First Frost

This morning was the first noticeable frost to kiss the plants here at the Farm School, and now the row covers will be necessary to extend the growing season.  Mrs. Priest and the sixth graders have been doing an outstanding job with their successive plantings since we started this school season, and if the winds don't blow the covers off the gardens we should have fresh greens through the cold season like we did last winter.  Some of the plants that continue to thrive into the cold season actually start to taste better after a frost or two.  This is because plants such as kale and and Brussels sprouts produce sugar, making them sweeter, after being "frost cured."  Leeks, carrots, celeriac, and chard all can produce similar effects, and carrots that have over wintered can taste like candy.

Enjoy the photos and stop by sometime to check us out.

Middlebrook Farm School In The News

This is cool.  We were in Good Morning Wilton detailing the garden program.  Check out the link for the entire article.

As The Sun Sinks Slowly South

It has been another two, very busy months since we updated everyone on the progress here at the Farm School.  The school season got off to a running start with a lot of new mixed in with the not so new, and our new crop of sixth graders have been busy tending the gardens and harvesting whatever is available for the Culinary Arts classes.  This has been especially true for scallion pancakes since there was such an abundant crop of green onions.

From what we could see everyone enjoyed that well known, fast food snack.  Mrs. Priest has had the sixth graders out in the gardens a lot tasking them with harvesting, cultivating, and seeding late season greens.

Overall it has been a successful growing season despite the significant lack of rain through the summer.  The sixth graders were able to also harvest a good amount of produce to freeze for students in the second and third quarters.  Before we know it it will be winter and we will be riding around on the season cycle with seed catalogs and graph paper once again.  Until then enjoy these...

sweet potatoes

 red peppers

 purple tomatoes

 The Old Green Grasshopper

 marigolds

 kale burst

 green peppers

 carrot forest

 cherry tomato rainbow

 chard

 beet

 in the gardens

Even now though we have new seedlings coming up for a late season harvest, and hopefully with row covers and box covers, we can continue the harvest through the winter.

spinach

 lettuces

Check back with us when you can, and if you are in the neighborhood stop by.  We would be happy to give you a tour and answer any questions you might have.

If the rain comes...

It has been over two months since we updated everyone on the progress here at Middlebrook Farm School, and thanks to the recent rains everything is looking as healthy as can be.  Though we have had a spell of really warm weather it has not been so prolonged as to stress the gardens too much, and Heather's automatic irrigation system is functioning really well.  With over twenty beds now it has become a bit of a fine art in managing where the water goes, but it all seems to be working out.  If everything holds on trough the next three months there should be plenty for the new group of sixth graders to get their hands dirty with during their time in Family Consumer Science.

Here are some photos we took today.

bush beans

red and white chard 

 more red chard

 lots of kale

 onions

 peppers

 garlic standing tall

 tomatoes

 squash flowers

 squash rows

 sweet potatoes

 the farm

The summer is going to fly by sooner than we know it and we are looking forward to seeing those new sixth graders and their excitement at being out in the gardens.  We hope everyone is having a great summer relaxing a bit, learning something new, and getting psyched for the 2016-2017 school season, which we are sure is going to be one of the best yet.  If you are in the neighborhood of Middlebrook Farm School be sure to drop in and take a stroll through the gardens.  If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.  See you all soon.

Chilly Greens

This spring is proving once again that the wisdom of the Olde Tymers is worth listening to.  In this episode we are experiencing why it is recommended to wait until Mother's Day to put seedlings into the ground.  This becomes a tricky balancing act between the excitement of getting seed catalogs while there is snow on the ground, planning out what the gardens will look like at its highpoint, and getting the seeds started.  So sometimes things can get a little leggy before it is possible to put the seedlings in the ground.  Back in 2008 we had similar problems where we lost hundreds of plants to a cold snap and now, eight years later, we are dealing with another extended cold spring and some of the plants are looking to get in the ground.  There is even a small cucumber popping out.

Of course there are plants that can be directly seeded early on according to other Olde Tymer wisdom as early as St. Patrick's Day, such as lettuces and spinach

 peas and radish

Some plants are hardy enough to over winter such as sage

 and chives

and we put garlic in back around the first frost

Things are bound to warm up soon and before we know it the gardens are going to be overflowing with plants we have seen before and new ones that look so good in the catalogs' photos.

Be sure to check us out if you are in the area.