Sunday, March 29, 2009

Normally

Normally on Sunday you'll find me hiding inside the house, only venturing outside to water starts turn on irrigation, or a very small task. Not today, after I finish this I'll be out working on a Sunday. BoooHoo. You see we had our rototiller break down two weeks ago and I didn't get it fixed till this week. Part availability problems. But better now then later, when I'm really crunched for time. So this leaves me a bit behind in soil preparation. And the ground is drying fast and I now behind. Today I'll finish fertilizing the Squash beds and maybe get some more mowing done. Who knows if I really am motivated I might spread more Gypsum.
This week is really crunch time. We'll get Squash seeded, some Beets and Turnips, get Tomato beds prepped, prep flats for the second round of Tomato/Pepper/Eggplant. And get the Garlic/ Onions weeded. Now that the Carrots are all dug and stored we can focus on other tasks that need to be done. It's really hitting the busy season 'round here. Days are getting longer and warmer, and I'm putting in 10 hour days. If I fall behind now I'll regret it for weeks. So now I got to get out there!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Secrets Revealed

I spoke at our local Grange this last Sunday, revealing some of my secrets to a Organic Gardening class. This class series was organized by David Grau who was a Farmer years ago, and currently manufactures a wheel hoe. The class has been very well attended, and was filled with many familiar faces from the Farmers Market.
The first topic I covered was Tomato cultivation. There were lots of questions and I gave them all my secrets on growing the best Tomatoes they have ever grown. I certainly hope that they have a good harvest.
Then many audience members were anxiously awaiting my presentation on Carrot cultivation. I think they were hoping I'd reveal the variety I grow but I kept that secret to myself, while coaching them on all my other practices. And some of these practices aren't secret at all as they have been passed from David Grau to Richard Roth to me. I owe both those guys a bunch. (carrot humor!!!) Every time Richard comes by the stall I try and give him free produce but he tends to throw his money on the table and run off. Maybe I'll one day be able to sit down with these two local farm pioneers and have a wonderful chat.
Both of these guys were ahead of their time. David gave up farming in 1987 way before local or Organic food was on the radar of mass consumption or support. And Richard had a CSA more than ten years ago that again was visionary at the time. We all must remember those who came before us and honor and respect the foundation that was laid before us, and continue to build upon it.

Sunday, March 08, 2009

Sprung

Yep, spring has sprung round here. Yesterday at Market it was really busy. Loads of people, carrots flying out of the stall, smiling faces, and dueling band troops. At one end of Market a samba troupe, the other a cumbia troupe.Rockin!!!!
The greenhouses are now glowing like spaceships, it's pretty cool. The first run of Tomatoes, Eggplant, and Peppers seeds are all tucked in their beds ready to start poking up their leaves and reaching for the sky, starting on their mission here at Pyramid Farms/Planet Earth.
The mission?
To germinate,sprout,and grow into healthy, happy, strong, vigorous, disease free, insect resistant, plants bearing an abundance of sweet, delicious, nutritious, attractive, fruit for us to harvest and sell!!!!
It's not a lot to ask of them, seeing as it's their destiny, and mine to help serve them in the accomplishment of that mission. It's a lot for us both to do, but as my Heart fills with as much Love as I can bear, my work becomes less "hard" and more "Joyfully Diligent". I really don't like the terminal usage of "Hard" and "Work Hard" it connatates struggle. And I'm opposed to struggle. It seems that our society values "Hard Work" and this might be at the crux of some of our problems. The inevitable struggle results in lack and leads to greed, which encourages rampant speculation, predatory buisness practices, and enslaves the populace of Planet Earth. Maybee if we pursue "Joyfull Occupation" things might be different.