 |
| Steph seeds carrots while Ryan makes beds for beets |
It's been a productive week here at Appleton Farms. With warming weather and drying winds the fields are finally ready to be worked again. And not a moment too soon. So much depends on getting a solid start early in the season. It can really set the pace for the rest of the year. Fortune favored us this time and we had both cooperative climatic conditions and working machinery. Without delay we set steel to soil. We tilled, we harrowed, we fertilized and finally we formed beds. This allowed us to get beets, carrots and peas seeded into the ground. To protect these still delicate seeds from heavy frosts and hungry birds we covered their beds with a row cover which is essentially a large white sheet of woven fiber which holds moisture in and allows sunlight to penetrate but which insulates up to 8 degrees and keeps curious birds out. It's amazing what a big difference row cover can have on plant vigor! There is still lots more soilworking and seeding to do in the coming weeks and months but I think it is safe to say that this season is off to a good start.
