Today is a beautiful day to prepare a cold crop bed and sow some seeds. With the temperature in the mid 50’s and the overnights staying above 40 degrees the planting season is in full force. Although it may not look like much, Katie has planted and put more than 300 seeds in the ground, with more coming daily.
Early morning shot before the spinach preparation.
At the moment we have some lettuce already in the ground thanks to some nice weather last week, but to add to our greens we are planting a few varieties of spinach, kales, Swiss chard and arugula. The focus of today’s post shows Katie working and prepping the spinach bed. It is set in the open with plenty of sun and well composted. The two varieties of spinach that we have are Palco, and Lakeside. Two very green, leafy spinach that are great for salads, smoothies, sautéed and even raw!
Katie scratching the dirt.
Katie shapes the rows.
Katie putting the finishing touches on.
Within the spinach bed you can see two rows of seed in front that are our Edamame beans. With help from these beans, the spinach will develop strong and tasty. In a lot of our plots similar to this one we have one or two “companion” plants for the main crop.
The companion that has joined the spinach in this bed is of course the edamame. With its high nitrogen output the beans will act like a natural fertilizer for the greens and keep “feeding” the plants over the course of their harvest. This ensures a delicious crop delivered to you throughout our growing season!
Our spinach crop should be full and abundant in about a month (30 days) so keep a view on our website for the next update! We hope you enjoy, and if you have questions please contact, or comment!
The start of 2018 has begun! As every one who wants to plant know the joy of breaking ground! Thanks to Katie’s determination and vision, the Go-Fers have broken new ground and are expanding in 2018! Without her vision, this project could not be the same!
Katie breaks new ground in 2018!
A little more expansion…
Outside of our original plot that we have been working for four years now, we have decided it is time to add new plots. In total this year we are working 31 plots that span an acre and a half. 797 sq. ft. has already been tilled and plotted, ready to plant, before the plots in the wood and the Hugel Mounds are counted up (where Katie is seen tilling above).
One hugel mound is on the right (picture on right shows it more thoroughly) and a new hugel mound is being built where the log and leaves are.
Our first hugel mound during Spring 2017
Our second hugel mound “under construction”.
We do not plant in a mono-crop style, and this year we are taking it up a notch. Due to the expansion, new methods are going to be used in companion planting and composting. Beans and wheat are going to get set up in the back for soil regeneration and building for next years crop which means we are looking towards a big bean harvest this year with both Edamame and Pinto Beans being planted.
With that said, we are expanding our herb program and our vegetables. Our focus this year is going to be on cucumbers, tomatoes, and leafy greens. With ample space for lettuce we planned a shelf of 84 sq. ft. with rotation factored to grow romaine that are fresher than any grocery store, and abundant to boot. Both Pineapple Tomatoes and Cherry Buzz Tomatoes are going to be our focus for those fruits so that we can grow within our means and produce enough cherry tomatoes to stock your fridges.
One crop we are excited for are the blueberry bushes we chopped at the beginning of the season and are looking healthy and strong. We plan on having them packaged and ready for the crates and market this season if we don’t eat them all ourselves first!
Our new front bed that comprises of a new bed that houses over 70 sq. ft. of newly tilled soil. Add in some compost and our herb program triples in one year!
With this space we can now house Basil, Thai basil, Chives, Asparagus, Fern Leaf Dill, Sage, Summer Savory, Rosemary, Thyme, Bay Leaf and so much more to offer you!
In case you haven’t checked out the other pages yet, and there may even be more veggies and fruits to come! We hope you can enjoy our produce because we are growing it for you, and for any one who needs a helping hand and a full belly. Any problem can be solved with some food, and that’s our mission, to grow!
All in all the start we have had has been tremendously great! Our garden is set in its design, and one of unique character, with the plots being thought out and the saplings growing taller every day! We will leave you with a wise saying from a wise creature known as the GoFer: “Eating local will keep your mind at ease and your belly full, as well as our wallets. So Eat Up!”
Cheers,
The Go-Fers
Finished product for the start of 2018. Where to put the plants..?
Thank you to every one who came to visit us and enjoyed the time at the Derry Farmer and Artisan Market in downtown Derry! We had a blast talking to everyone, and getting the word out about our new farm in Sandown, NH. Just for those who aren’t aware of the Derry Market it is located in downtown across from Sabatino’s, in the courtyard by Benson lumber, every Wednesday 3 p.m to 7 p.m.
Katie and Jim at the Derry Homegrown Farmer and Artisan Market
We at Go-Fer Farms could not have imagined a better first market experienced. Every one that visited our tent was welcoming, happy and enthusiastic about our endeavor here at Go-Fer Farms. What was most impactful on us, was on our return to our second week when we had a few people from the past week come and say hi! Thank you! For us, that is our goal, to connect and to have a conversation about food (and we apologize for not having any spinach…)! Of course farming is our passion here at Go-Fer Farms but having new people walk into our lives and support us from every angle is definitely a main driver here at the farm.
What was on the menu? That is a valid question you should ask. We are harvesting herbs now! We brought pre-bagged herbs such as spear mint, parsley, thyme, oregano, sweet basil, and sage to the last two markets.
For produce we had red and white globes of radish (along with the radish greens separated), chives, radish greens, baby kale, arugula and a loose leaf romaine mix.
Fresh-picked radish getting a morning wash for the farmer’s market.
All the vegetables were picked in the morning and washed for market. We do not freeze or store our produce for long periods of time because they will ultimately loose their nutritional value and flavor that way. We take our time to get these veggies prepped the proper way and packaged so that their is minimal spoilage as well as a guarantee that they will be as fresh as possible for those who comes by to purchase them!
We sold out of radish and our lettuce mix, but we do have more in store, so come on down to our tent at the Derry Market and meet us! There will be an update page in the news column to keep a fresh update on what produce or products are coming out in the coming weeks!
Thank you to our fellow Go-Fer’s to the community of the Derry Homegrown Farmer’s & Artisan Market. Without all of you, Go-Fer Farms would not be possible, we look forward to growing with you.
With a lot of help and support from all of our fellow Go-Fer’s we were able to establish ourselves as a farm in Southern NH! We are planning to proudly serve the local communities of Rockingham County, as well as the Merrimack Valley Area down into Haverhill, MA and further if needed!
Our mission is simple: Go-Fer Farms LP is dedicated to getting fresh, healthy and local vegetables to those within the community, one Go-Fer at a time!
The goal is to grow with the community that is already established. Locally sourced vegetables is something that lacks in our area in Southern, NH and Go-Fer Farms is dedicated to connecting with others that have this very same mindset.
Our Crate Program is sure to connect us, as well as the farmer’s markets that surround us.
Thanks for your interest and support, either word of mouth or direct influence. We appreciate it and enjoy the energy that this farm has brought into our lives.
