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.

Who is Eating your Tomatoes?

On Friday two shareholders stopped me with questions about our tomatoes. One person noticed a giant green caterpillar in the cherry tomatoes, and the folks were having some trouble with theirs in their yard and wanted to compare notes. I mentioned that it seemed a fairly average year so far for tomatoes….which these days, means it’s not stellar. What I mean by that is it seems as though it is nearly impossible to avoid some sort of devastating tomato disease in this region. Our tomatoes at the farm this summer started very strong with individual harvests yielding approximately 800 lbs. After a few weeks though, they have quickly reached a plateau and now we are yielding closer to 100 lbs per harvest. In addition to the onslaught of typical tomato diseases (which shoes up as brown and yellow leaves and some sunken, soft spots on the tomatoes themselves), we are also under siege from some hungry caterpillars! Yellow Striped Army Worm (photo, below left)- this critter eats both the leaves and the fruit of tomatoes. It has become more of a problem in this are in the last few years, as it has been able to overwinter and survive the warmer winter months. Tomato Horn Worm (photo, below right)- Hornworms strip leaves from plants. If a heavy infestation develops, caterpillars also feed on fruit. They feed on the surface leaving large, open scars. Hornworm damage usually begins to occur in midsummer and continues throughout the remainder of the growing season. Hornworms are often controlled by parasitic wasps (Brachonid wasps). These parasitoids lay eggs into the hornworms where their larvae feed inside, and then pupate on the backs of the hornworms. These pupal cases are seen as white projections on the back of the hornworm. If parasitized hornworms are found on the crop, we leave the larva for the next generation of beneficial wasps to emerge.

Yellow Striped Army Worm

Tomato Horn Worm

Update From the Fields

This summer has been wonderful weather for working outdoors. It has been cooler than usual, which makes it much more pleasurable for the farmers. Luckily, it hasn’t been too cool for any of the heat-loving vegetables. While our tomato production is going down quickly, it is due to the usual diseases that plague tomatoes in the mid Atlantic, not the cool weather. Our eggplants have been rock steady, with a consistent, reliable harvest. And the peppers are just beginning to really gain momentum. Even the cooler weather we’ve had this summer is still too much for the cool-loving greens, as you’ve been a major decrease in salad greens and the size of our lettuce heads, but both will increase again in the fall. Many of our fall crops are in the ground, such as fall broccoli, fennel and collards, as well as the turnips and radishes, and we are finished seeding carrots for the season. we are finalizing our late fall/winter growing plans for inside our hoop houses as well as in the field, to ensure we have a good harvest through the end of the CSA and even to our last Head House market, which goes into December.

The Synergy of our Farming Partnership

Synergy: the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements.

While Henry Got Crops is one farm, it is a partnership of four organizations. Philadelphia Parks and Recreation provides access to land. Saul High School provides a present and willing community. Weavers Way Co-op provides an accessible, functioning farm. Weavers Way Community Programs provides the conduit for values and knowledge to be shared through experiential, educational activities.

Together, Henry Got Crops functions to operate an educational, working farm that serves as a learning opportunity for Saul students, as well as an environmentally responsible source of food for neighboring communities. The two goals are equally important and integrally intertwined in the way we operate the farm with student involvement.

At Henry Got Crops, the partners involved work hard to intertwine the goals of the farm through farm education programs and food production.  The goal is to give students valuable, real-world experience while running a business. This integrated approach is a core philosophy of this farm and this concept served as a principle building block when starting it.

To make this farm work, all partners are needed: the farm can't exist without the school, the school can't be involved without the education coordinator and the education coordinator can't teach without the farm. We are proud of this unique design and are excited to continue growing, together.

Most urban farmers are tasked with the difficult job of trying to run a farm AND coordinate the educational programs. Ask any urban farmer in Philadelphia, and they will tell you these two tasks are, at best, challenging to balance. With our partnership, each organization can focus on what they do best, and excel in their area of focus. The farm managers are able to focus on operating a functional farm and the educators are able to focus on the delivering experiential, educational programming.  The result is a functioning farm that serves as a classroom.

Sometimes I think what we are trying to accomplish at Henry Got Crops is crazy and destined to be forever difficult and inherently challenging. And while it is… I still believe this to be a worthy endeavor. Not one of these organizations could accomplish what happens here at Henry Got Crops on their own. But together, we bring our strengths to the table and are able to actualize our mission, in a very concrete and delicious way.

Thank You, 2013 Henry Got Crops Team!

This season the Henry Got Crops crew was the most experienced group to work on the farm yet. Almost everyone on our 2013 staff had either worked or volunteered on the farm in 2012. The skills of this team really brought the growing season to a new level of efficiency, productivity, education and fun. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love this farm with all my heart and soul, and the farm is inseparable from the people who work alongside me in the field. If I could have my way, I would have next year look just the same as this year. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your hard work, passion, commitment and love for this funny little place in Roxborough.

Tara- Tara did her co-op hours at the farm last July and well…simply has never stopped coming to the farm since then! She was all eyes and ears as she was eager to learn and help with anything and everything. Tara even volunteered over the winter when it was freezing rain outside and the hoop houses were small oases of warm green space. The farm education apprenticeship was a natural fit for Tara as she was particularly interested in working with youth. Tara- the farm education programs have grown so much in the last year, due to your ability to help realize their full potential. You are always there to lend a hand, stay till the job is finished and turn any moment on the farm into a learning opportunity for the students at Saul.

Clare- I have had the pleasure of working with Clare for three years now and I have witnessed her take on the leadership and dedication necessary to create in-depth, organized year-round education programs at Henry Got Crops. Clare, you are always the first to notice if I am having a tough day and offer the unconditional support necessary to get through a long season. Over the years, Clare has deepened the hands-on learning at the farm with big picture, full-circle curriculum that brings the learning experience at Saul high school to a level that every other high school should be envious of. Clare, you take care of all those around you and I am lucky to work alongside you.

Chris- Chris came to us as the apprentice from 2012 and I just couldn’t bear to let him go. After a few conversations over the winter about what his next farming move might be, I somehow was lucky enough to have him back. Chris maintained the orchard in its pivotal, critical, first year of growth.  I don’t think Chris or I knew what to expect in year one with the new orchard. Without Chris’s attention the orchard would surely be a dry, weedy jungle instead of the beautiful, clover-lined, thriving space that it is. Chris wrestled with 300 feet of fire hose once a week to ensure the trees got the water they needed. He weeded, and then weeded again, and then weeded again. He replanted the trees that didn’t survive the winter. And on top of it, he also helped out in the vegetable field twice a week and was just the added energy we needed to wrap up the harvest before dark, and get that week’s transplants in the ground on schedule. Chris, I can always count on you to make me laugh, even when (or especially when) the chaos of the farm almost seems unbearable. You have seen this farm through so much growth in the last two years.

Hannah- Hannah and I met six years ago when she was volunteering at the Weavers Way Mort Brooks farm the year that I was apprenticing there. Hannah probably wins the prize for wearing the most hats with Weavers Way. She has been a dedicated volunteer at all the farms, an intern at the Mort Brooks farm for a full summer, the Program Coordinator for the Beginning Farmer Training Program, which was partially hosted by Henry Got Crops, and this year she joined our harvest team once a week, PLUS she used to work in the Weavers Way Mt. Airy store. Hannah (almost) never tired of harvesting eggplant this season. She has a way of finding the silver lining in every moment, whether it was harvesting in the cold rain all afternoon, or biking home in the cold and the dark after a full day of work. Hannah- your enthusiasm is an inspiration to me and I always appreciate our conversations in the field about the bigger picture significance of the type of work we are doing.

Nancy- Nancy and I first met when she was doing her co-op shifts at the farm in August of 2011. She told me her story about her connection to Weavers Way and the Mort Brooks farm, and after working with her for only two hours I felt like she had come home to this farm even though she had never been here before.  Nancy and I immediately struck a chord as we talked about being women in the farming world. I remember thinking, “wow, she really knows where I’m coming from.” For the past two years Nancy has been a part of our farm team, and has earned the endearing nick name of “Auntie Nance” (which she may not know about!) because of her amazing ability to listen and remember everything you ever tell her. Nancy, no matter what you are doing, whether it is listening to what I did over the weekend, transplanting herbs, or making a map of the farm, you do it with 150% of your heart. You have been a huge part of what makes this farm feel so emotionally nourishing and supportive to so many people.

Scott- Scott came to the farm late summer 2011 when he responded to a poster in the co-op which read: Weavers Way Farms looking for someone with mechanical skills! We not only gained a handyman who can fix our weed-whackers, but a jack-of-all-trades who can (or at least has us fooled that he can) fix or build anything. Scott is a constant idea generator, from veggie bargain bins, to “Adopt a Row,” to the entire composting project. Scott, you are always there when I need a hand and always willing to lend an ear. Scott is as dedicated as if this was his family farm, and that generosity has gone beyond the vegetable field at Henry Got Crops to the larger Saul community.

Emma- Emma came to interview for the 2013 apprenticeship on a cold rainy day back in February. She was completely unfazed by an interview in our dark, dingy, cold CSA building which looked more like a storage unit that time of year, or a tour of the farm in the pouring rain as the sun was setting. I knew right away she was tough as nails and a perfect fit.  Emma has never once complained and has picked up my spirits on more than one occasion when the work was getting to me. After a 13 hour day when we are delivering produce to the Weavers Way warehouse on a Friday night in October, she will be as happy and motivated as can be. I have never seen Emma tired. Emma would hear me say, “Oh wouldn’t it be great if we had a way to keep track of how many volunteers come to the farm,” or “I wish I had better records of our sales,” and before I knew it she would follow through with something that was just an idea and help actualize it into practice. Emma’s strengths lie in working with volunteers and detailed quality control. No bunch of greens would leave her hands without looking perfect, and no volunteer would leave  without Emma remembering their name and unique strengths and interests that they brought to the farm. Emma carried more than her weight in a particularly demanding season. The one thing that seemed constant this year was the ever changing schedule of people helping on the farm. Emma was my constant rock who helped me keep track of every detail necessary to keep the place functioning and moving forward. Emma, thank you.

Henry Got Crops! Vegetables in Saul Cafeteria

After a few years of dreaming about it, and then an entire year of actively pursuing it, we have just recently been approved as an official vendor for the School District of Philadelphia in order to sell produce to the Saul cafeteria (Fan fare! Fireworks!). This is a very exciting step for everyone! The farmers and farm educators are proud, the students are excited, the school district is supportive and the Saul staff are thrilled. Students from Saul can already get free produce to take home from the raised beds  which they tend with Clare and Tara as part of the Henry Got Crops farm education programs; and now this is yet another way we can get healthy, fresh produce which the students themselves help grow, into their mouths. We are starting small with this new plan, in order to work out the kinks. We will try various types of vegetables to see what works best for the cafeteria staff and what is most well received by the students. We will deliver just a case or two of vegetables a week until the winter sets in, and then one or two smaller deliveries a month of salad greens from the hoop houses during the winter. However we hope deliveries can be bigger and more regular once the spring starts up again and we can specifically plan for the cafeteria’s needs. Everything that goes into the cafeteria must be on the approved menu, which was created by a school district dietician. This never would have been possible without the willingness and support from the Saul principal, the cafeteria staff, and of course the Food Services of the Philadelphia School District.

Visits from Alumni Parents

While writing this newsletter at the farm on Sunday afternoon, I just took a short break to say hello to Tom and Sue Watson, the parents (and past CSA shareholders) of a recent Saul grad who were walking their dogs around the farm area. They were proud to tell me updates about their daughter Jessie who has gone on to continue her studies at Mansfield University. She is taking classes in aqua-science and fisheries management. Since she graduated, she has traveled to Alaska, worked with herding dogs and volunteered with the woodsman/woodswoman club.  Jessie was an impressive student at Saul, very dedicated and passionate about working with the animals here at the high school. It is great to hear how well she is doing and that she is applying the unique hands-on experience she gained here at Saul to her college studies. I am always impressed with the level of Saul-pride I see when alumni and parents stop by the farm, which they do on a surprisingly frequent basis!

Successful Volunteer Day. Thank You!

The rain held off and it was a great day to work on the farm (baring a little humidity, but hey- it’s Philadelphia!).  We started off giving the basil a facelift, to give it a renewed take on life!  It seems to be overcoming the downy mildew that was causing it to brown recently. Then we moved on to the peppers, many of which needed to be pulled and put in the weed pile because they are not faring well. With all the rain, the peppers are suffering from Pytophthora, a disease which causes the plants to wilt and die. Sadly there will be fewer and fewer peppers in the upcoming shares. While the group worked in the field, Bill weed-wacked all over the farm, a much needed job! A big thank you to everyone who helped out on Sunday: Jen, Steven, Sondra, Carl, Nolen, Rosi, Carlos, Mariana, Kate and Bill.

International Scientists Visit Farm

Thank you shareholder Ali Lacombe for suggesting Henry Got Crops as a field trip for the USDA! Ali knew what farm to recommend when her coworker mentioned he wanted to organize a fieldtrip for a team of visiting international scientists. He was showcasing Philadelphia agriculture to a team of agronomy specialists who focus on the study of sorghum grasses. The group was meeting at the Wyndmoor USDA office to exchange ideas from their various research projects in countries as diverse as Mexico and China. They were particularly impressed by the number of people that we feed off this farm (over 100 families), and the diversity of vegetables we grow.

Canning Workshop Recap

Thank you to everyone who came out to our Jam Canning Workshop with Marisa McClellan two weeks ago. It was one of our best attended workshops yet, with about 25 people there. Marisa brought her kitchen to the farm and demonstrated how to make plum jam, from start to finish, outside under the cherry tree. She shared stories about how she got into canning herself, as well as do’s and don’ts in the canning world, and shared some of her tried and true favorite recipes. Everyone went home feeling inspired to capture the taste of summer in a little jar, to be enjoyed on a grey winter day!

Truly Supported Agriculture

All of us at the farm have been blown away with the unprecedented level of support, dedication and help we have received from all of the working shareholders and dedicated, regular volunteers so far this season. Never before have we had such an involved community at Henry Got Crops! We appreciate your involvement- whether it is making popcorn for the movie night, weeding the beets, or staffing the pick-up. It is about time I introduce this impressive group of people that volunteer at the farm on a weekly basis. There is something really special about this year, as never before have we had such an enthusiastic, dedicated and reliable group lending a hand and chipping in to help get the job done. Thank you all!!!

Jen Kelly- Jen is responsible for keeping the leeks weed free this year!

Jen Hall- Jen always brings the good weather with her on Wednesday mornings, not to mention her good company!

Lory Soda- Lory is a frisbee enthusiast who brings the energy of a competitive Frisbee game to the field!

Ali Lacombe- Ali takes the cake for most enthusiastic shareholder, hands down!

Laura Seeley- Rain or shine, Laura bikes to the farm and still puts in long hard hours helping in the field, she also brings much appreciate gifts in the form of homemade ginger beer!

Lisa Kolker- Lisa staffs the pick-up on Tuesdays from 2-4, plus she ensures our harvest records are complete and puts together our sign-in sheet; she’s been staffing the pick-up for three years now!

Laura Mass- Laura never lets her energy level fade, even as her due date gets closer and closer! She started helping out in the field well before the CSA season started. We are looking forward to meeting the newest farm family member in November!

Ali Dworsack- Ali staffs the pick-up on Tuesdays from 4-6pm and always impresses us by serving double duty: tending to her baby Olive while keeping the pick-up and farm stand running smoothly and maintaining a friendly smile and a level head on her shoulders!

Nicole Barnum- Nicole started volunteering at the farm in the late winter, helping us seed in the greenhouse; we are happy she joined the CSA this season and have her to thank for a strong, happy spring seedlings!

Heidi Barr- Heidi has helped work in the field for two years and everyone always loves working with her; she brings laughter, creativity and resourcefulness to Henry Got Crops!

Kate Pelusi- Kate is responsible for maintaining one of our beds of Swiss Chard; we are grateful for the many hats she wears- helping in the field, helping with the Harvest on Henry fundraiser and being a member of the Farm Committee!

Al Pearson- There is no job too detailed for Al, one of our most thorough weeders! Al not only helps in the field, but is also a diligent seeder!

Sarah Punderson- Sarah is a long standing working shareholder and has done everything from staffing the pick-up in past years, to drying herbs for making teas, to helping in the field. Sarah is so enthusiastic about working at the farm, she is about to start a “week in life of a farm apprentice!”

Beth Johnston- Beth staffs the pick-up on Fridays from 4-7pm. This is our longest shift and yet she always stays until the job is done and helps us pull through our exhausted, Friday night clean-ups!

Nancy Dearden- Nancy coordinates our events, workshops and the Harvest on Henry fundraiser. She keeps Nina on her toes and sets the bar high with her impressive level of organization, professionalism and efficiency!

Ann Keiser- Ann wears two hats at the farm; she not only works in the field, but she is also responsible for formatting our newsletter and finding delicious recipes to share, Thank you Ann for ensuring this key means of communication happens every week without a hitch!

Lori Howlett- Lori staffs the pick-up every Tuesday from 6-8pm and keeps the wash station and pick-up building clean and organized; thank goodness we have her help on a weekly basis to keep things in order!

Jessica McAtamney- Jess is a teacher at Saul and our “liaison” with the school. Without Jess, this farm would never have gotten off the ground and we are grateful for the dedication, passion, energy and love she has for this farm and school!

Georgia Kirkpatrick and Randi Weinberg- Georgia and Randi share a share and are old college friends who help the farm in many ways. They staff the pick-up on Fridays from 2-4pm, keep our facebook page up to date and help Nina stay on top of emails!

Katie Maher- Katie is a new shareholder this year but I’m not sure how we survived without her in the past! She often works 8 hour days in the field and has a refreshing eagerness to fully understand the ins and outs of the farm operations!

Claire Morton- Claire is a dedicated volunteer who sought us out under her own initiative to learn more about farming; she is a quick learner and a joy to work with!

Joanna Sinclair- Jo helps fill in for the pick-up, helps out in the field and also helps with the fundraiser. She integrates the farm into her family and her family into the farm in a way that is inspiring to everyone!

Alex McMahon- Alex has taken on the specialized task of helping maintain our orchard across the street. If it weren’t for him, our blueberries would have long since been overcome with weeds!

Brian Rudnick- Brian adopted the row of peas and pea shoots and also boasts one of Weavers Way Farms’ longest standing volunteers- Brian used to volunteer at the Mort Brooks farm back before Weavers Way even had a farmer on staff, more than ten years ago!

Jim Salom- Jim is responsible for maintaining one of our beds of Swiss Chard. Jim is committed to the farm not only as a shareholder, but also as the husband of Ellen, a Saul teacher.
Angela Arnold- Angela is one of our most spirited volunteers; on her first day at the farm she exclaimed, “this is going to be good for my soul!”

Adam Bailey- Adam came to the farm as a volunteer, eager to learn as much as possible about farming. Since starting with us just over a month ago, he has already started a community garden in the vacant lot next to his house in North Philly. We are so excited for his new project, “Good Neighbor Farm!”

Pam Chaplin-Loebell – It is a joy to see Pam on Thursdays with her two daughters who love to come with her to the farm. Pam helps in the field and her husband David, who is a staff member of the co-op, is a lifeline for the farmers in the IT department!

And this is only the tip of the iceberg! There are even more generous people who help with our fundraiser, volunteer at the farm and make donations. It would fill a book to acknowledge everyone, but I can’t thank you all enough for your contributions, both small and large!