Week 5, Summer 2022
Hi everyone,
This past weekend, we officially opened the farm’s summer season by bringing our produce to the first Saturday of the Watseka Downtown Farmers’ Market. Opening day coincided with a lot of events in town for the long weekend, which gave our stand higher traffic than usual and made for an exciting morning of moving our produce to more people. We sold out of everything! Customers enjoyed our red and yellow beets, purple daikons, green onions, dino kale, kohlrabi, cilantro, and oyster mushrooms. This was our first time bringing oyster mushrooms to market. After trying to keep up with our mushroom production at home by preparing them in just about every possible way (sauteed and baked, fried into mushroom cutlets, blended into pâté…let us know if you have any other ideas!), it was very gratifying to see our mushrooms find new people to feed. We are so excited to keep showing up in Watseka and being part of the growing network of local food here. I can’t wait to bring tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash the next time we set up our market table.
We have been thinking about the loops that keep our farm running and healthy. Some of our most important resources come out of systems that started before we got here and will continue after we leave. It takes time for soil to be revitalized, for roots to grow deep, and for nutrients to be recycled. Last week, we applied manure from John Zumwalt’s cows, who graze right next to our house, to our watermelon patch. The application of cow manure to soil is an organic method to improve the available nutrients for plants and diversify the soil microbial community. The digestion pathway of the cows makes sure that there aren’t any weed seeds that remain in the composted waste. Luisa has also been working to improve our composting systems and ensure that we’re producing high quality soil. When taking the temperature of the compost pile last week, we saw that it was healthier than it had been in many months.
While we wait for the compost to break down, we also wait for our fruit trees to grow their roots down farther and increase the circumferences of their trunks to withstand the winds that come through. By focusing on perennial plants, we are committing to disturbing the soil less frequently and creating a more reliable source of biological diversity and habitat for the other beings that share our space. Last week, we finished planting our asparagus patch. While we’ve already gotten to enjoy some stalks from a 40-year old asparagus plant that JR planted, we can also look forward to a steady supply down the line. We also have completed our first harvest of our hay and alfalfa field, which is one of two fields we plant with a single crop and tend to with large machinery. Still, alfalfa is a crop that can be harvested multiple times in one season, growing back after cutting, and sending down roots over 40 feet deep after many years.
With wishes for finding the energy to send down roots like our alfalfa,
Sophie, Luisa, Daniel, Sydney, Isa, Lexi, Bella, Marya, and Gavi
Upcoming Event:
Rosh Chodesh Gathering
July 29-30, afternoon arrival at the farm
Join us at the farm for a weekend to bring in the new month of Av! We are inviting folks to spend Friday evening - Saturday with us, with a variety of programming for Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and enjoying time in community. Space will be available for camping, or you are welcome to come for a single day.
If you’re interested, RSVP to community@zumwaltacres.org. We appreciate donations to help cover costs if you’re able. We will follow up with more information!
Something we read this week:
Nature: Honeybees disrupt the structure and functionality of plant-pollinator networks
Cover image alt text:
Illustration of a tractor driving over a field with a cross-section of 40 foot long alfalfa roots. The roots spell out the word “Rooted” and a peace sign.
