(From 10-6-2013)

The seasons move on…

Looking back at the 2013 season it was all about the weather. The unseasonably cool, wet, weather. And yet, it was still a very good year! We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again-it’s all about diversity. Rest assured, here at the MiniFarm we will always grow a diversified portfolio of produce!

So what is going on now? The 2013 season is over; are we planning our trip to the Bahamas? Are you kidding! We are just as busy now as in July. Probably even busier since in July we were stuck inside watching it rain. Again.

As we transfer over to a more farm-centric, sustainable feeding program for our livestock we will be growing more food for both people and animals. That way we can control our inputs and know our sources.

Root crops for overwinter feed for the chickens.

We have planted rutabagas, beets, turnips, kohlrabi, and cold-hardy greens for winter feed.  Next year we will trial barley, oats, and field corn to be even more sustainable.

Kitty escaping the heat in the turnip patch!

Senposai

We trialed senposai this fall. It is a cross between Japanese mustard spinach and regular cabbage. It is also HUGE, fast growing, and the chickens love it. Depending on its winter hardiness it will be a winter feed staple. We really like it too; it makes a wonderful addition to stir fries, pastas, and soups. We will start a fresh batch for the spring baskets next year.

We are also preparing for next year’s season.

Spinach

This fall’s spinach seedlings will become next spring’s early crop. The young plants overwinter quite nicely. As a backup-we have another batch started in the hoop house area.

Kale

 

Swiss chard

 

The kale will keep us and the chickens in greens throughout the entire winter. In the spring it will be a source of kale raab, those tender, broccoli like flower heads in the early shares. Then we will plant another fresh batch for 2014. This year that spring planting lasted all season. Next year it will last??? The chard will also overwinter and give us some early greens (and yellows, and reds…) in the spring.

Continuing our self-sufficient theme we are growing our own onion sets this fall.

We don’t weed them because we will be digging them up soon.

These are onions started from seed in August, then planted in the ground in September. They will grow a small onion bulb and then die off when freezing weather hits. We will then dig them up, store over the winter, and replant in the early spring. This gives the onions even more of a head start next year.

Depending on the winter’s severity, the other fall greens may or may not still be around come spring. They were late getting into the ground due to all the rain, and are just now coming into their prime.

 

 

 

 

 

 These were meant for the fall baskets.

That’s the good thing about gardening, you can always re-plant!

Now we’ve come to the part where we would like to hear back from you! Please take a moment to complete the 2013 J&S MiniFarm survey by following the link below. Your input will help us tailor our offerings to our subscribers’ needs.  We would really like to get your feedback.

www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZFJPY8N

Here’s to an even better 2014!

Yours in gardening,

Jeff and Sandra