juicy tomatoes ready for sauces!

Here are a few green farming tips to get ready for your summer tomato harvest:

For best results start tomato seedlings indoors. A kitchen window is a perfect spot. (Tomatoes can get severely damaged by frost).

Choose seed varieties: You can choose determinate or indeterminate varieties. Determinate are bush varieties that don’t necessarily need to be trellissed. The fruit will ripen all at once. Indeterminate varieties are climbers that need to be supported & pruned for best results. Their fruits ripen over a long period of time.

tomato seeds are tiny

Our favorites include: Stupice (indeterminate), Brandywine (indeterminate), Oregon Spring (determinate), Celebrity (determinate), Taxi (determinate), Amish Paste (indeterminate), & Peron Sprayless (indeterminate).

We use a peat based mix in plug trays for direct seeding & we only water them sparingly to keep them from completely drying out. This helps to prevent molds. Remember to keep the soil temp. at 75 to 90 degrees. (Tomatoes germinate slowly in cold soil which creates growing problems later on).

Buying transplants: If you want a head start on your tomato harvest this summer but you don’t have time to direct seed, buy transplants! Sturdy transplants are available at your local farmer’s market. Be sure to ask the farmer about the variety & don’t plant them outside until nighttime temps. are above 45-50 degrees.

getting ready to pick

Next time we’ll cover fertilizing, weeding & pruning tips…….stay tuned:)

Organic kitchen gardens can be installed in tiny backyard plots or even balcony containers. Here’s a list of 10 edibles that grow well in spring & are available now as transplants from your local farmer’s market.

Red Russian kale

#1 Sugar snap peas. For a sweet variety try Sugar Pod 2.
#2 Lettuce. We like varieties called Brunia or Simpson elite because they can handle spring temperature swings.
#3 Nasturtium. These spicy edible flowers are a perfect addition to salad mix & they have the added bonus of deterring cucumber beetles.
#4 Scallions. One of our favorite varieties is called “mini purplette”. It’s a fabulous red skinned mini onion with mild flavor & turns pink when lightly sauteed!
#5 Kale. Hands down the easiest spring crop. Favorite variety: Red Russian, a sweeter, tender kale versatile in almost any greens dish.

Rhubarb stalks ripening

#6 Asian Greens. Varieties to try: Mizuna & Tatsoi. Perform best when started by direct seeding & one of the fastest. Only about 21 days from seeding time to harvest of baby greens.
#7 Rosemary. Buy one as a transplant & watch it thrive in a rocky or hot section of the garden . Older branches make a perfect kebab spear for grilling vegetables in the summer.
#8 Rhubarb. The long stalks from it are essential for strawberry rhubarb pie. Purchase crowns to get a head start (but remember the leaves & roots can be poisonous if eaten).
#9 Arugula. Probably the most prolific of kitchen garden crops, this spicy salad mix addition makes any dinner party festive.
#10 Cilantro. Best when direct seeded the leaves are the most fragrant & so tasty in ethnic cuisine.

Rosemary can grow just about anywhere

Propagate your own chives for free! Try these green farming techniques to jump start your herb garden this spring. Using fresh herbs in your favorite meals cuts back on sodium and adds tons of flavor. (Not to mention healthy physical activity from gardening). So let’s get started:

Last season's chives ready to be pulled

Step 1: Pull it
Dig up your largest chive plants by using a broadfork to loosen the soil. Shake away any excess mud from the root ball. If your chives are in a pot simply massage the base of the pot until you feel the potting soil loosen. Work the entire plant slowly out of the pot by alternating massaging and turning upside down. Then pull!

Chives divide easily with a garden knife

Step 2: Cut it
Lay out the entire chive plant on a work surface. Using a sharp garden knife cut the chive plant into 4 sections making sure to slice through the root ball. Separate each new mini chive bunch.

Mini chives ready for new pots

Step 3: Pot it
Now it’s time to pot ‘em up. It’s easy to get free used pots from garden supply centers or nurseries. Pick a size that gives each mini chive plant plenty of room to grow. Use coco peat blend organic potting soil to fill each pot half way. Place one mini chive plant into each pot and continue to fill the rest of the pot with potting soil. Water each one until the soil has absorbed all the water and they’re nice and heavy. Let them drain over night. Use a left over plant i.d. tag to label each pot. We’ve found that recycled garden party utensils make perfect plant i.d. tags too.

Step 4: Give it
Now for the fun part! Keep 3 of your mini herb plants for your kitchen garden and give away 1 to a friend. Next spring, repeat the process and soon enough you’ll have your very own chive farm.

Your chive farm has begun!

Harvests of fresh kale are available at your local farmer’s market. We’ve had a lot of snowy weather lately and plants like kale use sugar as a sort of “anti-freeze” which creates sweetly flavored leaves. Try this kale chips recipe for a very healthy snack:

Ingredients:

1 large bunch kale
2 tbsp. high heat sunflower oil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tbsp. Kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse kale thoroughly & drain. Pat dry any excess water on leaves & tear into bite sized pieces. Lay out pieces evenly over a greased cookie sheet. Drizzle with oil, covering well. Sprinkle on the parmesan & salt. Bake for 15 minutes or until crispy.

Spring vegetable seedlings

We always tell new participants in our farm internship program that creating an edible garden is easier than it seems- no magic required! But whether you have a large backyard or a small terrace, success begins with realistic planning. What are your favorite vegetables, fruits, and herbs? It’s amazing how many foods grow well using organic gardening in our maritime climate. (But don’t try mangos or yams just yet)! Next, think about your food growing space. Remember, you’ll need to weed and irrigate throughout the summer. Start small if you’re busy and remember- even growing just one herb pot in your kitchen window counts! Herbs like thyme and rosemary grow well in gallon sized pots and even strawberries like everbearing varieties are perfect for tiny plots.

Green farming begins with preparing the soil. Organic gardening achieves this by aerating the soil with a broadfork and incorporating compost for fertilizer. Organic compost can be found at a local nursery and broadforks are available at most home improvements stores. For container gardening use certified organic potting soil as your base- we like black gold coco peat blend because it holds moisture well.

When you’re ready to start planting, use transplants. Most kitchen garden plants can be purchased as transplants and even though they’re more expensive than seeds they’re worth it. We recommend transplants because they’re mature enough to tolerate stress from weeds, pests and cold spring temps. Plus you won’t have to wait so long for your first harvest. Many farmer’s markets sell transplants like micro-greens in 4″ pots so you can get continuous baby salad mix harvests. All you have to do is water them and clip the tops every few days for tender salads. Some of our favorite low maintenance spring transplants are lettuce, kale, mustard greens, chard, scallions, cabbage, chives, mint, rosemary, sage, and thyme.

Here’s a link to another great article http://www.motherearthnews.com/permaculture/spring-planning.aspx

Check out our store page for recommended reading! Next time we’ll talk about farm internship topics like tomatoes…stay tuned:)

Enjoy these tasty new potatoes available in the early spring at your local farmer’s market.

Ingredients:
1 lb. new potatoes
1/4 cup high heat sunflower oil
1 tbsp. Kosher salt
1 tbsp. fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp. water
1/2 cup Nancy’s organic nonfat yogurt
1/2 cup organic sour cream
1 bunch chives, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Scrub potatoes thoroughly & divide any larger ones so they’re all generally the same size. Spread the potatoes out on a large cookie sheet & drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 tbsp. salt, 1/2 tbsp. pepper & 2 tbsp. water. Cover in foil & bake on medium heat for about 25 minutes or until they’re tender. While they’re baking, mix the yogurt, sour cream, & 1/2 of the chives in a small bowl. When the potatoes are done sprinkle them with the remaining chives, salt & pepper. Serve with the yogurt sauce as a side dressing.

Try this healthy stir-fry using fresh pea shoots available at your local farmer’s market-

Ingredients:
2 lbs. freshly harvested pea shoots
2 tbsp. ginger root, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. high heat sunflower oil
2 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. oyster sauce or fish sauce
1 tsp. tamari or soy sauce
2 tbsp. honey

Thoroughly rinse the pea shoots in cold water, drain & set aside. In a large skillet or wok heat the oils on medium, then add the ginger, honey, & garlic. Being careful not to burn the garlic, sautee for 1-2 minutes. Add in the tamari sauce & oyster sauce, stir completely, then add in the pea shoots. Quickly toss the shoots for about 2 minutes making sure to cover them with the sauce. When they’ve turned a deeper green color, remove the skillet from heat. Using tongs, place the shoots onto a serving dish & pour the remaining sauce over top.

Enjoy game day with these easy crowd pleasers!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. pork ribs, rinsed & patted dry
1 & 1/2 cups local honey
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 tbs. high heat sunflower oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 cup Dijon spicy mustard
3 tbsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. spicy Texas bbq style meat seasoning
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat grill on medium setting. In a large saute pan, heat oil on medium & saute onion until browned & carmelized. Slowly add vinegar, honey, mustard, pepper flakes, Texas seasoning, salt & pepper. Stir continuously until well blended. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then set aside. Rub ribs with salt & pepper to taste on each side. Turn grill down to medium-low temperature. Place ribs on grill & cook for 17 minutes. Flip & cook for 17 minutes on other side, being careful not to dry out & overcook. Slather on sauce generously, cover & cook 8 minutes. Flip ribs, slather other side with sauce, cover & cook 8 minutes. Using a meat thermometer test for optimum cooking temp. & remove from heat. Heat up remaining sauce & serve. Pairs well with homebrew or golden ale. Perfection!

This week’s harvest includes a butternut squash variety called “Waltham”. It has a delicate & bright flavor, great in this recipe for a savory, rich classic!

Ingredients:
1 medium/large butternut squash, roasted & pureed
1 medium/large shallot, diced
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated (I like Parmigiano Reggiano but if anyone knows of an Oregon made parmesan please comment below:)
1/2 stick Tillamook butter
1/2 tsp. nutmeg, ground
1/4 cup organic heavy cream
1 tsp. ground sage
fresh ground pepper
Kosher salt
1 package manicotti pasta shells, cooked al dente

Directions:
Melt 1 tbsp. of the butter in a large, deep saute pan over low/medium heat. Add the shallots & lightly saute for 1-2 minutes being careful not to burn. Pour in the squash puree, cooking for 5 minutes. Add in the cream, salt & pepper to taste. Turn off the heat & add in the nutmeg & parmesan cheese. Let cool for 5 minutes & add the chopped parsley, mixing thoroughly until it’s blended completely. Set aside. Oil the bottom of a deep baking dish & carefully place in the partially cooked manicotti shells with the open ends facing up. Fill each shell with a generous portion of the squash mixture. In a small skillet, heat the remaining butter until it’s melted & sprinkle in the ground sage. Pour the melted butter/sage mixture over the filled manicotti shells. Grate extra parmesan over the entire dish & bake for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melty & bubbly. Pairs well with Beacon Hill Estate’s biodynamic Chardonnay!

Winter bees on the farm:

Lately in the media it’s been trendy to talk about the plight of bees. But what do people really know about these mini pollinators called Apis Mellifera? First of all, we rely totally on bees for pollinating atleast 90 of our vegetable and fruit crops. And how many other farm critters have 6 legs, 2 pairs of wings, 3 eyes on top of their heads and the ability to fly 6 miles? (No offense to cows)!

We’re truly infatuated with honey bees. We’re so obsessed we keep 5 hives on our green farm in the winter and 20 hives in the summer. In the winter they live inside their hives feeding off of the honey and pollen they collected during the warm summer months. As a matter of fact, winter bees are a little different than summer bees. Winter bees have fatter bodies than summer bees and their job is to help heat the hive through the winter. They live for 4-6 months whereas the summer bees only live for 45 days.

Farm Fact: Bees are exothermic (cold blooded) but together they’re endothermic (generate their own heat). When outside temperatures lower to 54 degrees the bees form a tight cluster within the hive and begin to shiver, generating heat for their queen. Talk about team work!

Honey bees can maintain a balmy 93 degrees Fahrenheit in the center of their hive cluster, even if it’s freezing cold outside! When the temperature reaches above 55 degrees outside the bees fly out of the hive to expell waste. This way they keep their hive sanitary.

Among other things, bees produce honey which contains essential vitamins, minerals, enzymes and a brain strengthening antioxidant called pinocembrin. Honey bees make propolis, a resin they collect from tree sap. They use propolis to seal up gaps as small as 6 millimeters in their hives. For larger holes they use beeswax. Propolis is such an effective sealant that even rodents can’t get in! It’s also a tool the bees use to containerize any “trash” that’s too big for them to carry outside. People use propolis in everything from cough drops to musical instrument varnish.

On our green farm, we feed our bees extra in the winter. Bee feed consists of an organic sugar and water syrup. They need it when the crops haven’t flowered yet. We want them to have the best chance of survival when spring arrives and their brood expands. Some of our most effective cover crops are also favorite foods of bees- specifically red clover.