Orange Circle Farm

          
               Farm to yoUNH takes a field trip to a local farm every semester. This time we visited Orange Circle Farm in Stratham, NH. We were lucky to have the owner Jeff Benton welcome us to his young farm (2013) and show us around. Jeff has a diverse farm consisting of over 150 varieties of annuals, and around 100 Golden Buff laying hens. Although Orange Circle is two years young, there is quite a bit going on for a one-man operation. Jeff’s care for life is apparent although everything he grows (including eggs) is certified organic; he even takes the extra step to not spray anything at all. In Jeff’s words  “The only thing I spray on my fields is rain water”. 

            That’s right rainwater. He created a catchment system on one of the barn roofs to collect rainwater. He stores 1,000 gallons of water per inch of rainfall. This coming summer he plans to install a drip irrigation system that will irrigate his crops from the water catchment. He has a pond on the property from which he could pump water but Jeff values the surrounding wildlife and he feels that putting a pump down there would disrupt the natural state the of the pond. 

           Further solidifying his holistic approach Jeff feels that no food should go wasted! Last year was his first year in production and although some things were a bit more abundant than he expected he packed more into the CSA shares. He knows that a lot of one item can be overwhelming to a shareholder so he sends out weekly newsletters by email with suggestions on how to cook and or preserve that week’s harvest. Jeff is upping his CSA membership this year from 40 to 65 shares and they are being scooped up fast! He is doing this with the help of a part-time employee to help him harvest and pack the boxes. It is a 22-week share with produce and eggs. It is the only way Jeff sells his food so his main focus is the shareholders! No extra produce from the week will go to farmers markets since all the harvest goes to the CSA members!

Thank you, Jeff for having us out!

Consider Orange Circle for your summer CSA share!

 Orange Circle Farm 

Time to plan your summer vegetable garden!

Spring is finally upon us here in New Hampshire, so it’s time to think about growing summer vegetables. In class, we started seeds for transplant into our high tunnels a couple of weeks ago. But don’t worry, you still have plenty of time to start seedlings of your own for spring transplant and summer harvest! In this post, I’ll break down the steps to take now for planning a summer vegetable garden from seed.

Image: theguardian.co.uk

Firstly, you’ll need to know how much space you have to deal with. Draw your garden plot to scale (graph paper might help). If you have a large garden (greater than about 4 feet in either dimension), mark out rows 3-4 feet wide with walking paths of about 2 feet between them. Also consider the amount of time you will have to maintain your seedlings and your outdoor garden. Given the space and time you have, decide how many different crops you want to raise, and what they should be. Note that the fewer different crops you choose, the easier they will be to manage.

Look through a seed catalog, or a seed-supply website, to choose varieties for each of your crops. We get our seeds for Farm to YoU NH from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, an employee-owned company in Maine. If you are aware of pest or disease problems on or near your land, be sure to choose varieties that are resistant to those problems, if they are available. If this is the first vegetable garden on your plot, consider how wet the area is. If it doesn’t drain well, your plants will likely be at higher risk for fungal disease, so try to choose disease-resistant varieties.

Image: thedemogarden.org/garden-templates/

Block out your garden diagram with the varieties you’ve chosen, keeping in mind your desired harvest of each crop and the relative sizes of the mature plants. (For example, tomatoes take up a lot more space than carrots.) Proper air circulation and light availability are very important, so be sure not to overcrowd your garden. In NH, sunlight comes from the south, so place shorter plants to the south and taller plants to the north to avoid shading out the short plants.

Once you have a layout planned, you can figure out how many plants of each variety you will need. You can either use the spacing information provided in your seed catalog (or on the seed packet itself), or use an online tool like this one from Johnny’s. Plan to start 10-20% more plants than you will actually need, in case some don’t germinate.

Next, use a calendar to plan planting and transplant dates. In NH, most growers wait until Memorial Day weekend to plant outside, to avoid the possibility of a late frost. Using this date as a guide, mark on your calendar your desired transplant date. Then count backward from that date to find your seed-planting date(s). Refer to the table below for the number of weeks from seed to transplant in the field, or use the Johnny’s calculator, which gives dates for many different crops in one table after you enter the date of last frost.

Image: New England Vegetable Management Guide, 2014-2015 Edition.

Now you’re ready to buy or order your seeds. But don’t forget the media and containers! For seedlings, a finely-textured potting mix is ideal. Many mixes are marketed specifically for seed-starting. There are several different styles of containers for starting seeds, and which type you should choose depends largely on personal preference.

There are two things, however, that all of your seeds will need to be successful: moisture and heat. Make sure your potting media is thoroughly saturated before planting, then follow the directions on each seed packet for seed spacing and depth. Different seeds need different temperatures to germinate, so you might need a heating pad (available at garden centers and seed suppliers), depending on your crop choices and the temperature in your propagation area. Use the chart above to determine optimal temperatures for your seeds. Notice that after germination, most seedlings require lower temperatures for optimal growth, so adjust or remove any supplemental heat once the seedlings have emerged. Don't forget to label your containers; most seedlings look very similar to each other!

To take care of your planted seeds once they are in a warm environment, keep the potting media moist, but not constantly saturated. Too much water can be just as detrimental to the growth of a seedling as too little water, and can lead to problems like root rot. For the first few days of a seedling’s life, it draws on stored nutrients from the seed, so fertilizer is not required. Some seeds, like lettuce, do require light for germination and need to be planted close to the soil surface. Once the cotyledons (the first, “false” pair of leaves) have emerged from the soil, the plants will begin photosynthesis, and should be kept in a well-lit area to grow into strong transplants.

High Tunnel Insects

The thaw of March 11th was too good to be true; just in time for spring break, we had weather that lifted our winter-wearied spirits and painted smiles on faces all around. The high tunnels that morning smelled rich with spring soil and felt humid with the misty air. The plants looked happier then than they have for the whole of spring semester, and though the temperature has dropped again and the cold winds have risen, that morning was a sure sign that wintertime is crumbling.

With activity to rival that of the plants, the insects that have found refuge in the high tunnels during these cold months are flourishing. A few weeks ago, our expert entomologist and Insect Pest Management professor, Dr. Alan Eaton, was kind enough to come out to the high tunnels and give the class a tutorial on insect identification and management.

Alan Eaton giving fair warning that sticky yellow cards will 

grab long hair and fine clothing as readily as flying insects.

Our class explored the heated high tunnel looking for thrips, aphids, fungus gnats, whiteflies, shore flies, parasitic wasps, and the ambiguous "other," seldom identified because, as Dr. Eaton reminded us regularly, not everything in the greenhouse is a pest.

Our classmate Pete enjoying the world in 10X.

 A few insect identification tips for our readers:

Thrips (sing., thrips; pl. thrips) are tiny, dark-eyed, straight-bodied insects with straight antennae and a stature so small that their wings are composed only of fine hairs.

Photo of thrips on a marigold blossom.

Aphids are plump-bodied insects that cannot be properly identified based on color or presence of wings. There are many of species of aphids that dwell in greenhouses and high tunnels, and proper magnification is necessary for accurate identification. Look at the notch on the head of the aphid to determine what kind it is. White casts on plant leaves are a telltale sign of aphids. Copper colored aphids are actually aphid "mummies" that have been parasitized by wasps. 

Winged aphids will often give birth after getting 

stuck on yellow sticky cards. The parallel veins on

the wings are also characteristic of aphids.

Parasitic wasps are effective predators of aphids--female wasps lay their eggs in the aphids, which are eaten by the larvae, always orange in color, after they hatch. 

Aphidus colemani, a species of aphid wasp.

Fungus gnats are long-legged, thin-bodied, dark insects with y-shaped veins on their wings and long antennae. They thrive in wet media and feed on decaying organic matter, though they will often burrow into fresh cuttings and eat the inside of the stem. 

An adult fungus gnat on a sticky yellow card. 

Shore flies are perhaps the most distinctive of insects in the greenhouse; they have smoky wings with clear spots that appear white. No other insect has wings like these, so they are easily identifiable. They can be vectors for pathogens, but they are mostly a nuisance and can make greenhouses appear quite infested. Shore flies feed on algae, so controlling algae growth can be an effective preventative measure. 

An adult shore fly with the characteristic

spotted wings. 

A sincere thank you to Dr. Eaton for teaching us about greenhouse pests, and for providing these images to pass on to our readers! Until next time, keep an eye out for pests, watch things grow, and enjoy the coming spring! 

~Anne Howard

Photos and information courtesy of Alan Eaton, University of New Hampshire Entomologist.  

Thoughts on Agricultural Education: An Introduction

        The spring semester has brought a new group to Farm to You NH, and with it new opportunities. I am studying Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems with a double major in Humanities, and have been given the chance to adapt this course to accommodate an agricultural education project of mine that has been underway for about two years. Over the next two months, I'll be writing about my encounters with teachers and students in local schools.

        Three years ago, I informally removed myself from the Sustainable Agriculture program to pursue work at the Organic Dairy Research Farm and in the Humanities program. My interest in agriculture was feeling the strain of my limited practical knowledge, and it seemed time to make a decision as to whether agriculture truly called to me. I indulged myself in the humanities and poured my extra energy into my work at the dairy farm.
        Gradually, and without a conscious understanding of my transformation, I dropped the pretense of care for agriculture and adopted a genuine and earnest passion for it instead. I sought work beyond the dairy farm with the hope of learning more, and found a community at Barker’s Farm, then at Hickory Nut Farm, then at Springledge Farm. 

Barker's Farm in Stratham, NH

        I became a formal member of the Humanities major, and slowly picked up agriculture classes again, finding this time that, with a vigor of curiosity, I was fascinated by the academics of agriculture. The broad, abstract thought of the humanities indulged my desire to discuss, to feel awe, to wildly seek knowledge of all things human, while my work at the farms grounded and humbled me, a laborer in the care of plants and animals whose importance transcended that of my schoolwork. I learned to love the work deeply, not as something oddly estranged from my love of the humanities, but as something inextricably bound to it. I found that farming—socially, spiritually, and physically—tapped into my very deepest humanity, and opened up a world of harmony and conflict. Exposure to such a world, I believe, primes an individual for self-actualization, which in turn breaks the trail to happiness. What I wish to do, as best as I am able, is to act as a guide for those who find passion in the same places as I--gardens, farms, nature, recreation, and community.

Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, a major author 

in the humanities and a lover of agriculture.

        And so this lengthy road has brought me to SAFS 679 and Farm to You NH, where I have the opportunity not only to explore agricultural education for my own benefit, but also to forge connections with local schools in the hope that UNH can offer knowledge and resources to improve school gardens, greenhouses, and school to farm and farm to school programs. With the accommodation and kindness of several teachers, I have been able to observe what goes on in classrooms at Dover Middle School, Dover High School, Oyster River Middle School, The Cornerstone School, The Putney School, and Acorn School. I have also had the opportunity to volunteer with New Hampshire Agriculture in the Classroom and teach lessons on perspectives of agriculture and soil dynamics to middle scholars in the area.

Students were given a brief lesson on oxen before they visited 

with them and led them through an obstacle course with the 

guidance of their trainer.

        These experiences have given me a window through which to see the agricultural knowledge that our culture naturally bestows upon it’s youth. Hopefully they have also given a few kids a deeper understanding of and curiosity about farming. But mainly, they have worked to produce churning and conflicting thoughts in my mind about adults’ rights and duties as educators and mentors, and about how we must guide the newer members of the world. 
        Alas, there is not enough time to elaborate here, but there is more to come. Until then, in Writer's Almanac style, "be well, do good work, and keep in touch."

~Anne Howard

 

CSA Hacks: Preserve the Harvest!

Joining a CSA program, aka Community Supported Agriculture, is an excellent way to be supportive of your local farmers and familiarize oneself with the true seasonality of fruits and vegetables in your area. A typical CSA membership is defined by an investment paid upfront by the consumer, allowing the farmer to cover initial growing costs and have a hold of projected demand for the upcoming season. In return, the consumer receives box of vegetables, always a varied reflection of what’s being harvested, for a set number of weeks. Some farms divide their shares by season, while others divide their shares by type of crop (fruits, vegetables, salad greens, cut flowers, etc). 

As Forrest Gump’s mother once said, “A CSA share is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get." Therefore, it is important to be prepared for the inevitable “bumper crop” box. A “bumper crop” is farmer’s lingo for an unexpected surplus of one crop dictated by variables often out of the farmer’s control that produce favorable conditions for one crop’s harvest. For example, what’s a CSA shareholder to do when they receive more kale than they could possibly eat before it goes to waste?!

.

This versatile vegetable keeps up to two weeks properly refrigerated and 6 months frozen. If refrigerating your kale to be used within 2 weeks, sort the kale stalks into manageable bunches and secure with rubber bands at the base of the stalk (i.e without crushing the broadest leaves). You can wash the kale before securing into bunches or wash before cooking.

Rinse the kale thoroughly, shaking the leaves of any sand or dirt they acquired in their earthly life. The unwanted particles will sink to the bottom of the wash basin.  Shake the kale leaves of excess water and place in either a salad spinner or between clean hand towels for drying. 

At this point, you can freeze the kale leaves whole OR roughly chop for uniform storage! 
 I chopped my kale in strips of 1-2 inches and packed into gallon sized, sealable plastic bags. I pressed firmly on the bags, releasing as much air as possible to create a vacuum effect once sealed. It is important to get as much air out as possible for two reasons: maximize freezer space AND make sure that your produce doesn’t develop ice crystals between the leaves.

I have added my frozen chopped kale to everything from soups, to omelets, to sauteed vegetable mixtures and green smoothies. Just imagine being able to enjoy farm fresh kale in the middle of February and your produce storage efforts will be completely worth it! All the best,

Charlotte

Harvest Day at Farm to YoU NH!

 On October 12, Farm to YoU NH hosted Harvest Day, a day to teach UNH students and the Durham community about all of the hard work we do over at Fairchild Dairy in our two high tunnels and half acre of land. Our intention was to educate the community about the work we do with UNH dining and the capabilities we have to bring more local foods into our dining halls.  The Farm to YoU NH set up is something that could be duplicated in dining halls all over the country to increase awareness of local foods as well as teaching students hands-on experience in running a small farm.

 In conjunction with a farm tour, we also had canning examples with instructions how to can, how to plant garlic to overwinter, as well as a garlic tasting with freshly roasted garlic. Not only were we lucky to have most of our class in attendance, but also a beautifully sunny fall afternoon. For our canning examples we brought cans of tomato sauce and salsa that we had made and canned from all of our own produce.  Canning is a great way to preserve food over time without having to ad several additives. We filled the fields with the aroma of roasted garlic by roasting garlic on sight on our grill. After all garlic was roasted and mashed, we set up a "garlic tasting" to score how different and similar each variety of garlic is. We used our own sweet potatoes to make a sweet potato sage dip that we served with tortilla chips. We supplied guests with an array of flyers and media to teach them more about Farm to YoU NH as well as more about what we presented to them at Harvest Day. We had a slow turnout, though it allowed us to give individual attention to all of our guests. All in all we enjoyed having a day to show off our successes and to teach ourselves how to host farm events in our future careers.

Welcome Back from SAFS 680!

      The SAFS 680 students are back to work in the field and the tunnels this fall! The fall season is picking up after summer work was maintained by Olivia, Will and Ross.  To commence the season, the 680 course participated in an exchange of high tunnels. An experiment conducted by Dr. Becky Sideman resulted in the SAFS team tradingour heated tunnel at the Fairchild Dairy farm for two smaller high tunnels located at Woodman Farm. One of those tunnels is called "Rolling Thunder" and is a movable tunnel manufactured and donated to UNH by Rimol Greenhouses.  Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant of many varieties were grown in the tunnels at Woodman. All of the freshly harvested vegetables were given to either the Dairy Bar, Holloway Commons, or to UNH's Conferences and Catering. 

        The growing season was successful overall with a few losses along the way. Garlic grew abundantly, with around 150 lbs. harvested. The melon harvest yielded a large amount as well, but more exciting than that was the variety of melons grown. Three different cultivars of watermelons and cantaloupes along with two honeydew cultivars were grown.  Strawberries also grew successfully, particularly the day neutral variety. These berries were growing vigorously until mid September! Though the majority of crops did very well, there were a few that did not. One example was our cucumber crop that succumbed early to a bacterial disease.  Also, outdoor determinant tomatoes experienced a bit of early blight, while the tomatoes grown indoor matured beautifully and disease free. Flea beetle pressure was strong on our outdoor grown mesclun greens while lettuce varieties grew heartily outdoors for the duration of the summer.                                                                                          In addition to producing food, general maintenance was done at the farm. The east facing end wall of the unheated high tunnel was replaced with polycarbonate. The hardworking summer crew also created a drainage ditch to ameliorate some of the water issues in one of the tunnels. 

                                                                                                              The fall brings even more exciting opportunities.  Students are busy with crop planning, harvesting and seeding cover crops. In addition, students are in the midst of planning an event in October to show other UNH students and the Durham community  more of what we do out on Spinney Lane. We are all also getting very excited for the annual Harvest Dinner in the dining halls, as some of our produce will be showcased! We are so happy to be working together again and bringing the freshest produce to the UNH community!