December 2023
December 2023
We had our first snow at the end of October which caused the tree leaves to turn brown and fall to the ground. Now we hear the rustle of leaves as we walk through the fields, a sound always associated with fall. The snow didn’t last long, but it killed many of our summer crops, as we knew it would. It is almost easier to pull out the peppers, tomatoes, basil, squash, etc. when you know their time is done. For me it is also a time to get the jungle of summer crops removed and the farm organized for our much smaller winter production and set the stage for early spring production.
We planted our garlic last week and we will be doing an experiment to see if it grows better in the hoop house versus in the raised beds in the kitchen garden. We are growing 3 different types of garlic – Elephant, Music and German Stiffneck. Planting garlic is my promise that spring and summer will be here before I know it. In colder climates, the garlic needs to be planted in the fall so the roots can form all winter. Then when the weather warms up and the days get longer the green shoots can pop through the ground. The three varieties we are growing are all hardneck varieties, so we will have garlic scapes (the flower tops) in June that are delicious and the bulbs will be fully formed by the end of July. The smaller bulbs we save to eat, while we break out the larger bulbs, into individual cloves, and plant them as our seed garlic for next season. It is so rewarding to know we are growing our garlic each season and not having to buy new seed garlic each year.
Next on our agenda is frost protection for our winter crops that are outside and those that are in the hoop house. More on that in our December newsletter.
Alone, the world changes you. Together, we change the world
November 2023
November 2023
We had our first snow at the end of October which caused the tree leaves to turn brown and fall to the ground. Now we hear the rustle of leaves as we walk through the fields, a sound always associated with fall. The snow didn’t last long, but it killed many of our summer crops, as we knew it would. It is almost easier to pull out the peppers, tomatoes, basil, squash, etc. when you know their time is done. For me it is also a time to get the jungle of summer crops removed and the farm organized for our much smaller winter production and set the stage for early spring production.
We planted our garlic last week and we will be doing an experiment to see if it grows better in the hoop house versus in the raised beds in the kitchen garden. We are growing 3 different types of garlic – Elephant, Music and German Stiffneck. Planting garlic is my promise that spring and summer will be here before I know it. In colder climates, the garlic needs to be planted in the fall so the roots can form all winter. Then when the weather warms up and the days get longer the green shoots can pop through the ground. The three varieties we are growing are all hardneck varieties, so we will have garlic scapes (the flower tops) in June that are delicious and the bulbs will be fully formed by the end of July. The smaller bulbs we save to eat, while we break out the larger bulbs, into individual cloves, and plant them as our seed garlic for next season. It is so rewarding to know we are growing our garlic each season and not having to buy new seed garlic each year.
Next on our agenda is frost protection for our winter crops that are outside and those that are in the hoop house. More on that in our December newsletter.
Alone, the world changes you. Together, we change the world
October 2023
October 2023
Autumn is here with cold nights and beautiful fall colors. Here at One World Center, it is our time to clean up our summer gardens, plant our winter crops in our hoop house, and do loads of seed saving. There is also an abundance of apples, pears, potatoes, and green tomatoes to harvest. Our tomatoes have slowed down, but there are still a lot of green tomatoes that will never get a chance to ripen. Our solution – make pickles and relish. Green tomatoes are a wonderful substitute for cucumbers.
This week we will be making spicy green tomato relish, bread and butter green tomato pickles, and green tomato dill pickles. We are using the Ball Brothers canning recipes, just swapping out green tomatoes for the cucumbers.
We have a seed contract again this season so we are saving large quantities of echinacea, gaillardia, and heliopsis seeds for a Michigan-based seed company Nature & Nurture. We truly enjoyed growing hundreds of these beautiful flowers all season and now is the time to grab the dried seed heads before the birds eat them all. We are also saving sunflower seeds for ourselves to grow sunflower sprouts this winter. So tasty and so easy to grow.
Time to go back outside to enjoy the brilliance of our fall colors. Take some time for yourself to enjoy the change in season!
Alone, the world changes you. Together, we change the world
January 2023
January 2023
Our Farm Manager, Joannée, got the chance to visit our sister school this month in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Richmond Vale Academy is doing great work helping to build home gardens, restore coral reefs, and plant mangrove areas. Joannée was there to learn more about growing food in the tropics and to see the permaculture practices they utilize at school. She was also there to see how she can support their efforts to grow enough food on campus to feed their students and staff.
Some exciting things in St. Vincent is their ban on the following three things: single-use plastic bags, glyphosate (the prime ingredient in RoundUp), and GMO seeds (genetically modified organisms). There is a delicate balance on the island and the residents are fighting to keep this place beautiful and healthy for all their inhabitants.
At One World Center, we are in the midst of winter with snow and non-stop below-freezing temperatures. We are working on our crop plan and dreaming about spring and summer planting.
We have started hundreds of onion and leek seedlings so we can plant them outside in April. We are always trying to keep our hands in the soil, and growing seedlings inside helps to keep the winter blues away.