Vigilance

Farm News

It happens every year on the farm – that week of warm 85 degrees and May sunshine, which makes everything take off. The trials and tribulations of winter and early spring are finally behind us, fingers crossed.

It takes a few days to really recognize and acclimate the body to work in the heat and brightness of the long days, and we all find ourselves very happy and tired farmers. It takes great vigilance to stay ahead of the game. Hats off to our crew as they have been in a daily dance of moving row cover around, hand weeding and constant tractor work to keep the weeds and pests at bay. When our veggies do not have to compete for space and soil nutrients, they are healthy and strong.

We are excited to see water tables drop and the nighttime temperatures settle in to the high 50’s. These are all good signs of a great season to come. As we continue to transplant, we will be adding summer squash and cucumbers to the list this week and direct seeding beans.

This year, we have leased a little higher ground to do potatoes as Ziggy drives the tractor through the Carnation streets to work the land. This is one of my favorite sights when you see tractors driving through town, slowing it all down, reminding us of the rich Carnation Valley heritage.

We will start cutting up seed potatoes for planting in the coming weeks and transporting them to their new home. There are many tasks at hand in this our busiest time before heavy harvest arrives. Our harvest hands have moved from strong winter kale to delicate delicious spinach, and cherry red radishes to planting prickly squash and cucumbers.

As the soil dries out and warms up, our hands become very rough and tough. At the end of the day when we wash these vital tools, we quietly smile upon each other and know that there is no truer place we would rather be. Attentiveness and care are the recipe to our goal: clean, organic, vegetables. Viva la vigilance!

Don’t forget to find us on Instagram (@fullcirclefarms).

– Wendy