Tinker Time!

April 14

Hello Farm Friends,

What a weekend that was on the farm! 

By my count we had around 190 fingers in the greenhouse to get the weeding done (assuming everyone had 10 fingers, of course?!). I have attached a couple of pictures to give you an idea of how it got done and what the first wave plants look like now. They look very happy!

Yes, all of the early batch of plants got weeded. That's around 6000 plants in one weekend all ready to grow to market size. Very impressive work.

 

Special "thank you" to all the helpers who made it happen!  We have never been able to handle that many plants in one weekend of weeding before, and it feels wonderful to be on top of it.

 

So when you are ready to have some plants for your greenhouse or garden, we plan to have an overabundance for you to take home if you want them. Just let me know when you want to come pick them up. We have plants! We will also plant some of them in our own garden for a big harvest to share with the Farm Friends.

Tinker Time

This coming weekend will be tinker time on the farm while we plant more varieties and wait for the 2nd wave plants to establish and reach the weeding stage.

 

We still have a few things going on in the greenhouse. So if you would like to bake a little in the nice warm (hot!!) greenhouse this weekend after a rather chilly week in Montana, feel free to come on out either Saturday or Sunday. There are always a few minor projects going on. Just respond to this email to let me know you plan to come, and for what day, so I can know the crew for the day. Will be rolling about 9 am on both Saturday and Sunday this week.

 

Another potential item will be sprinkler pipes. We may have to set up irrigation lines for the asparagus field, depending on the forecast for upcoming rain. It is a very dry start to the 2021 season so far and we may need to water the asparagus in order to prepare it for the harvest season. Not sure yet, but there will be things to do on the farm if you want to come out.

The Smell of Beach (Or Why Fish?)

Our next step in our growing process for the plants is a bit wild. Following the agrarian wisdom from indigineous peoples for thousands of years, it is now time for liquid fish in the greenhouse! This is smelly, but it reminds me of being on a beach, though a bit overwhelming for those unaccustomed to the odor. Ok, ok,,, this step can stink! 

The plants in the first wave batch are doing very well in our own growing mix. They have been experiencing cool nights and warm days to prepare them for outdoors growing in our Montana season. They have also been exposed to weeds growing in their pots from our live soil mix.

 

This sets off a kind of mini-battle as the competition between our veggie plants and the native garden weeds developed over time. Our plants have been fighting a sort of chemical warfare at the micro level due to the presence of weeds. Now that the weeds have been removed by all of those helpful fingers, the veggie plants have emerged as victorious (thanks to your help).

 

What better way to celebrate this battle than a great feast? That's where the time for fish comes into play.

Fish emulsion tends to energize the soil microbes that are already active in the soil mix. It also provides a direct nutrient feeding to the plants who are about to explode in size. Their root systems have developed and the competition from weed pressure has been physically removed. Grow time!

The plants are healthy now, and as a result of the presence of weeds for a brief time, they are strong as well. The fish fertilizer will give them an extra boost into the last few weeks of greenhouse growing before they head out to their summer homes. That  might explain any lingering scent you smell the next time you walk into the greenhouse. Don't worry. It goes away after a bit.

Upcoming Schedule

Some of our projects will depend on how the conditions of the spring develop in the coming days and weeks. But I wanted to give you a heads up on some set projects that are coming up.

The weekend of April 17 and April 18 will be another weeding weekend as our second wave planting will reach the stage where the weeds need to be removed by lots of helpful fingers. We would love to have as many join us as possible to make the tedious process of targeted killing go smoothly and efficiently.

Our onion plants will be shipped from south Texas on Monday, April 26. They should arrive later that week which means that our onion planting day will be set for that weekend, probably Sunday May 2. I will update details as it gets closer, but this timing will give you an idea of what to expect.

More projects will be announced as things develop. We will be adding outdoor activities with the garden planting before long. There also may be weekday projects for those who are interested but available during the week rather than weekends. Stay tuned!

Directions 

 

We are located about 15-20 minutes south of Whitehall near the Jefferson River in Waterloo. We are sort of between Whitehall and Twin Bridges off of MT Highway 55.

Our physical address is 27 Gornick Lane, Whitehall, which will get you close.

 

**Special Note** Our driveway comes in from Carney Lane, so drive past Gornick Lane and take the first driveway on the right, through the double green gates. It is a long driveway and the farm is behind the large sod field and pasture. You can see a cabin from Carney Lane in the distance. That is the farm.

Blessings,

Tim Martin

CovenantGardens.com