Field to go

Prepping the field

Here’s the new field, in various states of readiness. Up front, it’s only been plowed and disked, with big hunks of sod waiting to be busted up. Further off, the trusty Kubota compact tractor has done its thing with a 48″ rototiller, and the ground is nearly ready to go. This time around, more or less everything that’s early and direct seeded will go in at once, including a first planting of PEAS. New year, new garden—it will be interesting.

32 thoughts on “Field to go”

  1. Looks great! It’s been really dry in the maritimes, so we’ve been happy to get a little moisture for our extra-early plantings. Watch out for wireworm in fresh-broken sod!

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  2. There are few things more delicious that a freshly plowed field!  Please post pics of your new field as you crop comes up!

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  3. I am so jealous of the rototiller, as I am still using a small hand tiller.  It looks pretty good for a new field.  You have a beautiful work area.

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  4. I’ve just started following your great blog. We have a 80 by 80 foot garden in Norfolk County, Ontario. Growing is pretty much experimental for we escape from the city to our patch of ground with little experience. Some of the garden is tilled, peas are in and we’re trying to establish an asparagus bed from seed and root. Looking forward to this season and following your blog. Happy Earth Day.

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  5. I am reminded of a spring plowing scene in Bavaria — as we rounded a country corner in our little MGA — there was a farmer with a black team plowing over black soil — and both the horses and the warm field were steaming in the brisk morning air.

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  6. I’ve just stumbled onto your site.  How exciting – and what I would love to have.  An allotment on a massive scale :)  I’m looking forward to reading back through your posts!

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  7. Hey, sorry to bug you, but can you tell me what you called those scraggly looking leaves that grow on top of the garlic plant that are kind of corkscrew shaped and edible?  I want to re-read your post about them and find out how to eat them.  We have some on our garlic for the first time.  And I’m hungry :).

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  8. Lova’s got it, you must be describing scapes.  Remove them as they straighten out, throw them in a pan with some butter and saute for a few minutes.  Delish.

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  9. I’m impressed!
    We’re still busy sheet mulching for our veggie plot, and getting a list of fruit trees we want together, before ordering.
    I’m looking forward to watching everything grow in your field :-)

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  10. Hello.  I just found your blog after doing a google search for answers to why my up until now beautiful eggplant seedlings are turning yellow.  While the search that lead me here didn’t come up with any answers (if anyone knows about why my eggplants are turning yellow, lemme know!  lol), it did lead me to your blog which is awesome because THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO DO!!  Have a tiny farm!   Right now my VERY tiny farm consists of my suburban Chicago yard as well as a garden I’m doing in the parking lot of a restaurant.  It looks like you have lots of good info here to help me along as I try to figure out what I’m doing.  And, you’re almost in the same zone as me!  Awesome!  :)

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  11. Mr. and I have been thinking about getting a farm… The concept of the Micro Farm is wonderful!  I will be following along… Good luck on the new harvest!

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  12. Love your website and your farm…looking forward to many updates…  thanks for sharing… 

    Ed & Dru O’Brien,
    San Clemente, CA

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  13. mike, how are you?! hope the new farm is doing well – looking forward, as always, to reading all about it.
    thought i’d let you know my husband and i opened a green store (eco friendly products) in fenelon! mixedgreens.ca … come visit sometime. all the best this season.

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  14. Gavin: To get a really rough idea, you could use the rule-of-thumb ideal of 1″ (2.5 cm) of water per week for garden vegetables, figure out the yield by area planted, and factor in the days-to-maturity. For example, you could probably grow 1kg (2.2 lbs) of carrots by intensively planting in 1 sq ft, in a minimum 10-12 weeks for a quick maturing variety. So that’d be 10-12″ of water over a sq ft. Convert from there!

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