We are growing on a little over 1/3 of an acre. Our vegetables are grown on 100 foot beds that are 4 feet in width with 14 inch pathways. We are employing “living pathways” to increase photosynthesis by growing clover in our pathways. Every week we mow our pathways with an electric mower. Our farm is chemical-free. Because we are so new, we have not started the organic certification process yet, although we plan to do so in the future. Whenever possible, we are growing using organic seeds, primarily from High Mowing Seeds and Fruition Seeds. Our flowers are grown on much smaller beds of various sizes.
Soil health is incredibly important for growing the best, most nutrient-dense vegetables and most beautiful flowers that we can. The main way that we build and maintain soil health is by applying local compost on the top of all of our beds. We are a no-till farm, so we plant directly into this compost and our goal is to maintain that soil structure as best as we can with no till harvesting methods. We also use plant diversity and row cover to help manage pests and then pick off pests by hand when necessary. Compost tea is another important way that we help maintain the health of our plants.
This year we are growing 25 types of vegetables and over 60 different varieties. We are also growing 30 different varieties of cut flowers. Our compost comes from Midwest Organic Recycling and our potting soil for seed starting is from West Star Organics. We are experimenting with different interplanting combinations to help us plant densely with maximum diversity. We are excited to grow this 2022 growing season. We are curious learners, eager to ask questions and try out new solutions.