As fall settles in and the cool air starts to take over, outdoor farm work may be slowing down, but there’s no shortage of tasks to tackle in preparation for winter! From harvesting the last crops to readying the land for the colder months ahead, we’re staying busy. Keep reading for all the exciting updates from the farm this November!
FALL ON THE FARM
Putting the garden to sleep
As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, things start to slow down on the farm. We are in the process of putting our garden to sleep for the season, which means harvesting all remaining crops, storing our drip irrigation system, and refilling our raised beds.Â
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We still have a few cold-weather crops growing including kale, beets, kohlrabi and lettuce. These crops are all in raised beds, so they stay warmer than they would in the ground. This gives them a longer growing season.Â
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This was our first summer using a drip irrigation system, which automated all of our watering. It made a HUGE difference, saving us a ton of time throughout the summer. The drip irrigation has to be stored inside over the winter, so we’ll put it all away and reinstall it in the spring.Â
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Every fall, we refill our raised beds with alpaca manure, straw, leaves and other compost to act as a mulch layer. This adds nutrients back into the soil that have been depleted throughout the growing season.
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It’s always bittersweet for us to put the garden “to sleep” for the season. It’s both a relief and a little sad to know we won’t be working out in the garden daily until the spring.Â
Planting for the spring
While most of the garden is asleep for the winter, there are a couple things we plant this time of year including garlic and tulips.Â
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Both garlic and tulips are planted in the fall and are some of the first plants to appear in the spring. We always look forward to seeing the tulips begin to bud, knowing that warmer weather is just around the corner!
hoophouse update
We completed our hoophouse structure in October, so it will be ready for planting in the spring.Â
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Over the winter, we will be creating two 400-gallon thermophilic compost piles. Essentially, they are just compost piles that reach a specific temperature in the middle. We’ll manually turn the piles to kill all pathogens and weed seeds, but maintain the important biology that keeps the compost alive and healthy.
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Our compost pile will include horse, chicken and alpaca manure, cardboard, plant materials, kitchen scraps, and various other organic matter.Â
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Our goal is to have the compost ready to use in the spring to amend the soil in the hoophouse and other areas of our garden. We will plant in ground in the hoophouse, which will be a new method for us! Â
new product - diy microgreens grow kits
We’ve put together an exciting new grow kit, perfect for your loved one with a green thumb!
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Our kits come with materials to plant two rounds of microgreens and include step-by-step instructions. You don’t need any special equipment, and you can grow them anytime of year right from home!Â
Holiday recipe book
We have created a special edition holiday recipe book featuring fun twists on holiday classics. From appetizers to desserts, this cook book is filled with delicious and healthy recipes.Â
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