Field Update

This time of year, I tell people there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Not that farming is a dark, depressing state of being, but the idea of having a reprieve at the end of the season is indeed uplifting. With the cooler weather setting in and the sun setting earlier (first day of Autumn is Tuesday), we farmers start to think of preparing for the winter. A few beds in the field are finished for the year, meaning we will not plant or harvest any more from them. When this is the case, we put cover crop seed in these beds- a form of green manure, which will not be harvested, but tilled back into the soil to improve its health. Cover crop seed usually includes oats, rye, peas, or vetch.  There are a few plants and seeds that are still going into the ground, which we will plan on harvesting for our late season farmers market at Head House (last market is the Sunday before Christmas). These vegetables have to be cold-hearty and fast growing to go in the ground this time of year (lettuce, scallions, bok choi, salad greens, radishes, etc). We are also in the process of transforming our hoop houses as well- which means pulling out the summer crops that love the heat, and putting in late season crops that will be protected by the plastic cover of the hoop houses and be able to produce for longer into the winter (in fact throughout the winter), than most vegetables in the open field.