Keeping Up With Weeds
Weeds defeat us. Weeds are our biggest problem at this point in our farming career. We’ve let them get away in previous years and created an even larger problem than we ever imagined was possible. It is all a result of the seed bank within the soil. These weed seeds wait for perfect conditions to germinate. Of course, that coincides with when we plant our vegetable seeds. No matter when we plant, if we turn over the soil we bring up more weed seeds. When just one weed gets away and reaches maturity, it spawns tens of thousands of seeds that are ready to grow the coming season. And the exponential growth of weed seeds in the soil carries on.
Savoy Cabbage
Fennel
Cherry Tomatoes
Sweet Corn
Lacinato Kale
Lettuce
Carrots
Rainbow Potatoes
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Garlic Bulb
Onions
To help us tackle this major problem, volunteer Linda comes to the farm every Tuesday just to pull weeds while we pack shares and leave for farmers markets. Quietly, she gets her work done and asks for nothing in return. If you receive brussel sprouts in your share, you can give her credit. She gave up two days in the heat in July to clear the rows perfectly of weeds. Linda tackled the weeds that were taller than her in the middle of the pepper tunnel too. The shishito plants are growing well now. We can’t really put a dollar amount on how much she has done around here, besides the success of the current crop, keeping the weed seeds from hitting the ground is going to benefit the farm for years to come.
Working with Linda in the photo above is our dear friend Sally. Sally has been coming to the farm for several years and helped our farm get established in the Phillips area. She helped us hang flyers in local businesses, told everyone she knows about the share program, delivered the Phillips shares for a few seasons and comes knocking on our door every March to get her hands dirty in the greenhouse. This season she showed up every chance she could to work on traying transplants. We certainly appreciate all the time Sally has invested in our farm, helping us get where we are today.
This past Tuesday, Linda and Sally worked on weeds in the fall brassica planting. They both love to be outside, stay busy and feel appreciated. Don’t we all?
Until next time,
