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.

Before, After, And Just A Start

We had a nice early spring snow storm pass through the area Sunday night and we woke up to a really beautiful scene of everything but the roads covered in white.  By the time lunch rolled around it was all pretty much gone.  The temperatures are still kind of low, and it has been really breezy, but that has not stopped Mrs. Priest and the kids from getting out to the gardens and getting seeds in the ground.  There is also a whole lot of new green in the classroom with seedlings coming up.

It won't be long before they are going in the ground and then things will really get to growing.  Be sure to stop by and check us out, or ask for a tour of the gardens and the seedlings.

Micro Greens, New Sprouts, Worms, and Lunch

New to the Culinary Arts program this spring are micro greens that can be used in anything from salads to soups, and sandwiches to garnishes, and have been growing fairly well under the new light racks.  Some studies have shown that these early sprouts of plants such as spinach, pea, beet, chard, and even sunflower can have four to six times the nutrients of the mature plants, though it varies from plant to plant.  NPR published an interesting article on them back in 2012.

With the warmer weather finally upon us Mrs. Priest has been bringing her third quarter Culinary Arts sixth graders out to the gardens to see what is happening and to pick up food for the worms.  In these photos she is introducing the students to some of the plants that were over-wintered, such as carrots, herbs, and potatoes.  Though very few are peeking up through the surface, soon there will be plenty.

As we posted earlier, the sixth graders are being responsible for a bin of composting worms that need daily feeding and care.  This is a new endeavor for the Farm School so stay tuned for updates.  Here are the kids taking care of their worms in the Culinary Arts room, which really has turned into more of a laboratory.

Though this salad did not come from the Farm School, it was really nice to get out there yesterday and have lunch while thinking about all the great things that are coming our way in the gardens.

Things should get going fairly quickly here at Middlebrook Farm School so be sure to stop by and see the progress in the next month or so, and if you want a tour just let us know.

First Signs

Among the maple sap running, increasing numbers of song birds in the morning, and spotting the first robin these early flowers by Nick's tree show us that spring is most definitely on the way.  March 17th, St. Patrick's Day, is a traditional milestone on the annual growing cycle.  If the ground can be worked it will be time to plant seeds for crops such as spinach, peas, lettuces, carrots, Swiss chard, radishes, and onions.  

Time to get things moving

It is looking like Punxsutawney Phil might have been correct and we are in for an early spring.  There certainly have been more and more song birds each morning on the way to the Farm School.  Even though we had a burst of snow yesterday, sending us home from the farm early, today it is raining and most signs of snow have melted away.  There is a chill in the air so March may indeed come in like a lion and exit like a lamb, but we will see.

The Farm School also has some new, squiggly additions and even when it is cold and rainy out there they need to be fed.  Mrs. Priest has brought to the program a huge crop of worms for composting.  Healthy composting worms have been known to be able to convert half their body weight in a day, which will be a huge help with the scraps coming out of the Culinary Arts classes.

Here she is digging out compost for the worms to feed on.

And here is their lunch.

You can just make out a few of them in this shot.

Here are the students' worm bins that are being taken care of by groups of four to five of our sixth graders.

Another new addition to the growing operation are several four foot seedling lamps.

Here we have pea sprouts, and behind them sunflower sprouts, that only yesterday showed no signs of sprouting.  The idea here is to grow them as micro greens to use in salads and as garnish.

Here you can see the pea sprout close up.  

Pretty soon things are going to be in full swing here at Middlebrook Farm School so stay tuned and if you are in the neighborhood come and check us out.  Also keep an eye out for Ambler Farm maple syrup.  It is some of the yummiest around and it is 100% local.  Their Maple Syrup Open House is Saturday, March 5th and the 12th.  There are plenty of activities like syrup tastings with ice cream and you can watch the evaporator boil away over the warm fire.

Snow & The First Signs of Spring

Though the  gardens may look like they have been buried by the snow...

...our work towards a simple four season harvest is paying off with fresh spinach greens as we near the end of January.  Mrs. Priest has been able to take the kids out to pick the spinach for use in their Culinary Arts classes.

Also, the first signs of spring arrived in the mail recently.

With the upcoming delivery of new grow lights and other seed starting equipment Mrs. Priest is going to begin the season with tasty micro greens of numerous types.

Stay tuned, and remember we are gaining two to three minutes of sunlight every day.

Snow On The Ground, Greens In The Box

December Greens