local food
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It took most of the day to plant the fourth plot in five varieties of tomatoes. Using two pallets from Kate’s farm I sorted the metal stakes by size then pitchforked the grass clippings that have been on the plot since last fall. There were numerous worms and grubs under the matted grass — a… Read more
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Spring has been punctuated by conversations with scores of people in my neighborhood and beyond. On Friday I spent two hours delivering handbills regarding a neighborhood public meeting. About 20 people showed up Saturday at the corner of our two main streets. The meeting was organized to elect trustees to our sewer district. I got… Read more
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Pelicans left Lake Macbride this week. They were gone when I drove across Mehaffey Bridge Road on Monday. Have they depleted the fish stocks and gone to better hunting grounds? Did they detect something in nature that triggered migration? I don’t know, but hope they will return in the fall. Pollination of fruit trees appeared… Read more
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After work at the home, farm and auto supply store I drove to the farm and picked up the first spring share. In it were spinach, baby kale, Bok Choy, Choi Sum, broccoli raab, rhubarb, oregano and garlic chives. Already my mind is swirling with cooking ideas. I’ll prepare a breakfast omelet using greens seasoned… Read more
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The sound of bleating lambs pierced the air during yesterday’s shift at the farm. It was a sad sound because we know their destiny. Above is a photo of goats instead. I made 60 trays of soil blocks for the germination shed. It’s time to transplant pepper plants from plastic trays where they germinated to… Read more
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The weather on Saturday was perfect for getting into the field. Wind had dried the ground making it tillable. In the cycle of community supported agriculture projects, now is the time to plant onions — a key crop to share with members. Most farmers I know were planting them — tens of thousands of onions. I… Read more
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Rain kept vegetable farmers out of their fields. The rule of thumb is wait four days after a rain for fields to dry. It rained all day yesterday. Equipment is ready, truckloads of seed potatoes wait in bags, and farmers want them in the ground. Conditions are ready to plant any cold weather vegetable once… Read more
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A text message came March 20 while I was stopped at a traffic light in North Liberty. “In total we need 22 120s this week so you actually might be able to do it all tonight!” It was 4: 51 p.m. The combination of daylight savings time and the vernal equinox provided a window to… Read more
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After a Saint Patrick’s Day meetup with friends in Iowa City I drove home, parked my car in the garage and haven’t moved it since. It was too cold for outside work on Saturday so I stayed in, did laundry, cleaned the bird feeder, wrote, read, and cooked dinner of bean soup, Carnival squash and… Read more
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I turned the first spade of garden soil Saturday. In a couple of hours I removed cages, stakes and last year’s brush from the cherry tomato patch, turned over and broke up the soil, planted six kinds of lettuce, and posted the afternoon’s highlights on social media: First spade of dirt turned; chives, walking onions,… Read more
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