Playin' in the Dirt

This weekend I started school.

FARM SCHOOL.

Faye and Lynn, who provide our amazing produce,

have amiably agreed to show me a thing or two.

Can I tell  you how stoked I am about that?

~IT. IS. SUCH. A. RUSH.~

I've mentioned these fine folks on a few occasions,

as I'm so impressed not only with the quality 

of the produce they grow,

but the integrity with which they do business.

In my book, that stands for a lot.

The original post can be found here.

As I soon learned,

one of the most critical tasks in Lynn's system,

is the maintenance of diligent records.

Seeding, reseeding, and harvest dates are noted,

as well as any pertinent information for future sowing.  

 

 Today's lesson got started with the planting of okra.

A southern staple, it is one of the most popular crops they sell.

These pots are filled with rich, loose soil 

and topped with a ring of landscape fabric

to keep down weeds and protect the leaves of plants

from becoming dirty.

We're starting 8 pots in this location,

as there are established plants on another part of the property.

Lynn likes to plant successively, 

so that he is able to fulfill his customers requests most of the year.

 This was the first time I'd seen okra seeds.

Not being a fan of the texture, 

I'd never had occasion to plant it.

With each variety, we read the package directions

for spacing and planting depth.

It's a good idea to follow these instructions

if you're trying to germinate something for the first time.

With experience, alterations may be made.

Lynn uses this tool for smaller seeds .

When it was my turn, I put my finger

on the tweezers at the correct depth for planting,

then just plunged them down until my fingers hit soil.

A quick patting down, and we're good to go.

Couldn't be easier!

 This was the root of an okra plant 

that was recently pulled out of the pots.

It must have taken up the whole depth of the container.

 I was amazed to see how thick and bulky the stems were.

It's truly astounding to see what comes of a tiny seed.

 After planting, they were well watered in.

Lynn has invested in quality equipment to make the job easier,

and much of his gear has a lifetime warranty.

That's hard to come by these days.

We also reseeded some beans that had not germinated.

Each task is completed with such tender care.

It's no wonder the food tastes so good. 

 

I'm on the waiting list for these gorgeous leeks!

For some reason, not many folks here use these,

so they are not prevalent in most grocery stores.

Can't wait to make the first pot of soup with these babies!

Another job we tackled was removing the spent pea vines.

(The ones in this picture still look pretty good,

as the photo is from a couple of months ago.)

We cut them down and cleaned up the pots a bit.

Our reward was finding a few tasty tidbits to munch

before bringing them down.

He's got new plants already started here in the back.

These will be ready for harvest in the next couple of weeks.

I have found that my noontime salad is not the same without them.

I guess if you have to have an addiction, 

peas are not such a bad vice.

The lettuces keep them company.

Lynn & Faye grow several kinds and I had

a love affair going with Romaine for the longest time.

But since sampling their red oak leaf variety,

my heart belongs to it.

I still get a good mix of greens,

as they are more than willing to accommodate their customers.

It was a cool and windy afternoon,

but I was unaffected by the temperatures.

I was in the zone.

And in good company.

May the blessings that have found me,

make their way to you.