There were about ten of them visiting us at the farm this afternoon.
A mix of agrologists and market farmers, all interested in some of our agricultural practices, particularly with respect to the fertilization of vegetables in our cold greenhouses.
You see, it is difficult to do green manures in greenhouses:
greenhouse space is not at all conducive to growing cereal crops, water needs are high, and their destruction is labour-intensive. So, to fertilize greenhouse vegetables, growers tend to use composts that, in the medium term, inexorably increase the phosphorus levels in their greenhouse soils. A little phosphorus is good, but too much is toxic. We therefore decided to participate in a project aimed at replacing composts with green manures sourced from our own hay fields and spread over tomato beds in our cold greenhouses.
They came, dug holes here and there, sniffed the soil, fingered the transported hay,
then looked me straight in the eyes, providing countless suggestions of how to do better next time…
All joking aside, the experiment proved interesting and is certainly promising for those of us wanting to move away from phosphorus-rich composts.
That said, practice makes perfect, and it is only over the long term that we will start to see meaningful results. It will indeed take time for the soil to recover from the compost “crack” to which it is addicted and to recreate its own fertility through new inputs – hay, in this case, but also legumes. In short, years of enjoyment and experimentation lie ahead.
This week’s basket will attempt to meet your Thanksgiving requirements:
cabbage (green or Nappa), carrots, potatoes, various squashes, leeks, a mix of leafy vegetables varying from one drop-off point to another, assorted herbs, and more.
We look forward to seeing you all again.