The idiom “like watching grass grow” means that something is dull, boring, or tedious. What about watching snapdragons grow? Or lettuce? Or potatoes? Or basil? Snapdragons? Corn? Kale? Turnips? Apricots? Or any of our many other crops growing on the farm currently! We think that’s pretty exciting.
Growing doesn’t feel like the right word. Maybe exploding? It really feels like the plants get noticeably larger during the course of a day.
Some photos and updates to share:
First – walnut flowers! Walnuts are deciduous monoecious trees with separate male (catkin) and female (pistillate) flowers. Walnuts bloom much later than almonds (February) and unlike almonds, they are wind pollinated and not dependent on bees to form nuts.
Second – Check out this potato field!
Any guesses about what’s happening beneath the surface? Here’s a photo of a sacrificial potato plant, harvested to check on its progress:
We planted the seed potato (the large, darker one one at the bottom) in the first week of March, and while the new little potatoes aren’t ready yet (see the penny and quarter for scale), they’re on track to be ready to start harvesting by the end of May.
Lastly – this ladybug pupa, spotted on a bunch of mizuna while packing last week’s boxes. You might find ladybugs, in various stages of their lifecycle, in your boxes during the course of the spring. We appreciate all that the ladybugs and other beneficial insects do for us, from pest management to pollination. We also appreciate all the microorganisms decomposing organic material, harvesting and sequestering carbon, and creating healthy soil for us to grow healthy crops. Whether below or above ground, these non-human organisms are crucial members of the Full Belly team.
Photos and videos don’t do our farm justice! There’s too many beautiful and interesting things going on. Come see for yourself this weekend during the Rustic Ramble Farm and Garden Tour.
Elaine Swiedler, CSA Manager
