Brookside Farm March Newsletter

Greetings CSA Family and Friends!

We are having just lovely weather and the farm is in fantastic shape. March has given enough breaks between rains to do significant bed preparation. I had a great time removing cover crops and spreading compost and other amendments last week (and had some nice volunteer help too). Later this week, I transplant the first lettuce of the season from the greenhouse and sow sugar snap peas. If the soil warms sufficiently I will soon be seeding onions, beets, carrots and radishes. Cabbage, chard, kale and leeks have their place in the greenhouse for a while too.

This year I am especially enthused because the available compost on site is plentiful. The plants should be very healthy and vigorous as a result. Yields the first two seasons were okay, but not stupendous. Last year the summer veggies took a hit from the July smoke but the spring vegetables thrived. The previous year an early heat wave caused the spring plants to suffer. So it goes. In both years, compost additions were minimal. Not anymore!

I am rather proud of the garlic. Last year the bulbs didn’t get very large and I think this was because they were planted in the same area that gave us symphylan troubles in the summer. There’s about 1/3rd of the farm with a soil “issue” that is still mysterious. That area is out of veggie production until the “issue” is resolved. So the garlic is in a nice bed of soil and is thriving. It has been weeded and fresh compost applied and the gentle rains keep coming. Greatness is expected in July.

Now for the really important news…

Pick Up Date, Place and Time. Tuesday, March 24th, 4-6 pm at Brookside Farm. I emphasize, pick up at THE FARM! We have evening sunshine and great weather so this is your chance to check out the place.

Keep in mind this is the lean time of year. Storage crops are about out, so it will be the last of the over winter root crops and the winter greens, which are plentiful.

I’ve been suffering a bit lately. No big deal, just some bad poison oak on my right wrist and not so bad elsewhere. Plus minor infection of the blisters that turned them into pustules. Okay, that’s enough information. At least David Drell and I got the outrigger system done so the deer can just look on jealously and not partake. I am on some meds that make me feel as if I have an expresso drip line right into my bloodstream. I can’t fathom how sleep will occur. Perhaps another set of medications?

Lastly, the PV system is almost complete. Just some battery conditioning to sort out and then I can start using electricity on site. Perhaps a disco ball and hi fi? Thanks for Ralph Pisciotta for all his efforts!

Jason