It always requires a few weeks after we finish the harvest to take stock of how well the work went and if we left the workers, farm and soil better than the year before. Growing fruits, vegetables and grain can be hard on people and earth. Sustainability must address labor, finances community and ecology.
The year started off with a nice and dry spring. Our Mennonite friends, the Weaver family who own Rainsboro Produce started our tomato, broccoli and cauliflower plants. This was in exchange for us growing their strawberry plugs. Bartering with good people is fantastic when possible. The asparagus harvest was our best ever soon to be followed by a strong strawberry harvest. Next came our currants and gooseberries. The blackberry and peach crops were damaged by the -18°F winter temps. A bright and tasty spot was the donut peaches. They and 2 other hardy varieties came on strong.
The year started off with a nice and dry spring. Our Mennonite friends, the Weaver family who own Rainsboro Produce started our tomato, broccoli and cauliflower plants. This was in exchange for us growing their strawberry plugs. Bartering with good people is fantastic when possible. The asparagus harvest was our best ever soon to be followed by a strong strawberry harvest. Next came our currants and gooseberries. The blackberry and peach crops were damaged by the -18°F winter temps. A bright and tasty spot was the donut peaches. They and 2 other hardy varieties came on strong.
Growing great produce is one thing and marketing it is another. Supply and demand are in constant flux. Relationships with the customers, wholesale buyers and retailers are critically important. We are so fortunate to have Dorothy Lane Markets and Pipkins as friends for the bulk of our general sales. They only want the best and we do our best to deliver. Unlike other stores they walk the talk when it comes to local produce. We only deliver to 2 restaurants, The General Denver and The wildflower Cafe because we love them and they are awesome! Our pumpkins find a happy home at Blooms and Berries, Bonnybrook Farms, Irons, Apple Country and Grandma’s Gardens. Sometimes we grow too much produce and it has a very happy home with The Ohio Association of Foodbanks. Annually, we average 20,000 lbs of mostly tomatoes and zucchini into their Agricultural Clearance Program .
For the last 3 summers we have employed “youth at risk” through the federal TANF program. Encouraged to participate in this program by our friends Taylor Stuckert and Mark Rembert of Energise Clinton County, we expected the worst case scenario. Were we ever wrong! Who we hired were young people who just wanted a chance to do a good job and be appreciated. Kali and Sarah joined us for a second year of work and were doing a fine job of planting, harvesting, mowing grass and making deliveries. While on the topic of labor we welcomed Bill Keller who did a fine job on deliveries and assisting Dale Guindon on the house remodel. Kirsten Astler is still with us keeping the books and doing an amazing job of keeping Jon organized (no small task). The field crew were amazing day in and day out.
Rain and more rain, for 6 weeks made the summer growing season a muddy mess. Cauliflower and broccoli rotted in the row and thousands of fall vegetable transplants were composted because of the field conditions. We were able to transplant the late tomatoes into the old strawberry beds and they produced well until the first freeze in late October. Pumpkins squash and gourds were no till seeded into rye cover crop. This allows us to not only grow fine produce it also stores carbon in the soil and conserves moisture and cools the soil. We then harvest clean pumpkins, squash and gourds even after a good rain. The fall crops did well and were very important to our bottom line this year. Over 90% of our farm is seeded with cover crops going into winter. On 50 acres we have seeded rye along with vetch, winter pea, clover, tillage radish and Ethiopian cabbage. These plants will overwinter to grow tons of biomass per acre next spring.
The finishing touches on the conservation easement are finally falling into place. We have been working on this for about 10 years. When completed, Branstrator Farm will be protected from development permanently! The next year our neighbor Phil George will do the same protecting a square mile of prime farmland. We are grateful to Clinton County Open Lands, Tecumseh Land Trust, Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District, Krysti George and especially Laura Curliss for the endless hours of exacting work on this project.
Now that the crops are harvested Jon has turned his attention to lowering the farm’s carbon footprint. He attended a week long Photo voltaic Design/Installation Course at Rural Action in Athens, OH and passed the exam. During the next year a grid tied system will be installed at the farm designed to generate 95% of the electricity needed.
Now it’s time to order seeds and plan for the next year!
Jon
Now that the crops are harvested Jon has turned his attention to lowering the farm’s carbon footprint. He attended a week long Photo voltaic Design/Installation Course at Rural Action in Athens, OH and passed the exam. During the next year a grid tied system will be installed at the farm designed to generate 95% of the electricity needed.
Now it’s time to order seeds and plan for the next year!
Jon
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