We are so pleased to introduce Christine.  She calls Georgia home and comes to us through the WWOOF program.  She is a Theatre major at Yale in New Haven, Connecticut and has proved to be a tireless worker who seems to be sustained by almond butter.  She is enjoying her work (or maybe her acting training is paying off : ) and is learning amazing things as she plants, weeds, and harvests.   You will probably see her pulling weeds in the gardens, harvesting your weekly veggies and, of course, at distribution on Mondays.  Please help us welcome her to Colorado!

What do we do.  We grow food in urban yards.  We start seeds indoors (and some out of doors) early in the spring.  We nurture them until it is safe to put them outside.  Sometimes we’re wrong on the timing; sometimes we’re not.  But how do we decide?  We start with a basic assumption that there are “cool weather” crops and “warm weather” crops.  Cool weather crops are the those that are likely to make it through a late spring snow (as long as it doesn’t sit on them for days.) and cool night temperatures.  Warm weather crops are those that are unlikely to survive night time temperatures below 50 and definitely can’t tolerate a freeze.  Most cool weather crops (peas, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, beets, carrots, etc.) can be planted directly in the ground and still make it to harvest before winter.  So many of those are put on “seed tape“, planted directly in the ground and are not started indoors.  While some seeds can withstand short durations of cold temperatures, their grown is inhibited outside wo we prefer to start them indoors, to give them a head start before they face the outdoor weather.  With many of these seeds, we make newspaper pots, fill them with soil and keep them indoors under lights until they have reached a more sturdy size and the weather outside is more welcoming.   We do this with chard, broccoli and kale.

Warm weather crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) are not only unable to withstand the cool temperatures but also need a little more time than our Colorado summers have to reach their peak of production.  Therefore, we plant them indoors and keep them indoors until all reasonable danger of frost has passed.

How do we approach this daunting task?  Given the guidelines laid out above, we then look at the locations and the calendar.  For our spring plantings everything is driven off of the “last frost date”.  Forty-seven (47) years of weather data tells us that in the Denver metro area, there is an 80% chance that it will not frost past May 12.  This is why you will frequently hear that you plant warm weather crops on Mother’s Day.  If you’re a risk taker, there’s a 50% chance it won’t frost past May 2.  For planting fall crops, plantings are driven off of the “first frost date” or the earliest it is likely to frost killing our warm weather crops and slowing the growth of our cool weather crops.  Armed with this information, I prepare a Gant chart laying out the number of days a particular crop takes to mature, when the last frost date is and how far in advance of the last frost I can plant it either outside or in.  The Gant chart not only tells us when to plant but it helps estimate when crops will reach maturity.

In addition to the Gant chart telling us when to plant I also have a complex spreadsheet laying out estimated yields (based on previous years actuals) per plant.  Using the yields and quanitity desired, the spreadsheet calculates how many of each crop we should plant and how much space this will require.  Then using data from past years experience and current soil tests we plan what to plant in each garden.

All this and we haven’t even planted anything outside yet!

Which leads me to why.  Obviously I don’t do it because it makes fiscal sense – I’ve spent all this time without even selling a share.  Or because it’s easy.  I do it because I’m driven to eat good food.  And the only thing better than eating good food is sharing good food. 

-join me.

    Debbie

Additionally we’ve be accepted for “Certified Naturally Grown” status. Six years ago a few farmers created an alternative certification program tailored for directmarket farmers who use natural methods. Today 600 farms nationwide participate. We farm using natural methods because we care about the health of our families, workers, and customers, and we want to be good stewards of the portion of this earth that is temporarily under our care.

The National Organic Program standards serve as the basis of our own. However, Certified Naturally Grown is a private non-profit organization not affiliated with the USDA or any government agency. Certified Naturally Grown uses a streamlined application process, on-site inspections, and (unlike the Organic program) makes use of un-announced pesticide residue testing to help ensure consumer confidence.

Certified Naturally Grown is part of an international grassroots movement involving tens of thousands of small farmers around the world who have formed imilar “participatory guarantee systems”. We are supported by the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM) and the United Nations
(FAO) is helping start a sister program for farmers in India.

Yes, there’s the unparalleled taste of a vine-ripened tomato and the swiss chard that keeps giving all season long.  There’s the deep satisfaction of creating a tasty meal out of food I just picked up off the ground in my back yard.  And there’s the joy of sharing a new food with someone who thought they didn’t like beets. . . or kale.

The food is wonderful but it’s the people.  Thank you to my community for a wonderful, rewarding season.

  -Debbie

Come see how and where your food is grown!  

On September 11, 2010 Farm Yard CSA will lead the first annual cruiser bike tour of our gardens.  We’ll stop a couple of times along the way to see gardens and taste food that is growing there.  At the end of the ride, we’ll enjoy a dinner featuring Farm Yard and local food.  

This is an easy ride through the neighborhoods. Starting at 445 S Pearl (our Denver pickup location), the distance from the first garden to the last is approximately 4.6 miles and is through Wash Park and Krisana Park (see map). 

You don’t have to ride a cruiser bike… you can ride whatever bike you have.  Don’t want to bike?  Ask me about volunteering at one of the stops along the route and join us at the end!

Here are some pics of the day.