Farm, stuff...

Just had to see what's down on the farm at Clagett Farm this year, and was not disappointed last week. Not just because of the plentiful lavender (above) and other herbs/flowers (though not sunflower yet), but because even on the old farm, there are new developments. The farm looks somewhat different every year, because crop rotation is practiced, so even the same crops are planted in different fields from year to year. For instance, the current garlic field used to have peppers planted there. Crop rotation is used to keep the soil from becoming depleted of nutrients.

Maybe I somehow missed the sweet peas last year, but not this time! Better yet, they lived up to their name, being sweet and tender, and pickers were encouraged to taste to distinguish between sweet peas and snow peas (the latter I can live without). Peas are probably the one crop you pick without bending down, so picking them is a welcome treat after picking, say, rainbow chard (also quite tasty, and plentiful). In fact, the greens of various kinds are plentiful this time of year, as well as various lettuces, and rather large zucchini specimens.



I know the farm produces and uses compost to fertilize the soil, but now it's openly requesting material for composting from shareholders and volunteers. This can be a win-win situation, helping the farm create compost, because it comes back in the form of organic food. The only thing is, I'd need to get a bucket or crock (with lid), to keep compostable (is that a word?) food scraps (no meat or dairy) safe before transporting them to the farm. I'll get to it, eventually. Anything to keep down the use of petroleum products (synthetic fertilizer is often made from natural gas, a byproduct of petroleum processing, which has become an industry in its own right).