CSA: The Second Box

I picked up my second CSA box (from LotFotl) on Thursday June 14th 2012. My pickup spot is the  Sweet Water Organic's Warehouse. I still love seeing Sweet Water in action. Still can't believe they have warehouse gardening thing there. I was able to talk to a representative of  Sweet Water for a bit and found they sell fresh fish on site... yum. I also found that they will be showing up a the South Shore Farmers Market  on Saturdays from 8-Noon.

The  second  box includes the following:

Lettuce

Sugar Snap Peas (Give Peas a Chance)

Hakurei Turnips

Spinach

Kale

Garlic Scapes

Broccoli

Summer Squash

Zucchini

Eggs

You can check out my CSA price break down here (http://frozengardener.blogspot.com/2012/06/csa-first-box.html). Getting that Farmers Market itch? check this list of Milwaukee farmers market here (http://milwaukee.about.com/od/sportsrecreationhealth/qt/FarmersMarkets.htm)

Potato

If at first you don't succeed...

I utterly failed last year's crop of potatoes. All of them were destroyed by potatoes bugs, and water rot from planting them just before a week of heavy rains. But I don't let an utter failure slow me down so I am back at it again.

• I should have planted them 3in or more deep (not the 1in deep). 
• I should have used lots of mulch (4in  to 6in) on top of the soil, not just 2in of mulch. 
• There is no right position to plant them. Any side up.
• Using potato cuttings are easier then potato seeds
• If you are cutting the potatoes, remember to have at least 2 eyes on each cuttings.
• The ground needs to be loose and not compact. 
• You might need to till the soil.
• I needed to add amendments and compost to my clay soil (just leaves from last fall)
• Don't plant in the wet season. Dry soil is a good thing.
• Plant between May15th to Jun 15th 
• Havest depends on your potato type (could be any where from Aug 3rd to Sept 12th)
• 80 days maturity for fingerlings and new potatoes
• 120 days maturity for later maturing and storage varieties

Links:
GardenGirlTV: Planting Potatoes

GeorgiaOrganics: Growing Potatoes

Girls Guide To Butter: How to plant Potatos

Planting Garden Potato in Kenosha

ehow: potato ready plant

How Potatoes Grow

CSA: The First Box

Wow... that looks great. How do I cook all this?

I picked up my very first CSA box (from LotFotl) on Thursday May 31th 2012. My pickup spot is the  Sweet Water Organic's Warehouse from 4pm- 7pm. If nothing else you should go to Sweet Water just to be inspired as a gardener and see the cool engineering they created for their urban farm.

The first box includes the following contents

• Lettuce, butterhead
• Lettuce, romaine
• Spinach
• 10 Hakurei Turnips
• 10 Radish
• 5 Shallots
• 15 Asparagus
• 1 bunch scallions

As a newbie to CSAs I went with the small potions this year. (Learn more about CSAs here) For me the choice was the "Every Other Week" (EOW) Gonzo Box share for $375 . In addition I added EOW Egg share for an additional $45. Here is the break down of what I get for the price:

375(Full EOW) + 45 (Eggs EOW) = $420 for 26 weeks.
$420 / 26 weeks = $32.32 / 2 weeks =  $16.16 / week

We get the following in each box (depending what is in season at the time):

• 3 Green peppers
• 1 bunch scallions
• 8 oz. Spinach
• 1-2 eggplants
• 1.5# rose finn apple fingerling potatoes
• 3 large onions
• 1-2 red cabbage
• 3 heads broccoli
• 4-6 shallots
• 1 bunch scorzonera
• 1# tomatillos
• 12 eggs

Here is a link to all CSA photos

Gardeners 'To Do List': June

June bugs aren't the only bugs that are bugging me...

Well, the mosquito are back. The weather maybe hot, but time to get planting and maybe do some eating.

On the plus side the longest day of the year (June Solstice) is on Wednesday, June 20, 2012. Sunrise at 5:12am to sunset at 8:34pm, that is about 15 hours and 22 minutes of sunshine.

Time to harvest and eat:

• lettuce
• carrots
• beets
• spinach
• broccoli 

Transplant into the soil (from your starting seeds or bought from a garden store):

• Tomato
• Eggplants
• Peppers

Sow seeds into the soil:

• Potatoes
• Winter/Summer Squash
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Beans

Start seeds in doors:

•  Cabbage

You still have extra time and want to do more. (where are you getting this free time???)

• How about adding more mulch to your garden beds to help retain moister and prevent weeds?
• Have your turned you compost pile lately?
• What about adding a automated drip irrigation system?

Clay Soil and Pine Mulch

Plants and soil types are like the 3 bears and bed types in the "Goldilocks" story. There is no one prefect soil that every plants likes.

Here in the chilly zone 4a region of Wisconsin we have a difficult soil for most traditional plants. It is clay, compact, wet, and highly alkaline. On the plus side clay has tons of nutrients and holds water well. What can you do to improve your garden to be more acceptable to other non clay/alkaline loving plants?

Added lots pine mulch!

Pine mulch is acidic (epically the pine needles). Normally most advice is to neutralize this acidity by adding a alkaline product to the mulch (common one is lime stone powder). But why add alkaline if acidity is what you really want. The acidity in the mulch will eventually balance out the soil, creating soil layers with a range of acidic to alkaline the deeper the soil level gets. This means each plant will send roots the soil level of acidic/alkaline it likes and then start growing! Mulch is great at keeping just the right water level so your plants don't dry out or don't water rot. While mulch also helps prevents weeds, since the mulch is acidic that helps stop those pesky weeds. Eventually the much will break down and help with the compaction of the soil. (Warning: mulch in the first year will absorb nitrogen, but will release it as it breaks down in the 2nd year)



Resources:
http://www.we-energies.com/forestry/woodchips.htm

https://uwlab.soils.wisc.edu/pubs/lowering_ph.pdf

http://wood.uwex.edu/2010/11/18/pine-needles-cause/

Gardeners 'To Do List': May

April showers bring may flowers...

Well, we didn't have a month of rain. However non-soggy soil is a great time to add compost to the soil, transplant, and sow seeds into the garden.

Transplant into the soil (from your starting seeds or bought from a garden store):

• Tomatoes
• Eggplants
• Peppers

Sow seeds into the soil:

• lettuce
• Spinach

Start seeds in doors:

• Brussels Sprouts
• Melons

What's that... you still have extra time and want to do more.

Well how about installing rain barrels?
How about adding more mulch to your garden beds to help retain moister and prevent weeds?
Or starting a compost pile?

Winter Farmers Market

The official end of the Wisconsin winter might have been last weekend?


While we might still have some cold days here in Milwaukee, this year's "Milwaukee County Winter Farmers' Market" ended on Saturday April 14th 2012. This farmers market runs from Nov 5th - April 14th, every Saturday from 8am-Noon. It's indoors, which is great for snowy days. When I went on April 14th, there was green vegetables, root crops, honey, wine, meat, fish, mushrooms, local coffee, jarred pickles, and some cool dog treats. Out side there was a tent selling seedling plants; peppers, tomatoes (so many varieties...), lettuces, herb, etc..

So what did I buy. Rushing Waters Fisheries located in Kettle Moraine had a deal on two fresh trout, smoke salmon, and salmon burgers that I couldn't pass up. While talking to Springdale Farm I bought some potatoes. My wife loves the pickled mushrooms over at River Valley and I really like their mixed mushroom deal. We just last night ate the incredible tasting lamb chops from Pinn-Oak Ridge Farms, Watch Steph's Snack Shack for the a blog about dish. 


Still not impressed, well visit the links bellow and see what else they had there. Remember just 7 more months before it starts again... that reminds me, I better start working on my vegetable garden before it winters comes back! ;)




Resources:
Official Milwaukee County Winter Farmers' Market


List of Producers at the Winters Farmers Market

More pictures from my visit