A Full Quarter Acre

Somewhere between late February and now, we sat down and recalculated our field space needs based on how many seedlings we had growing. It turned out that in addition to the 800 bedfeet we'd planned on, we needed over 900 more. (Bedfeet refers to the number of raised beds that vegetables will be planted on. Beds range in size, and ours are about 32" wide, meaning that we can plant 3-4 rows of salad mix, 2 rows of carrots, and one row of tomatoes, etc.) Fortunately we could accommodate that need by tilling up the north half of the field that we'd hoped to leave in rye grass all spring. Brian got back on the Kubota and tilled up the rest of the field.

Yesterday we did some market investigating, visiting first the Fernandina market to the north, and then back down to the Jax Beach Green Market on Atlantic Boulevard (so new they are still selling in a strip mall parking lot). Cookies, herbs, homemade baskets and cracker spreads are the main attraction, with a few backyard produce bunches, and one bonafide farm stand. Hopefully we'll have enough salad mix in two weeks to make a showing.

The field looks like a real farm now - all the beds have been formed in the south field, and Provider and Royal Burgunday beans, Red Ace beets, cilantro, dill, Encore lettuce mix, broccoli, Spock Red Romaine lettuce, Forest Green parsley, Red Russian kale, red and yellow potatoes, Easter Egg radishes, and sunflowers are all growing happily. Nectar and Purple Haze carrots, as well as spinach, are growing, but not so happily, and the cucurbits (melons, zucchini, pattypan, and cucumbers) are so freshly transplanted I don't want to speak too soon.

Tasks this week will include: install the drip irrigation system, buy remay (a covering for plants that adds 4-6degrees of heat while letting in air, light, and rain), week and hoe all beds, apply lime to the north field and more chicken manure to the flower beds, till the north field and make the beds, and start preparing for market by getting twisties, plastic bags, baskets, 3x5 cards, a tablecloth and tent.

And, of course, raising Olivia.