The main farm job of this week (4/23-4/27) at the Willits Energy Farm was planting potatoes. Five beds were filled with 11 different varieties. Each bed was broken into three rows at about 18 inch spacing between rows and potatoes were planted within the rows at 9 inch spacing. This will be a good test to see how many potatoes can be expected at this planting density, (hopefully 1500 pounds or more). As explained in a previous blog, potatoes are an important crop because they are area efficient high calorie food source. Taking this into consideration I think it is safe to say that they are an energy crop for human power.

Potatoes are planted in furrows (mini-trenches) which have a mound of soil bordering the furrow. As the leaves of the potato break the surface of the soil, the soil that was removed from the furrow is placed around the green shoot. This process, called “hilling”, helps to encourage the growth of more tubers.

In more industrialized contexts, a farmer will use a tractor with a long “ripping-tooth” to create a furrow and hill. The farmer simply sinks the ripper down to the desired level and pulls it through the soil to prepare a potato bed. We are looking at accomplishing this task without complicated, petrol powered machinery, and are therefore using our developing toolset to accomplish the job. Our methodology is as follows.

1. The Glaser wheel-hoe to remove the top layer of sod from the bed, raked up the loose sod and carted it to the compost area.
2. The broadfork to help create furrows of about 9 inches. One person would put weight on the broadfork, pry, and break-free a chunk of soil. The other person would help roll the chunk out of the way to form the furrow and create a mound that will be later used to “hill” the potatoes.
3. After the row was “broadforked” one of us would use a typical garden fork to press deeper into the new furrow and loosen the soil. This gave us the opportunity to bury the potato about 9 inches from the top of the furrow and have a bit of loosened soil below the “seed”.
4. Finally, a hand trowel was used to make a hole in the loosened soil and bury the potato in the furrow. We covered the potato with a couple inches of soil.

The varieties of potatoes that were planted include:

• Desiree
• Huckleberry
• All Blue
• Caribe
• Yellow Fin
• Canela
• Norkotah
• Sangre
• Kennebuk
• French Fingerling
• Purple Peruvian
  

Line of Bed Ready to be Broadforked

Forking the Bed After Using the Broadfork

Sprouted Seed Potato

Placing the Potatoes in Row at 9 inch Spacing (Before Covering with Soil)

Three of Five Completed Rows of Potatoes

We are beginning to plant out the first 330 Sq feet of spring annuals. After prepping annual beds, we began to get our first plants into the soil. When you look at the picture below and travel from left to right you will get a sense of our planting arrangement. There are about 66 Sq ft of pole peas, 33 Sq Ft of Turnips, 15 Sq Feet of Beets, 66 Sq Ft of Cabbage, 56 Sq Ft of Russian Red Kale, 60 Sq Ft of Swiss Chard, 10 Sq Feet of Spinach. These plants are all companions- and in the case of turnips and peas- there is evidence of a beneficial interaction. The beets and turnips were sown in one pass with the three-way Earthway seeder set to 4.5 inches width.

Our planting method incorporates aspects of Grow Biointensive ™ plant spacing and the idea that a polyculture system allows flexibility and provides a setting that may allow a crop to avoid disease. Moreover, it allows us to plant crops in easy to access places in the bed. Although omitted this time, I think it will be excellent to add other companion plants like marigolds, nasturtium, calendula, and chives into our next beds. These plants have been reported to improve flavor and lure beneficial pest predators. There is clearly a value added component to a farm or garden anywhere that pests can be minimized without sacrificing the health of the body and environment to the use of pesticides.

I would like to include plant spacing numbers to give you an idea of how intensely the bed is being planted:

• 66 Sq ft of Peas: (2 rows of peas 66 feet long at 3 inch spacing)
• 33 Sq Ft of Turnips: (2 rows of turnips 66 feet long with 5 inch spacing)
• 15 Sq Feet of Beets: (1 row of beets 66 feet long at 5 inch spacing)
• 66 Sq Ft of Cabbage: (1 row of cabbage at 66 long at 15 inch spacing)
• 56 Sq Ft of Russian Red Kale: (2 rows of Kale 28 feet long at 15 inch spacing)
• 60 Sq Ft of Swiss Chard: (3 rows of Chard 30 feet long at 8 inch spacing)
• 10 Sq Feet of Spinach: (3 rows of Spinach 5 feet long at 4 inch spacing)

This bed is 5 Ft wide and 66 Ft long

From Left to Right (Peas, Turnips, Beets, Cabbage Spinach/Chard/ Kale)

We have been growing starts of Kale and Lettuce in a
glasshouse for about 3 weeks. They will be ready for transplant sometime next
week. For those who might be planting Kale or Lettuce there is a chart below
that you might find useful. On that chart, *LFD=Last frost date and *FFD= First
frost date. For Willits, LFD is usually May 15 and FFD is usually October 15.

Kale (Brassica
oleracea var. acephela)

Family: Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

Temperature:

• For
  germination: 45°F-95°F
• For
  growth: 60°F-65°F

--Soil and Water Needs--

pH: 6.0-7.0

Fertilizer: Heavy feeder, use compost.

Side Dressing: Apply when plants are about one-third grown.

Water: Heavy

--Measurements--

Planting Depth: ½”

Root Depth: 6”-12”

Height: 12”-18”

Breadth: 8”-12”

Space Between Plants:

• In
  beds: 15”-18”
• In
  rows: 18”-24”

Space Between Rows: 24”-46”

--Grow Biointensive Measurements--

Space Between Plants:

• In
  Beds: 15”

Maximum Number of Plants per 100 Square Feet: 84

--Threats and Interactions--

Pests: Aphid, cabbage looper, cabbage maggot, celery
leaftier, diamondback moth, flea beetle, harlequin bug, imported cabbage worm,
Mexican bean beetle, mites, thrips, weevil.

Diseases: Alternaria leaf spot, black leg, clubroot.

Allies: Uncertain: Chamomile, dill, garlic, mint,
nasturtium, rosemary, sage, tansy, (perhaps tomato).

Companions: Artichoke, beet, bush bean, celery, cucumber,
lettuce, onion, peas, potato, spinach.

Incompatibilities: Pole beans, strawberry, (perhaps tomato).

Planting:

First Seed-Starting Date:
(Plant every 10 days in case of poor germination)

Last Seed-Starting Date:

Harvest notes: Harvest younger leaves from the middle and
work your way up the stalk as it grows. Keep some of the leaves on the bottom
to feed growth at the top. You can also harvest the plant all at once by
cutting the stem near the bottom.

Storage Requirements: For fresh storage don’t wash the
leaves. For drying, cut the leaves into strips and steam for 2-5 minutes.
Spread on trays no more than ½” thick, and dry. If using an oven, set the
temperature below 145°F, check and turn every hour. Kale will store at 32°F at
95%-100% humidity for 2-3 weeks. At 32°F to 40°F and 80%-90% humidity it will
store for up to 10 months (with fair taste).

Sources:

Denckla, Tanya., The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing
Organic Food., Storey Publishing © 2003., pp.94-95.

Jeavons, John., How to Grow More Vegetables* 7^th
Edition., Ten Speed Press © 2006., pp. 90-91.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

Family: Compositae or Asterceae (Sunflower family)

Temperature:

• For
  germination: 40°F-80°F
• For
  growth: 60°F-65°F

--Soil and Water Needs--

pH: 6.0-7.5

Fertilizer: Heavy feeder.

Side Dressing: Every 2 weeks, apply balanced fertilizer or
foliar spray

Water: Low to medium, heavy in arid climates, water early in
the morning to minimize diseases

--Measurements--

Planting Depth: ¼”-½”

Root Depth: 18”-36”, with 5’ taproot

Height: 6”-12”

Breadth: 6”-12”

Space Between Plants:

• In
  Beds:
  • Head
    Lettuce: 10”-12”
  • Leaf
    Lettuce: 6”-8”
  • Romaine
    Lettuce: 10”
• In
  Rows:12”

Space Between Rows: 14”

--Grow Biointensive Measurements--

Space Between Plants:

• In
  Beds:
  • Head
    Lettuce: 12”
  • Leaf
    Lettuce: 8” in winter and 9” in spring-fall
  • Romaine
    Lettuce: N/A

Maximum Number of Plants per 100 Square Feet:

• Head
  Lettuce: 159
• Leaf
  Lettuce: 320 in winter and 248 in spring-fall
• Romaine
  Lettuce: N/A

--Threats and Interactions--

Pests: Aphid, beet leafhopper, cabbage looper, cutworm,
earwig, flea beetle, garden centipede, leaf miner, millipede, slug, snail

Diseases: Bacterial soft rot, botrytis rot, damping off,
downy mildew, fusarium wilt, lettuce drop, mosaic, pink rot, powdery mildew,
tip burn

Allies: Uncertain: Chive, garlic, radish

Companions: Beet (to head lettuce), all brassicas (except
broccoli), carrot, cucumber, onion family, pole lima bean, strawberry

Incompatibilities: None; some studies have shown lettuce to
be sensitive to plant residues of barley, broccoli, broad bean, vetch, wheat,
rye

Planting:

First Seed-Starting Date:
(Plant every 10 days in case of poor germination)

Last Seed-Starting Date:

Harvest notes:

For leaf lettuce, start picking the leaves when there are at
least five to six mature leaves of usable size. Usable size means about 2” long
for baby lettuce and 5”-6” long for more mature lettuce. Keep picking until a
seed stalk appears or the leaves become bitter. For head lettuce, when the head
feels firm and mature simply cut it off at the soil surface. Harvest all the
lettuce in early morning for the maximum carotene and best taste. Refrigerate
immediately.

Storage Requirements:

Lettuce does not store well for long periods and is best
eaten fresh. At 32°F-40°F at humidity of 80%-90% the storage life of lettuce is
1 month. At 32°F at 98%-100% humidity the storage life is 2-3 weeks.

Sources:

Denckla, Tanya., The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing
Organic Food., Storey Publishing © 2003., pp.97-99.

Jeavons, John., How to Grow More Vegetables* 7^th
Edition., Ten Speed Press © 2006., pp. 90-91.

Each day this week, we worked to prepare approximately 2880 Sq Ft for spring grains and legumes. This process involved clearing away and removing rooted sod with the Thatch Rake, loosening the soil with the Glaser Wheel Hoe, and then sowing the grains and legumes with an Earthway Seeder. Since we currently lack the processing equipment for grains and legumes, we will use them as supplementary feed for the egg-laying chickens that are planned for the site. These cover crops will also provide the farm with an abundant supply of dry biomass to use as a compost feedstock. At present, we will provide initial watering for germination and allow these crops to grow dryland.

The varieties of grains and legumes that were sown include:

• Hard Red Spring Wheat (1204 Sq Ft)
• Green Brown Lentils (387 Sq Ft)
• Jet Barley (129 Sq Ft)
• AC Baton Oats (215 Sq Ft)
• Chickpeas (129 Sq Ft)
• Pacific Blue Stem Wheat (430 Sq Ft)
• French Green Lentil (258 Sq Ft)

The polyculture system at Brookside is an advantage because:

1) The diversity of crops avoids the susceptibility of monocultures to disease

2) The greater variety of crops provides habitat for more species, increasing local biodiversity

3) We get an idea of which grains may be best suited for the site

4) We can add a variety of materials to the compost and the different plants participate in a diversity of interactions with the soil

When you add the newly planted spring grains to the cover crop that was sown in November on the "compacted infield” there is over 7650 Sq Ft dedicated to the growth of biomass. The aim of these sections is to add some organic matter to our soil (already at 6% OM) and to convert the plant matter into compost. Since we have chosen an intensive method of mini-farming, it will be crucial to keep a portion of land in rotation that is dedicated to growing biomass crops for composting. Intensive mini-farming has the potential for high yields; nevertheless, without seasonal additions of compost it is possible to deplete the land of the micronutrients and vitality. Intentional compost feedstock is one methodology to try and confront a paradigm where compost inputs are "mined" from one piece of land and exported to another. At the Willits Energy Farm we aim to cycle nutrients in the form of compost and through maintaining a healthy soil food web. Although it may not always be possible to achieve 100% self-sufficiency, the intention is to keep the land as self-sufficient as possible in a majority of the micronutrients necessary to grow healthy food.

Using Thatch Rake to Clear Sod

Using Three-Wide Earthway Seeder to Drill Seeds

Approx. 2880 Sq Ft of Spring Grains and Legumes

November Sown Cover Crop on Infield (Approx. 4770 Sq Ft)

We recently received our set of intermediate tools for the Willits Energy Farm. These tools are designed to provide the largest amount of work with the least energy input. Since we are working in intensive small-scale applications we will not rely on petroleum powered tools and will continue to seek out new and proven tools to perform tasks that are usually completed with a machine. Our new tool set is intended to help us clear the surface of the soil and prepare seed beds.

The four tools that we have selected for this process include a Thatch Rake, a Glaser Wheel Hoe, a Broad Fork, and a typical Bow Rake. The tools are used in a specific order to completely prepare our beds for seeding or transplanting.

1^st) We use a Thatch Rake to remove partially decomposed debris and any clumps of perennial grass that can be dislodged. The debris is raked into a row on the outside of the “soon to be” seed bed. This debris is collected in a wheel barrow and taken to the composting section of the site.

2^nd) Once the surface is cleared it is much easier to push the Glaser Wheel Hoe through the unbroken ground. We make a series of passes down the entire length of the seed bed. This uproots the remaining sod and breaks the surface of the soil to a depth 2-4 inches. (If necessary, we rake away of the newly disturbed sod).

3^rd) Next we use the Broad Fork to dig deep into the soil and pry up large clumps of land. The Broad Fork is nice because it loosens large amounts of soil without significantly disrupting the microbial life in each layer of the soil. It also serves the benefit of aerating the soil to a depth of about 10 inches. The handles on the broad fork make it easy to obtain leverage as we pry up large chunks of soil. Although the “Broad Forking” task is not energy intensive, it is, however, the slowest part of the bed preparation process. If two people were to work together to prepare beds I would recommend two of these forks to speed the process.

4^th) A final pass is made with the Glaser Wheel Hoe. This time, the operator stands in the two-foot path so that the newly forked land does not receive foot traffic and compaction. In order to stay in the path the Glaser Hoe is pushed in a diagonal across the bed. This effectively cross-cuts the Broad Fork chunks and provides depth of 4-5 inches of loose soil.

5^th) If the soil still has large clumps, we use a typical bow rake to draw the clumps to the border of the bed.

Note: Our bed dimensions are 5 feet wide and about 66 feet long. Between each bed is a 2 foot path way. Every seven beds is a four foot access path.

(Left Bed) Recently Thatch Raked

(Left Bed) After First Pass with the Wheel Hoe

(Right Bed) Fully Broad Forked Bed

Bed Cross-Cut with Wheel Hoe After Fluffing With Broad Fork

This Shot Contrasts Three Different Stages From Unbroken Ground To Forked Bed

We started transplanting Peas mid Saturday and it has taken us until early Tuesday to finally finish planting all the starts. I want to thank Kristin Bradford for coming out and helping with the project of transplanting on Saturday and Monday. We are also thankful for Rachael Adair’s help on Monday and Tuesday. Sometimes I would look away to do something and when I turned around I would be amazed at how many plants Rachael had done.

We are planting out the Peas using Grow Biointensive methodology which focus on intensive planting. Four rows of peas are spaced 6 inches apart. The “in row” spacing is three inches. As a comparison and to highlight the intensity of the plant spacing I planted half a section in 6 inch “in-bed” spacing. The entire bed that borders the walk path is full of peas. The area near the path is a little over 160 sq feet. With more starts to transplant, we added another 66 sq feet of peas in our “soon to be” annual section.

While some people were working on the peas others were simultaneously planting out bare-root raspberries and thornless Boysen and Black berries. Two separate beds where made on the most north-east part of the site. Each bed is located five feet from the back fence line and is spaced a few feet from the vehicle access road.

31 bare-root Raspberries have been planted, totaling approximately 130 Sq feet. There are five known varieties of Raspberries including:

- 5-Willamette

- 4-Latham

- 5-Heritiage,

- 4-Amity,

- 4-Indian Summer,

- 8-un-marked raspberries

Likewise, 31 Boysen and Blackberries were put in about 130 Sq feet. Again there is a diverse mix of varieties including:

- 5-Thornless Evergreen Blackberry

- 5-Thornless Dirksen Blackberry

- 5-Thornless Boysenberry

- 5-Kiowa Blackberry

- 4-Black Butte Blackberry

- 4-Olallie Blackberry

- 3-Siskiyou Blackberry

I know this has been mentioned earlier, however, bordering the blackberries are five blueberry plants. They take up about 60 Sq feet and the variety includes:

- 2 Misty Southern Highbush

- 1 Blue Southern Highbush,

- 2 Ozark

Once this berry section starts producing it will be a wonderful addition to the farm. Juices and jams are clear uses, as well as the opportunity for the kids to harvest a healthy snack. The addition of fruit to the CSA boxes will no doubt be great extra for members.

Kristin Transplanting Peas

Rachael Working with a Group of Volunteers and Enjoying the Afternoon

Jason Planting Bare-Root Blackberries

Berry Section Almost Fully Planted Out

I put a fork into the soil today and noticed it was beginning to dry out. Nevertheless, it is still too damp to transplant the peas. I used the fork to pry the soil, fluffing and aerating it in hopes that it will be possible to plant in the next day or so. I fluffed a little over 160 sq feet. When I was done I walked back to the spot I had first begun prying with the fork and noticed that it was already starting to dry.

The farm site borders a forest where manzinita bushes grow. In many places there are old manzinita branches that have broken off or dried out. Jason and I collected some of these branches with the intent to use them as posts for in a trellis system for the peas. I really like the way they look in the ground, especially in comparison to the steel posts that were originally in place. Although each farm job requires a different set of materials, it is nice to be able to use natural poles and branches in certain applications. I want to see if we can make a stable trellis system for the peas using these salvage materials. The wild bends and natural twisting of the manzinita branches give the walking path a bit of character. I have noticed that both kids and adults are excited and curious about this old baseball field that is evolving into a farm. Others have their doubts that the wood will be stable enough to withstand the weight of the pea plants.

Steel Posts as Trellis Option

Manzinita Posts as Trellis

Forked Section Ready for Transplants

We spent the earlier part of this brisk day inside, selecting the specific varieties of annual plants that we will grow in the spring, summer, and fall. Our list has been created on an Excel file, so we will be able to share our estimates and data with you as soon as we feel it is ready to present. Jason has been working out the estimated yields and varieties and even calorie content over the last couple of weeks. Stay tuned for the data!

Later in the day, Jason and I headed down to the farm site to take measurements of each area that will be dedicated to both perennial and annual crops. While we made our measurements, we were particularly interested in the areas designated for the annual crop section. Will we have enough room for 100, 5ft x 20ft garden beds by the time we add access paths and walkways? Initial calculations say yes. There are approximately 15,900 Sq. Ft. to work with, which should be enough for a little over 100 beds and walkways. As of now, we plant to make the beds 5ft wide by 20ft long. Remember, this site is an unused baseball field and the soil in the infield is compacted. Consequently, we have omitted the infield section in our annual planning this season because we are unsure if it will produce enough to satisfy the demand of those who have pledged their support to this new CSA and Energy Farm Project. Check back because we will update the layout of the beds and post it on the blog as soon as it too is ready. Until then, here are today's sketches.

Taking Measurements

 Measurements of Annual Section