We're now in the second week of April, approximately 8 weeks away from the launch of our 2024 CSA program.
This past winter was unusually mild, characterized by extended periods of above-zero temperatures throughout January, February, and March. Our garlic crop, planted last fall, appears to be advancing a couple of weeks ahead of last year's schedule. It seems that insects, bears, and budding plants are also ahead of their typical timelines.
As of yesterday, the soil temperature in our fields registered at about 42°F (5.5°C), while inside one of our greenhouse tunnels, it was a balmy 64°F (18°C). Seeds require specific soil temperature ranges for germination, so monitoring these temperatures helps us determine the earliest possible time for seeding.
We have a number of beds of spinach that were seeded in the fall for overwintering - where the plants rebound and provide us an early spring crop, and they are coming along nicely.
We've also begun sowing numerous seeds indoors, continuing to seed more varieties each week. Plants that benefit from an extended starting period, such as celery, leeks, and peppers, are among our earliest plantings. We've also started various lettuces and kale for early transplantation since these plants can withstand the moderate frosts of April and May.
CSA Program
CSA Start Date
We are still aiming for our first week of the CSA program to be the week of June 7th (June 14th for some bi-weekly folks).
Skip & Send To Food Bank
Missing a week doesn’t mean your share goes to waste. If you’re unable to receive or pick up your share during any week of the season, just let us know. We’ll ensure that your food is redirected to a local food bank.
Cardboard Packaging
This season, we’re planning to experiment with cardboard-based packaging for our salad mixes, microgreens, and other packaged vegetables, moving away from the plant-based plastic bowls we’ve used in previous seasons. While plant-based plastics are beneficial, they usually need a commercial composting setup to biodegrade completely. In contrast, cardboard containers can be composted either in our composting area or your own backyard. We hope this change will facilitate a smoother process of returning the packaging’s raw materials back to the biosphere, effectively closing the loop.
If there are any topics or questions you'd like us to cover in a future Farm Log, send us a message and we'd be happy to answer :).
Take care!