Sept 12: That should cover it
Mid-September already?? While we are in the thick of harvesting everything we can, we are also looking forward to the beginning of the end as we wrap up the farm for the season. The prep includes deciding where to put our fall garlic planting, what things we’re changing and where to put cover crops.
a note from Carlos on cover crops
“Keep the soil covered.”
- Jesse Frost (Nerdy Farmer in Kentucky)
A cover crop is defined as “a crop intended not for sale, but for the soil’s health”.
As part of the ever-growing list of things to learn about related to farming, cover cropping is among the topics I enjoy most. It’s likely due to the positive cycles one can establish in the garden (or farm), encouraging soil health and regeneration. Soil health boils down to two categories: structure and chemistry. Living roots help maintain the soil's structure, porosity and biodiversity while maintaining a healthy chemistry through nitrogen fixation and decomposition.
One thing to note about cover crops is that they can easily become a major problem if not managed correctly. For example, if a crop that survives the winter is planted, it’ll be in place and ready to take over your garden in the spring. This is a reason I stay away from clover! (That and the voles love the roots… no need to attract those little guys!) “Winter-kill” crops are the ones I stick to, allowing me to establish the crop in the fall (now) and letting it sit on top of the soil all winter, keeping the soil covered and safe from erosion in the spring. A mixture I’m using lately is a blend of buckwheat and cilantro (coriander seed).
I’ve learned most of what I practice on the farm from Jesse Frost, a self-professed ‘nerd’ who dives deep into the minutiae of farming and soil health specifically.
He has an excellent book called “The Living Soil Handbook” and runs a podcast called “No-Till: Daily”.
Carlos had a good reset trip last weekend, and Amanda enjoyed seeing everyone’s smiling faces at the market.
This week at the market, our herb bouquets are a ready-to-dry refreshing mix of mint, rosemary, lavender and some dahlias for a pop. We’ll have all the usual fair, zucchinis, tomatoes (including the sought-after Row 7 midnight romas, a sweet, purpley sauce tomato), herb salad, lettuce trio, beets, peppers, onions, all our herbs (except dill and cilantro, those guys are done for the season) and more!
Gotta come check out to see what other surprises we might bring :).
Thanks for being here!
-OKHP Crew