Meeting date: September 15, 2021
With most of the beds replanted for fall we took this month to catch up on the progress of our new crops, check in on what’s working and what needs help and set some goals for the fall. And there were mosquitoes, so many mosquitoes.
Updates
Production
- 8 beds cleared and replanted with fall crops at the last work day. Crops include: radish, carrots, beans, kale, beets, kohlrabi, chicories, lettuces, bok choy, arugula, spinach + more.
- 14 of 17 beds currently growing either fall or all season veggies. Remaining beds include cucumbers (flipped this week), peppers, squash.
- Keep an eye out for wine cap mushrooms growing in the mulch (inoculated in the spring).
Harvest
- 16 weeks of harvests so far this season.
- Over 500+ items donated to Rivertown Apts and the weekly community table!
- Swiss Chard harvesting instructions added to bed after a few clean cuts across the top of plants. Looking much better!
Infrastructure
- Row covers added to many of the beds containing brassica plants (although still seeing damage). All covers are stapled on one side and held with clips. Please ensure that cover is secure along all sides after removing to harvest/water. If you see a hole in the cover try to patch or let Sarah know.
Fundraising
- New monthly sustaining donor, yay!
- New gofundme donor.
- Should be receiving funds from Friends of Athens to close deficit.
Community
- Screenprinting supplies should be in by next week – we can plan for an event in October.
- Leslie reached out with garlic prepared by elementary school to be planted in spare bed, will be ready to harvest in July. Very excited to have an EJA bed at the community farm! We’ll need to make a sign.
Discussion:
Review new plantings
- What’s doing well: lettuce, radish, carrots, beans, green curly kale. May be able to harvest radish and some new curly kale next week.
- What needs help: beets are growing very slowly, add bone meal to soil
- What to watch:
- Serious cabbage worm damage on all varieties of brassicas, even those under row cover. Please look for these pests any time you’re in the garden and remove from plants.
- Second succession of arugula (under cover in low bed) seems to have washed away in the big storm, may need to replant.
Remaining summer crop status
- Peppers are still producing – leaving in beds for now.
- Cucumbers are done – flipping Thursday to prep for garlic from EJA.
- Butternut squash – a few small squash still growing, but may not make it this year, leaving for now.
Fall goals
- Monitor health of new plants as they mature so we can harvest as soon as possible.
- Get all beds planted for fall in the next two weeks. Then no more/very little planting until next spring.
- Continue with weekly harvests for both Rivertown and Library community table as often as we can through November.
- Host screenprinting event for community/volunteer appreciation in October.
- Put the garden to rest at the end of November – including some overwinter plantings!
- No major infrastructure or fundraising plans for the fall but we will use this time/winter to plan for the spring.
Next Steps
- Work day next Saturday, September 25 12-3 PM. Will be a light day focused on cleaning out beds, planting new lettuce seedlings.
- Sarah and Molly connect on FOA funding.
- Sarah + others to plan screenprinting event (October).
- Mary to bring bonemeal for beet bed.
- Leslie to plant EJA garlic in open bed. Sarah to coordinate signage.
- Everyone to keep an eye on row covers to ensure they are secure + pick off any worms you see on the plants. Thank you!
Next meeting will be – TBD in October
Next working day – Saturday, September 25 12 -3 pm
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Notes from past meetings can be found here.
Athens Community Farm 