels. Which we have, but they are for the growing fields. So….I got thinking and pulled together quickly a DIY way of helping boost the temperature (and taking away some of the wind) for the plants. I took my old methods of making hoop houses, and changed it. Since we have deer fencing everywhere, I used that to wrap plastic wrap around it (find in the paint section or similar at the hardware store), instead of using hoops to go over.

The tomato bed before being wrapped. Being at the top of the hill, the bed was exposed constantly to wind.

For the tomato bed I did it in two sections, so I can remove half as needed, and leaving a “back stop” of plastic.

As I have talked about before, large binder clips are very useful to have on hand. I keep a plastic shoe bin full of them in the garden shed.

Open to the sky for rain and visits from pollinators. This also helps on sunny days with letting out heat.

In the first few days we saw more growth, and in the past 2 weeks the plants have filled in more, and produced many flowers.

After finishing the tomatoes, I got to thinking about the alpine strawberries. Without the use of our greenhouse till later this year, the strawberry plants we do have were stunted from growing in colder temperatures.

A week of being wrapped led to huge results.

For now, until the temperatures warm up into the 70’s consistently (well, even the upper 60’s), I am leaving them wrapped.

It’s easy though to unwrap: Just unclip and let hang down. If windy, just pinch the plastic together with clips.

~Sarah

Growing Alpine Strawberry Plants From Seed
Gardening · Homesteading

Growing Alpine Strawberry Plants From Seed

Sarah

Finding a hobby you love is a cool thing. Especially one you had no idea you would love. I’ve always loved growing strawberry plants, for as long as I can remember, but I had never tried growing from seed. Most growers of strawberries don’t grow their own plants, it’s considerably easier to buy bare-root plants in late winter/early spring. Growing strawberries from seed is hard work, and it is slow. Add in that many strawberry varieties for commercial growing are not seeded, but starts are grown by clippings.

If you want huge, commercial size strawberries, buy starts, and as you get runners, clip those and pot to grow more plants. You will need to replace your original plants about every 3 years for best growth. But if instead you want to grow true heritage strawberries, the tiny alpine types, where flavor trumps size, you will need to grow from seed (unless you know someone locally who grows and sells!) Most alpine berries are ever bearing, meaning they produce berries throughout the growing season. Depending on your growing zone/hours of daylight, you will get a crop in late spring/early summer and then the plant goes dormant till late summer. It then produces a crop till first frost. Some years I have pushed plants under grow lights to put on berries through the winter, into February.

Where to find seeds? Baker Creek Seeds is one of our favorite sources.

I start my seeds yearly in mid winter, usually at the end of January. You will need a greenhouse, or a protected area to start seeds (such as a sunny south-facing area in your house.

But don’t go into strawberry growing expecting the seeds to behave like other seeds. They are slow to germinate, and fickle on a good day.

Prepare your pots. I prefer round 4″ pots. Use new ones, or well washed and sanitized ones. I don’t buy special potting soil, I use the same organic soil I used for everything (G&B Oraganics), and placed in trays. As we grow a lot of varieties every year, I do one tray per type (or in some years 2 trays!). Be sure to label each tray well. I pack in the soil, tapping each pot. Soak the soil with water. I use a kids watering can for this, and do the watering 2-3 times, ensuring the soil is saturated. Sprinkle the seeds on top. Put at least 6 seeds per pot.

DO NOT TOP WITH SOIL. Yes. Just walk away.

Keep the soil moist, checking every few days, especially if your greenhouse or home is hot. As we don’t heat our greenhouse above 45°, unless we have a sunny streak of weather in winter, I check every 3 to 4 days. Water only as much as needed.

There are two methods one can do for the germination process. One is faster, but it comes down to you, your budget, space and equipment. Either use supplemental lighting or don’t.

Natural light:

Will take the longest. Chances for a lower germination rate.

Grow lights:

Seeds germinate faster. Plants get a head start.

To boost it faster, use a seed germination heating mat. While I have one, I don’t use it. My method takes longer to grow the plants, but I have found my plants are very hardy.

Now walk away. Just walk away. Nothing is going to happen. For a very long time. Don’t give up. Even if 4 to 6 weeks has passed. Right when you think NOTHING is going to happen you will see a tiny speck of green.

And then you relax. They are growing!

These were seeded on January 31st. This is them in late April. While the plants did receive grow lights in February, they didn’t after that.

Due to our move, a farmer friend of mine fostered my babies this year (her pay being she got to keep a bunch). She brought them to me in late April. Her greenhouse isn’t heated. So while still small, I potted them up into 1 gallon pots, which will keep the plants happy for a long time.

Within a week or two the plants jumped in size.

Once the longer days kick in, strawberry plants know to grow, and do so quickly. (As you can see, the deer do like the plants, so while they grow outside, I keep them protected from chomping.

First year alpine strawberry plants won’t put on berries until the end of summer, but will then produce a crop till the first freeze. The next spring you will get a batch in spring/early summer as well!

As for the plants you grow, they should be lightly fertilized with an organic pellet type every month or so. Just sprinkle on some, then water.

In spring, once the plants come back for the year, you can break apart the root balls carefully and separate to make more plants, as desired, and repot into new pots.

To protect in fall and winter, cover and surround the plants (especially if in pots, rather than in ground) with hay. They can be fully covered. They will go to sleep for the winter. Uncover once deep freezes have passed.

But most of all? Enjoy the fruit of your labor:

Turning Fields Into Growing Land
Gardening · Homesteading

Turning Fields Into Growing Land

Sarah

When asked what we are doing to our land, my answer is modern homesteading. Converting back fallow fields to farmland, but using modern gear to get the job(s) done faster, and easier.

When we bought our property this past winter, we went into it knowing it had a lot of work ahead for us. It wasn’t till and plant ready by any means. The previous owner had not taken care of much of the acreage the past few years, so it was very overgrown. The lower field for example had last years “grass” and a million weeds folded over, matted deeply. We had to wait to get the right attachment for our BCS Tractor, that could cut it and mulch the mess.

We run a BCS 853 walk behind tractor. Our flail mower attachment is a Berta from Earth Tools.

Running the flail mower doesn’t look hard, and well, it isn’t hard once you figure out all the gears, however it is physically hard to do it. I am 5’4″ so the BCS tends to walk me. It’s a good workout to say the least. You really feel the corners, when you have to physically turn the tractor. It takes a lot of arm and butt/hip strength. Free workout I’ll give it that.

Part of this section was between waist and chest high, with a lot of stinging nettles. Kirk is 6’4″ so for him the BCS is easier than it is for me.

One issue in this field was disguised holes. You have to careful to not step into one. This one was deeper than my ankle! Rodent holes get well disguised under over grown grass.

As the lowing went on, the field really opened up. The green slash across it is due to the previous owner thinking he could solve the internet access nightmare for us (both us and Comcast told him to NOT do it), and he ripped a line across the property with a backhoe, stuck the wrong line and covered it (and yep, it isn’t going to work…just like Comcast told him!) So it grows differently, but due to being new, we could use a regular mower on it.

After the flail mowing was mostly done, we pulled out 2 trees at the end of the property. Both were younger trees, and doing nothing productive……..

Before we pull trees out, we take off the branches to about 5-6 feet high. It allows the winch to go around the tree easier, and hey, you have to take them off in the end. Saves time.

Trees gone (though the stumps remain for when our tractor shows up, which can haul the weight). We are working on the sides of the field, taking out brush, and opening up the trees by removing branches up to 6 to 8 feet high off the ground. It lets in light to the ground, air flow and just looks better (it also will give us access to remove dead trees inside the mess).

The second field was treated as lawn overall, and actually kept mowed. Part of that is due to the well head being in it. This is where the greenhouse will be moved in the coming weeks, onto its new foundation.

The field was mostly clear, although on the far side was a number of small trees that were shading the area heavily. By pulling them out, we regain a lot of light. We have found for these trees pulling them down with a winch works fast.

At this point, we had taken 5 trees down. There are a few more behind that came out later/will come out. However, the huge maple tree isn’t going anywhere. It’s shade projects the correct way, and goes over the septic field above, on the hill. As with the other side, we are slowly working on opening up the forest on the fringe, and creating a healthier environment. On this side we have issues with a deciduous “tree” that is a shrub that grows high. As the branches get big, they break easily. And it grows everywhere, choking out the forest.

The boys help as well, and are great for sawing smaller logs up.

For most jobs on the farm we have found the Greenworks 16 inch 40v chainsaw works well. Overall, if we need a stronger chainsaw, it’s usually not a tree we should be felling by ourselves.

Kirk picked up a Logosol holder, which allows one to cut trees into logs without stooping over.

We process the trees: Take off the branches, send them to the chipping pile (we have a chipper that runs off of the BCS tractor), then we cut the trees into logs, which the boys stack to cure, under the maple tree, behind the compost bins.

Adding Value To Farm Produce Sales
Gardening · Markets

Adding Value To Farm Produce Sales

Sarah

I was talking with a fellow attendee from last summer’s profitable market gardening workshop in Kelowna, B.C., and he asked me how did I add value to sales at our farm this past summer.

If you are in an area with a lot of farms, and a lot of the same items for sale, you need a niche that garners attention and loyalty! Because your customers can and will go to different vendors and farms, looking for the best deal. But you can keep them happy. And it’s all in the little things that make a customer’s day and put a smile out there that does that.

Last year, when we were still in Maple Valley, Washington we ran our urban farm under the name Lahar Valley Farm, and our logo incorporated Mount Rainier into it. A bold logo caught the eye, especially at markets, with the banner behind us. With an unusual name, it struck up conversations quickly. With our current location, on our new farm we have gone back to the homestead name, Never Free Farm, and haven’t decided if this will be the new name. However, a great name, bold logo and a social media presence is some of the most important things you can do immediately.

Social Media:

You cannot avoid it. You don’t need to be a photography pro, nor own a fancy camera. Learn to take non-shaky photos with your phone, use a few carefully selected hashtags, and use Instagram to showcase what you grow and do! You don’t have to post a ton of photos, but keep it regular. When things catch your eye, take the time to slow down and shoot a few photos. When you have time, post them. Be who you are, let people in a bit into what goes on in your life.

Feature fun activities for children. I cannot stress that enough. Parents love to take kids to farms, be it urban or rural. You don’t need to be a tourist trap with a petting zoo and ride on train, with inflatables and a bounce house. Rather, think Waldorf/outdoor kindergarten style where the children can run around and burn off energy, and if they pick a few strawberries, so be it. In off-season I hosted home schooling families to come out and visit. Activities involved digging for worms in our worm bin, to seeing how plants grow.

But one of my favorite things is above: painted rocks. I hosted a local rock spot (it even had its own Facebook page) for the local painted rock group in the town. Most towns or regions have a group on Facebook, and a hashtag (ours was #MVRocks and #MapleValleyRocks). People came by often to swap rocks.

These rocks lasted minutes out there! They carried our farm website on the back as well. I know similar small business who would hide painted rocks that if redeemed, would win a prize.

Other farms did similar things, such as letting children throw feed to the chickens, or open test garden days (for a local seed company). U-pick is also an idea some farms have gone to, to give a deeper connection for the families.

Build in loyalty with custom boxes:

Last year much of our business was built off Facebook posts, on our farm’s page (a fresh sheet was posted weekly with prices), and on local community pages on FB as well. With photos and clear prices, people knew how to contact us. We offered pickup in coolers, and customers could pay ahead with Paypal invoices, if they wished. Having a presence on social media also meant that customers could tag us, to share us with friends.

We didn’t have the space to run a full sale CSA but we could offer price point boxes. If a customer had $10 or $20 in their budget, we made it so, and if there was something they didn’t like, they let us know. Freshly picked, often within an hour of pickup. That is something big farms cannot offer – and they won’t get at a farmer market.

And we always tucked in a special item, be it a bit more of a veggie, to a cutting of tiny grapes, or fresh herbs. Something to let people know they are appreciated.

~Sarah