We were skeptical too until we read this article… This year, we are bringing three new employees onto the farm after losing someone who had been with us for four seasons. So, I’m thinking hard about how to “onboard” them and give them the information necessary to do a great job with harvest, seeding, […]
Create a free custom app for your farm using existing spreadsheets Read More »
And tips for improving germination of direct seeded crops This winter I finally replaced the plastic on our hoop house which was getting a bit ratty after many years of abuse from wind, rain, sun and vandals with knives (our most annoying urban farming pest). The plastic wasn’t completely useless though, so I returned
A second life for old greenhouse plastic Read More »
The H-2A visa process is fairly complex so it’s no surprise that most farms hire consulting companies, recruiters, and attorneys to help them navigate requirements to bring migrant farm workers into the United States. But it’s actually quite possible to DIY the H-2A process entirely. Because of grant-related obligations, we recently went the DIY H-2A
Navigating the H-2A guestworker visa program Read More »
Identification, life cycle, management and more Aphids are perhaps the soft-bodied insect pest most well-known to both farmers and gardeners. There are many different species of aphids, but green peach (Myzus persicae), melon (Aphis gossypii), potato (Macrosiphum euphorbiae), and foxglove (Aulacorthum solani) are some of the most common aphid species of concern for market
All about aphid control Read More »
Versatile, profitable and good for pollinators Snapdragon, or Antirrhinum, is a staple spring and early summer crop on our farm. We do succession plantings in our unheated greenhouses and in the field for eight to ten weeks of continuous harvests. They are a fairly easy cut flower to grow, and they produce an incredible number of
Snapdragons from seed to sale Read More »
Damping-off, algae, fungus gnats, ammonia and more By Caleb P. Goossen, Ph.D., Crop Specialist for the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association Early spring is a time when many farmers are starting seedlings in heated greenhouses and grow rooms. While these are much more controlled settings than outdoor fields, problems can still arise,
Diagnosing and treating germination and seedling problems Read More »
Over the last two years, our farm has been increasingly hiring foreign-born workers from immigrant, refugee, and migrant communities. The result has been the best team we’ve ever had, and a new meaning for our farm which has grown into a community where people from all over the world can find reliable, rewarding, and safe
Embracing an immigrant, refugee and migrant workforce Read More »
Save time and money vs heating a greenhouse for germination Spring looks different at Clay Bottom Farm this year. The propagation house, a polycarbonate-walled structure attached to the south side of the farmhouse/barn, is empty of its usual explosion of green vegetable seedlings getting a head start in gas-heated comfort while the snow melts on
Using grow tents as germination chambers Read More »
The 2024 season was our eighth season of farming in the high desert of Colorado’s western slope. By far, it was our hardest. By May, the grasshoppers started in our hoophouses as nymphs, and by early summer there was an infestation in our field, too. Due to climate change the baseline level of grasshoppers is
Diversifying offerings in the face of adversity Read More »
#toolsforgrowingformarket There are a lot of little, very low-tech tools that I almost take for granted because I’ve been using them for so long and so regularly. This time of year, I’m seeding a lot of trays for the greenhouse and there are two very simple and effective ones that I thought I’d highlight here:
Super simple tray seeding tools Read More »
