A Perfect Day for Transplanting ... Almost

This morning began momentously. With the upper field tilled and set into beds, we began to transplant our first seedlings at Mount Veeder. Omar observed that it was the perfect day for transplanting. Indeed the cool, misty weather would be kind to the scores of little tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants we were about to put in the ground, minimizing their suffering from "transplant shock."

Alas, after I had transferred merely a couple dozen tomato plants into their new earthy environs, the mist turned into a drizzle, which turned into a steady rain. The soil turned into mud, which began to stick to my boots, hands, and shovel. We had to call it a day, lest we compact the soil and ruin the beds.

We'll get those fields planted sooner or later, Mother Nature, just you wait!

A Sunny View from Mount Veeder, for a Rainy Day

I think I must have jinxed the weather by saying in my previous post that the winter rains had subsided. It rained steadily over the past two days, turning the fields to mud and suspending my almost-complete rock removal project.

The upside of all that rain: we won't have to irrigate in order to get the weed seeds to sprout in the fields. Once the weeds get growing, we will turn them under. Doing this will mean that fewer weeds will sprout later on, after we've planted.

For now, I'll leave you with a photo I took of the Napa Valley last week, looking east from the farm.

Working the Soil

I am happy to say that, in my first month at Oakville Grocery's Mount Veeder Farm, I have gotten my hands dirty. Tractor grease, soil, and compost have all declared war against soap from beneath my fingernails.

This is exciting because, with winter's rains subsided, the soil is now dry enough to dig in. Before literally digging in, however, my first task was to mow the cover crop off two of our four fields.

With this "green manure" freshly cut, it was time to turn it under. To do this, I used a spader, which is a tractor implement sporting a line of quickly rotating shovel-like blades. Picture a small delegation of furiously digging dwarves churning the topsoil inward and in exchange flinging up rocks of all sizes, which I then had to pick out of the field by hand.

We then received about 130 tons of composted grape pomace from Upper Valley Disposal and Recycling in Saint Helena. This nutrient-rich stuff was still steaming and sickly-sweet-smelling from its high-temperature decomposition process, as I used a Bobcat to spread 12 gargantuan piles of it.

Next, we turned the compost in with the spader and spread some organic fertilizer, which Omar then tilled in. After that, it was time for me to pick out even more rocks! 

All this work will eventually pay off - healthy soil grows healthy crops. Hence the adage, "don't treat your soil like dirt!"

A Warm Welcome to the Farmstand

 

This past weekend, with gorgeously sunny weather, we celebrated the Farmstand at Oakville Grocery's first month in business! We are thrilled with how things are going so far and I am excited to begin sharing our happenings with you.

Visitors from all over the world have given us a warm reception. This weekend alone I chatted with customers from places as diverse as France, Brazil, New York, Colorado, San Francisco, and just-across-the-street.

It is fun to share folks' enthusiasm over the simple pleasures of fresh, organic produce. The ripe-red strawberries have been enormously popular, as have the citrus, especially the sweet-tangy blood oranges and the minneola tangelos. But the biggest hit so far has been our thirst-quenching, fresh-squeezed lemonade. We sweetened the latest batch with a little tangerine juice and oh boy was it good. Every week our selection will change slightly to include the best of the season, but I think the lemonade is here to stay!

Next up: the beginnings of our Mount Veeder Farm!