It might be a little bit early to start planting outside. But for seeds that can germinate in the cooler climates, we are attempting to provide them hospitable conditions outside. By outside, I mean inside. We are going to passively heat them with this smaller Greenhouse that is inside our larger greenhouse. There are examples of using low tunnels inside greenhouses to help extend the growing season. Using what we got, this is our version of that technique.
The seeds we started were some herbs such as cilantro and parsley. We also planted some alyssum.
We are excited for the greenhouse to be operating during these slower months to experiment more with season extension.
In an attempt to grow more things in our greenhouse, we need to the raise the temperature of the air and soil. Again, we have two compost piles working inside the greenhouse. With passive solar, and heat from biomass the greenhouse will stay warmer than outside. However, I am not so good at making compost piles. Visually getting the feel for the Carbon to Nitrogen ratio has been tough. I have yet to get a pile to stay “hot” for an extended period of time. The fear is that all the pathogens and weed seeds will not be killed.
With the greenhouse on greenhouse action, we planted several flats of the above mentioned herbs and flowers. Soon, hopefully, vegetable seeds will get planted.
Beside getting the farm together, Gabrielle and I are catering a class with the OSU extensions office. We have courageously taken up the challenge to source as much food locally as possible. Since it is all going to be local farmers, gardeners, animal husbanders, and the like attending this class we wanted to display the winter flavors the area had to offer. None the less, we were exploring the freezer of one of our fellow farmers, Lori Campell of Blackberry Lane, to see what we could use for the catering gig. So I present to you, LORI CAMPELL’S FREEZER.
Before we arrived at Lori Campell’s house we dropped some of our brochures off at the Kitchen Company in beautiful downtown Grants Pass. We are hoping that most of our advertisement is by word of mouth, but a little extra never hurts.
Jeremy and Ashley hacked down a lot of brush and blackberry brambles, and the goats are picking through what live foliage there was. All the piles of brush were picked up and moved to the field where they will burned.
And the goats still suck. Whiney whiney goats. For those who don’t know. Rodeo is on the left, Blossom is on the right.
These are some of the seeds that we got last night at the seed swap during this month’s the League of Women Farmers. These are real women, none of that whiney goat, dependent, eating sedatives because my emotions hurt kind of woman you find so often in the city and suburbs.
The field. In the two rows closet to you, we put composted horse manure, and then planted red clover on top. We will see what that does.
Mud Puddle Farm 