Nutsedge Farm

More Random Shots

2010-07-20T13:40:00.000-04:00

Mini Donkey, Castor, No-Till Tomatoes/ Peppers and Chilli mmmmm

2010-07-20T13:37:00.002-04:00

Hope House Greenhouse

2010-07-20T13:34:00.000-04:00

Solar Greenhouse at the Hope House for Women in Augusta.

Sunset on the Savannah

2010-07-20T13:31:00.000-04:00

Summer Time and the Livings Busy

2010-06-27T16:53:00.002-04:00

So Much change in a month. I will have new pictures to put up soon. Thanks to Lush Life Nurseries this weekend for the open house. Tomato sandwiches, Crinums and a hundred or so of our combined favorite friends.

In the Ground:
Okra, White Acre Peas, Mixed assortment of Heirloom tomatoes, Lots of mixed peppers both sweet and hot, 2nd round of squash, Celosia, Buckwheat and Sorghum(covercrops)

Our tomatoes and peppers have been all No-Till and are looking pretty fair so far.
Winter cover crop (cereal rye and vetch)> mowed and mulched> poultry litter and Calphos additions> bermuda straw layer> 1 month of solarization with clear plastic> 5oz woven fabric mulch with drip line underneath> cut fabric, amend and plant through fabric.
So Far so good. We have some good green tomatoes already hanging on our cedar trellis. Anytime now...

We finally got some rain after about a 3 week drought in the garden so I got to hit the rain delay on the irrigation controller for the first time this season.

Irrigation is now officially being run off of the solar panels and battery bank. Cross your fingers that it doesn't malfunction in this crucial transplant and hot period. Again, so far so good.

More to come. It's amazing how quickly the summer can get by.

Favorite Fresh Food: Canary Melons from Walker Farms. If you've never had one, then you should. They made a melon eater out of me :) Water melons are also in full force!

Homage to the Alliums

2010-05-26T15:37:00.003-04:00

In addition to an excellent garlic harvest, here are a few things going on around the farm and homestead.

Worms!!!

One better than a Caveman solar oven. Wheel barrow, Reflective heat wrap, and pane of glass being used to experimentally pasteurize coffee grounds for Oyster Mushroom Production. More to come on that later...

First summer squash picking. Tastes like Summer...

ELEPHANT GARLIC (spelled big because it IS big)

Shallots. These are my first attempt at growing and now curing shallots. Grilled some fresh last night with some Tink's Beef Goat Gouda topped burger patties and sauteed Costata Romanesco Zucchinni and Elephant Garlic, Shallots and Onions. And some Fingerlings Potatoes ala Walker Farms to boot. It is meals like this that make the gardening life worthwhile.

We will have freed up quite a bit of Real-Estate at NF when the potatoes come out of the ground next week. Now for a late Spring and Early summer jump on more tomatoes, squash peppers okra and white acre peas. YUMMM

Central Park Community Garden Grand Opening

2010-05-24T15:20:00.002-04:00

Thanks to everyone who came out for the Central Park Community Garden Grand Opening this past Saturday Morning. Mother Nature Christened the park with a nice little shower during our ceremony and brought the sun out for the festivities and demonstrations. A fellow gardener brought her camera and caught some images and footage of the day.

From CPCG Grand Opening

Composting Demonstration Parts on and Two

Favorite References

2010-05-13T08:19:00.002-04:00

I thought I would post up some of my favorite reference sites that I visit for information:

For first and last frost dates, plus a myriad of other weather history information in GA.

GA Automated Environmental Weather Monitoring Network

Rodale's Pricing Page- How much will your produce fetch?

UGA pdf Publications One of my favorites from my Alma Mater. Scroll down to horticulture then to Vegetables for gardening information. Also, there is plenty of other information for browsing.

ATTRA- the mother of all information organic. Everything from Organic Asparagus Production to Chicken Tractoring.

Enjoy!

Fungus Among Us

2010-05-11T09:59:00.003-04:00

Last week a friend and I knocked out some work that has been in the works for a few months now. We inoculated approximately 40 logs each with Shiitake mushroom spawn.

From Shiitake Logs

Here is part of the collection in the bed of my truck. I purchased 4 different strains from Field and Forest. Some warm weather and some wide range varieties to help spread the harvest throughout the year.

From Shiitake Logs

WW44 aka Warm Weather 44

From Shiitake Logs

Sawdust spawn using a palm style inoculation tool is the most economic long term method.

From Shiitake Logs

We used wax from our beehives to seal the inoculated holes.

From Shiitake Logs

Another specialty piece of equipment that helped with efficiency. This stops the drill bit at one inch depth. It is essential because each log has about 50 holes in it. Next time I think I will opt for the angle grinder drill bit conversion to speed up the process.

From Shiitake Logs

Now we wait. The hard part is done. The logs will rest for 3-6 months and then get repositioned to start the fruiting process. Right now they are stacked log cabin style and will get moved to "A-frame" stacks to allow for easier access to the fruits.

Next project is to use the spent coffee grounds from the New Moon Cafe
to grow some Oyster mushrooms off of.

Full Spring

2010-04-30T09:47:00.005-04:00

We used and old rabbit coop to screen our new batch of potting soil for the greenhouse. This batch uses perlite, compost, coconut coir, worm castings, mycorrhizae, macro and micronutrients. We are getting away from peat moss and vermiculite for reasons of sustainability and asbestos respectively.

Will report on effectiveness of new mix as results show.

Closeup of new mix.

From 100430

Kate and I at our display for the Sacred Heart Garden Festival. This is right after my lecture on Organic Gardening in the CSRA.

From 100430

Action Shot of Compostoast dropping into the dodge.

From 100430

Monty, Kate, Mini Donkeys

From 100430

Saturday Market on Broad 2010 Kick-off. It's hard to believe that this is our third year at the market. Looks like it is going to be a good one too! We will be back tomorrow morning after missing last weekend for the festival. Kate will be at market 8-2 and I will be at the shop from 10-3. Come and see us! If I get a chance tomorrow morning, I am going to stop by the Pendelton King Plant swap which starts at 9 AM.

From 100430

Jethro Tull Rocks

2010-04-06T00:01:00.001-04:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/tull_jethro.shtml

Tull was an agricultural pioneer and the inventor of the seed drill, a major development in the agricultural revolution.

Jethro Tull was born in 1674 into a family of Berkshire gentry. He studied at Oxford University and Gray's Inn in preparation for a legal and political career, but ill health postponed these plans and, after his marriage in 1699, he began farming with his father.

At the time, seeds were distributed into furrows ('drilling') by hand. Tull had noticed that traditional heavy sowing densities were not very efficient, so he instructed his staff to drill at very precise, low densities. By 1701, his frustration with their lack of cooperation prompted him to invent a machine to do the work for him. He designed his drill with a rotating cylinder. Grooves were cut into the cylinder to allow seed to pass from the hopper above to a funnel below. They were then directed into a channel dug by a plough at the front of the machine, then immediately covered by a harrow attached to the rear. This limited the wastage of seeding and made the crop easier to weed.

Initially the machine was only a limited success. In 1709, he moved to Prosperous Farm in Hungerford, and two years later decided to travel around Europe to improve his health and study agricultural techniques there. Upon his return in 1714, he perfected both his system and machinery. He pulverised the earth between the rows, believing that this released nutrients would act as a substitute for manure. While apparently successful - he grew wheat in the same field for 13 successive years without manuring - it is more likely that he merely prevented weeds from overcrowding and competing with the seed.

Tull's other innovations included a plough with blades set in such a way that grass and roots were pulled up and left on the surface to dry.

Eventually, as agricultural improvement became fashionable, more interest began to be taken in Tull's ideas. In 1731, he published his book, 'The New Horse Hoeing Husbandry', detailing his system and its machinery. It caused great controversy at the time, and arguments continued for another century before his eventual vindication. While several other mechanical seed drills had also been invented, Tull's complete system was a major influence on the agricultural revolution and its impact can still be seen in today's methods and machinery.

Tull died on 21 February 1741.

Action

2010-04-02T16:16:00.003-04:00

Potatoes are finally coming up! The soil has warmed and here they come. Now it is time to keep them watered in all this new Spring/Summer like weather. The perennial rye is jumping as high as my cover crop it seems and is proving to be quite a booger to manage. It will take time before this soil is tamed. The Nutsedge and Bermuda are right around the corner. I say bring it on. Stirrup hoe: Check. Masses of Mulch: Check. Elbow Grease in full flow: Check.

Aquaponics Experimentation

2010-03-09T21:36:00.002-05:00

I have set up an Aquaponics system based on the concept of growing fish and using their by products to grow plants in a closed loop system.

I am using a 30 gallon plastic drum modified to hold fish in the bottom (12 comet type goldfish) and grow plants in the top (5 gallon appx).

From 100309 photos

So far so good. The fish have been in there for about a week and now I have the system cycling including a few houseplants that I had on hand. The guinea pigs are wormwood and patchouli at this point. I am going to get some other plants rooted out an installed soon.

From 100309 photos

The fish tank is aerated and has a pump that runs water up to the top reservoir. The "growbed" as I have seen it termed on youtube videos, contains red lava rock that has been washed extensively to remove particulate matter. I will use expanded clay balls in my future configurations for weight and cleanliness concerns.

From 100309 photos

Feed the fish> Fish Poop> Poop water is cycle up to rock growbed> plants uptake N rich water substrate> Clean water drains out and so on.

The magic of this set up is that it is self contained and not an over-elaborated Dr. Seuss contraption. There is only one pump and no valves other than a control valve on that water stream.

There is an automatic siphon that fills the bed up to a certain point and then the tube fills up with water and starts the siphon. The outflow is greater than inflow so there is a natural ebb and flow cycle that takes about 30 minutes to complete. (I am timing this as I type).

From 100309 photos

Siphon hose just before filling and draining. Look at the air line mark in the line. That crosses over the top a few seconds later and starts the drain.

From 100309 photos

Siphon started.

From 100309 photos

Low quality shot of siphon drain in action...

From 100309 photos

Water Level Dropping.

Plants are rooted out in coco coir and also just a nursery pot with some nursery media that is pretty much devoid of nutrients.

More to come...

A few Photos

2010-03-02T10:26:00.004-05:00

One of our most ambitious shallots standing tall! This is my first experience growing this guys and they are looking promising so far. They were planted like garlic and now look like onion meets octopus emerging from the ground.

Purple Peruvian Potato Seeds. So purdy, So tasty!

Miniature Donkeys/ Fertilizer Factories in the background! For being so small, their "deposits" of organic matter are substantial!

Sacred Heart Garden Festival

2010-02-25T16:04:00.001-05:00

I am honored to be speaking at the Sacred Heart Garden Festival this year here in Augusta. My time to shine is Saturday April 24th at 11AM.

http://www.sacredheartgardenfestival.com/events.html

My topic is Organic Gardening in the CSRA (Central Savannah River Area)

Potatoes Are Planted

2010-02-24T09:44:00.001-05:00

We have planted out about 2500 square feet of potatoes in our little sandy patch. Hopefully they will be happy in their new homes. About to go round up a half ton of mulch to cover the whole area and maintain the fertility that I have supplemented.

We planted Red Thumb, Purple Peruvian and Golden Peanut. All double certified (certified organic and certified disease free).

I used a variety of fertility methods to see which works best. Just for record and reference I will mention them here:
Pure Compost
Compost + rock phosphate and greensand
Compost + rock phosphate, greensand and biofish
Compost + rock phosphate, greensand, biofish(7-7-2), kelp and brix mix(18% potash)

I will supplement throughout the growing season with poultry litter, liquid fish, liquid kelp and brix mix solution as needed with watering.

Cross Your Fingerlings!

Blog O Rama

2010-02-22T09:13:00.000-05:00

I am starting this mostly as a photo blog for the farm. It will also serve as a log to help remember what day the potatoes went in and so forth. Thanks for looking and please subscribe to keep up with photos and information as they come in!

I have imported all of the old posts from my former tenure at Blue Clay Farm in North Augusta, SC.

Enjoy

Brian Gandy

Nutsedge Farm: Beech Island, SC

Spring has Sprung

2009-04-30T22:07:00.000-04:00

From 043009

The first Red Thumb potatoes are out of the ground and delicious. There will be a limited supply at market tomorrow afternoon. Also coming out of the ground: Kale, Collards, Peas, Onions, Garlic/leeks, Spring mix, Dill, a few carrots, Beets and Radishes. Maybe a few surprises from the soil to boot!

Spring is on It's Way

2009-03-12T21:28:00.000-04:00

This has been a lovely little taste of spring! Some of the early transplants of amaranths and basil along with a few tomatoes and cucumbers have been set outside to "harden off" for a few days in the warmth and breeze. Cover crops are getting tilled in and compost is a cookin. The wheat straw bales from Beech Island were a little soggy from the last 4 inches of rain that we got so some of them have been split up and layed out to dry. The field of potatoes has a full layer of straw mulch in preparation for this weekend's expected showers. The English and Sugar Snap Peas are on their way up and reaching out for their trellises. The cabbages, kale and broccoli have survived the most recent freeze after transplanting and are recovering with a little help from mother nature in the last week. The heater is set back up for these next few nights in the greenhouse though. There is still a little bit more winter left in the breeze. Keep those tomatoes, eggplants and peppers warm.

Planting Begins

2009-02-22T20:36:00.000-05:00

We are readying the field for Cabbage and Potato plantings. Eggplant, peppers, flowers, tomatoes and some cucumbers are all getting ready in the greenhouse.

Feels Like 6 more weeks of Winter

2009-02-04T10:21:00.000-05:00

It is freezing outside! Not in the greenhouse though. We finally got the heater all hooked up after some trial and error. We have cabbages and eggplants on their way out of dormancy along with some flowers and herbs. It is going to be a great spring! The compost technique is coming to fruition showing promising heat activity. The temp topped out at 154 this weekend. Temperatures this high can help kill of weed seeds and soil born pathogens as well as pests. Aeration and arrangement have proven to be essential in getting this right. Not all compost needs to get this hot to break down, but doing so can be very beneficial.

Stay warm!

BG

Winter Update

2009-01-22T20:11:00.000-05:00

Here we have an couple of shots including: Tilling in a rye and vetch cover crop to prepare for potato planting. Some evidence of deer intrusion. Site and greenhouse status. SNOW!!! okay, it only flurried and none of it stuck, but we did get to see some flakes and for an extended period of time which is a big deal this far south!

Happy New Year!

Over four inches!

2008-11-17T21:44:00.000-05:00

From 111708

Our Broccoli was happy to see the rain!

Cold weather on the way...

From 111708

Broccoli with cereal rye and vetch cover crop beyond.

From 111708

Close up of rye with vetch. Rye acts as a good biomass addition to the soil, while vetch (a legume) fixes atmospheric nitrogen via rhizobium spp. bacteria contained in root nodules. This makes for a great cover crop by growing fertilizer and preventing run-off in our cool season downpours.

From 111708

The barn is nearing completion.

Rain Rain and More Rain

2008-11-16T20:51:00.000-05:00

We just had some drought relief come on Thursday through Friday in the form of almost 5 inches of rain. Things were still looking fairly wet as of last night. We will see how things have dried out Monday morning.

First Fall

2008-11-05T21:45:00.000-05:00

Well we are now fully immersed in Fall. Blue Clays first fall is going great. We just pulled out the fall zucchini crop and hidden under the foliage is the inter plantings of fava beans, carrots and some early field lettuces. I uncovered a few friends hiding in some of the old compost and have spotted a 4 point buck twice out in the day time. We have also added a beehive to the gardens to help pollinate the crops and also provide some seasonal honey! The volunteer effort has made this first year and second season a success. Thanks to Kate, Melissa, Kevin and Amy for all the support!

Just found out that the snake is a eastern kingsnake and the toad is a southern toad. Both good animals to have around the farm. The kingsnake will eat mice and rats and the toads eat some of the little buggers that we don't want on the plants.

2008-10-16T21:22:00.000-04:00

Fall is Here

2008-10-03T11:43:00.000-04:00

It has been a while since my last post. Fall is finally here with relief in temperatures for us all. We are transitioning to fall crops and getting ready for the winter greens (cabbage, collards, lettuce etc.). We are planting some of the overwintering covercrops of Rye and Vetch and about to till in the last of the summer covers. Peppers and eggplant are still producing and our fall brocolli is right around the corner with some late season dill, fennel and basil that will be making their way to our local resturaunts and shops. The barn foundation is to be poured soon will will make the farm experience much more efficient! Here are some images from recent changes around the farm with more to come soon.

LocalHarvest.org

2008-08-04T14:50:00.000-04:00

We are now listed on LocalHarvest.org!!!

http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M23928

Recent Photos

2008-07-17T21:30:00.000-04:00

We have discovered many things after removing all the johnson grass from our water logged fields. Japanese eggplant, basil, tomatoes, beans zucchini and more! Come see us at market dowtown on saturday. It will be in the bank parking lot adjoining the 8th and Reynold's location due to a wedding.

2008-07-06T15:01:00.000-04:00

Blue Clay creates pesticide-free, chemical-free farm in North Augusta subdivision
Growing together
By Rob Pavey Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
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NORTH AUGUSTA --- Brian Gandy gets rid of weeds the old-fashioned way.
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Michael Snyder/Staff
These organically grown tomatoes are from Blue Clay Farm. The farm is free of chemical weed killers and pesticides, Mr. Gandy said.
Click photo for options
"We pull them," he said, strolling between tomato vines at one of the area's most unusual gardens.
As manager of Blue Clay Farm at the Hammond's Ferry community, Mr. Gandy's mission is to develop one of the region's first organic farms.
Chemical weed killers, he said, are strictly off limits -- as are the array of pesticides used on conventional farms.
"We do use bag fertilizer, but it would come from chickens -- or dairy products," he said. "It has to be something that's not chemical-based."
The farm is a part of Hammond's Ferry's mission to blend a clean environment with a sustainable lifestyle, said project manager Turner Simkins.
The farming experiment occupies about two acres of previously unused land beneath power lines.
"You could call it an amenity," Mr. Simkins said. "But it's much more than a tennis court."
The absence of chemical pesticides makes the garden more comfortable for toads and ladybugs, which in turn consume some of the less friendly bugs, such as aphids and white flies.
"We also have a lot of dragonflies and damselflies," Mr. Gandy said. "To us, they are the cavalry -- the good guys."
On the other end of the scale, one of the least welcome visitors is the tomato horn worm -- a thumb-sized monster of a caterpillar that can defoliate entire tomato plants in a single day.
They must be removed by hand -- a task that Mr. Gandy and his girlfriend, Kate Lee, undertake almost daily, along with other chores.
Along the outer borders are "trap crops," such as sweet basil, that lure bad bugs away from vegetable plants.
Rows of globe amaranth and other flowering annuals round out the equation by providing colorful blooms for cuttings, and for luring insects needed to pollinate the vegetables.
Part of the organic approach is to build soil quality through crop rotation, composting and the use of cover crops that later can be plowed back into the dirt as soil conditioner.
"You're basically growing your own fertilizer," he said.
The farm was designed to become a commercial venture that will supply local markets and restaurants with organically grown produce, Mr. Gandy said, noting that its customers already include local restaurants and visitors to Augusta's Saturday Market.
Though the concept of organic farming is a lesson in simplicity, the process of becoming certified through the National Organic Program to market organically grown produce is complex.
The criteria include inspections, detailed record keeping and other details, including a stipulation that at least three years have elapsed since any chemical pesticide or herbicide applications were made to the soil, Mr. Simkins said.
In the meantime, as Blue Clay Farm evolves and moves toward certification, it will also be enjoyed by residents, who can learn from its organic processes and enjoy the produce grown in their own back yard.
"People get a benefit, a peace of mind, knowing there are no synthetic pesticides in what they're eating," Mr. Simkins said.
"It's also something local. Knowing where your produce is coming from is almost as important as being organic."
Reach Rob Pavey at (706) 868-1222, ext. 119, or rob.pavey@augustachronicle.com.

Blue Clay In the News

2008-07-06T14:56:00.000-04:00

http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/070208/met_464239.shtml

Summer is Here

2008-06-20T21:47:00.000-04:00

Happy Summer Solstice!

Slide Show Update

2008-06-18T22:13:00.000-04:00

Here we have the latest from Blue Clay Farm. We have some squash, tomatoes, flowers and plenty of foliage coming in. Basil, beans, eggplant and okra are soon to follow.
In the slideshow are examples of some of the preventative and combative measures that we can use in organic farming. These are neem oil based products which can be very effective. The one on the left contains some salts that have more "knock down" power than just neem itself. Neem oil itself acts as a good deterrant due to its scent and oily nature.
Also included in the slides is a stitch job on our fence around the back field. We finally had some interlopers try and test the wall. At least one (possibly two) deer were able to invade our plastic fortress. They jumped over, just at our water service and near the gate. Whoever went first did not clear the fence and go caught up in the top half. Following their prints, it seems like they got inside and were rattled by the tangling experience. Something then spooked our split hooved friends to run directly across the raised beds and the whole field then straight through the adjacent side from entering. What does this mean? Hopefully they won't want to tangle with our fortitude again! We have repaired the wounds and added some human and animal scents around the border to help deter these galloping cubed steaks.

Progress

2008-06-11T19:52:00.000-04:00

These photos come courtesy of Justin Oguni who is in Vet Med at UGA. We have both of these on the farm. Damsel Flies and Dragon Flies are both beneficial insects to have around and good indicators of an areas general biological health.
-Thanks for the pics Justin. These guys are hard to get on film!

We received a load of compost from Humble Acre Organics and top dressed all of our tomatoes, cukes and squash. So far, the results look promising. The compost helps hold water that is delivered via drip tape near the base of the plant. At the same time it provides a multitude of beneficial substancess to the plant in a slow release organic form.

Due to the intense heat this week, we applied some sunscreen for our transplants. Again, kaolin, comes into play here at Blue Clay. The White substance on the plant pictured is micronized kaolin. It acts as a heat reflectant and provides some repellent action against certain pests such as leafhoppers. Protection from sunburn and insects. It is calles Surround WP and is available through most organic material suppliers.

Comments

2008-06-11T19:47:00.000-04:00

I have changed the settings so that anyone should be able to post comments.

Here we grow

2008-05-29T20:58:00.000-04:00

It has been very busy since our last post. All of the tomatoes are finally in the ground. The first ones mentioned in the last post are responding very well to the river silt soil and organic mineral ammendments. We hope that everyone who has been able to coordinate some fresh veggies, has had the chance to enjoy them. We now have a most recent update with four different types of beans(some purple!), more fingerling potatoes(which are sorted for thumb size and for medium. So if there is any preference for one size or the other, please let us now in your orders). We have picked up another full case of honey from our friends over at Empire Tree on Gordon Hwy. It is available in 8, 12, 16 and 24oz sizes. Vidalia Onions are still bountiful. Ask your neighbors how good they are.
Blue Clay Farm now has a table at the Saturday market in Augusta. Last weekend was our inaugural market. It was exciting to meet such an eclectic group and find people who were interested in local and organic produce.

052908

We are very fortunate to have this opportunity and look forward to keeping it up and bringing our own produce as we harvest it.
Thanks for looking. Come see us on saturday!
http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/M22737

Tomato Planting! Yeah!!!

2008-05-21T22:25:00.000-04:00

Pests, Posts and Plants

2008-05-21T22:20:00.000-04:00

Drip Irrigation 101

2008-05-13T21:18:00.000-04:00

Blue Clay uses drip rather than overhead irrigation for several reasons.
-No water on the leaves reduces disease pressure
-It allows regulation of the amount of water to every plant
-Much higher effiency than overhead irrigation
-More water to the plants and less to neighboring weeds, means less work for backs down the road!

The first couple of rows were installed today on our drip system.

Irrigation

2008-05-12T19:46:00.000-04:00

We started on the irrigation today after having the spigots (spickets) recently installed. The order, post-spigot, is filter (80 mesh), pressure regulator (15 psi for drip tape), splitter (for zone distribution), and then barb fittings to run to the 3/4" header off of. We are putting down tape, putting up fence, then putting plants in the ground!

Rotary Plow

2008-05-12T19:36:00.000-04:00

This is the blade for the rotary plow. Notice the little teeth on the end. Georgia soil is notoriously tough. I talked to Earth Tools about these teeth wearing out. He said that you can flip them four times before they wear out completely. I told him that I had figured that out. He mentioned a man in WI that had used one set for a year. I went through one in 9 hours.

We are now beta testing some carbide tipped teeth from the manufacturer. More to come on that experiment...

May 1st to 11th update

2008-05-11T12:32:00.000-04:00

Still moving... The composter made the journey finally

Picked up transplants from Gaia Gardens!!!

Eggplant with a little flea beetle damage. No problem.

Tomatoes of all kinds. Brandywine, San Marzano, Striped German, Big Beef, Sungold, Matt's Wild Cherry, and more!!!

Peppers- Poblano, Pizza (jalepeno), Corno di Toro and California Orange and Red

Here I am, experimenting with some extremely raised beds. Look at the size of those!!!

That's All for now. Got to go get ready for a week of planting!!!

Progress Update April 15th-30th

2008-04-30T19:43:00.000-04:00

This will be presented in a stream of consciousness format, to effectively reiterate the scribbled contents of the little notepad that has been used for a daily journal. (pocket docket kept in the visor of my truck).

4-15
Gravel Spread in greenhouse
Lunch w/ Todd
Mission statement
Toured site w/ Monica and John

4-16
Tilled
Builder's Guild Mtg
Finished Field
Swapped out tiller for scrape blade to spread gravel around greenhouse

4-17
Cleaned barbed wire and bailing twine out of tiller tines
Staff Mtg
Called Ricky
Lunch w/ Bobby and Todd
Started compost

4-18
Office
Priced irrigation
Purchased tape and taps from Flora
Drove to Woodland Gardens in Athens to pick up some Fertrell 4-2-4 feed n gro fertilizer

4-21
Met w/ Todd
Moved worm bed to H.F.
Lunch with Kate

4-22
Earth Day
Checked on worms. (all good as I recall. Some ants moved in. Nothing a little Diatomaceous earth can't fix!)
Earth Tools order snafu
office work
P.O. for Grosouth
Meeting with members from Golden Harvest Food Bank

4-23
Purchases/Budgeting
Aiken Organics called back!

4-24
Greenhouse finished!
Lunch w/ Todd
Compost addition
Picked up fert from the Bistro
Called Aiken Organics

4-25
Talked to Turner about sound
Picked up supplies at Aiken Organics
Picked up compostables
Got audio equipment from Bell Auditorium (the same day as Blood, Sweat and Tears!)
Worked Sound for Andy Leftwich and Cody Gilbert (of Ricky Skagg's Kentucky Thunder)

4-28
Johnny's Seed order placed
GroSouth contact Q and A
Honey extractor! (free honey extractor from a nice old man in Dearing)

4-29
Staff mtg (talked some about displays for gardens)
Assembled Trailer from Earthtools for the BCS
Helped Bobby and Will move stuff
First Go round with the rotarty plow

4-30
Soil amendments on fields 6 and 7
Ran rotary plow for many hours until surveyors spike was found, dug and thrown! No mas energy...

Photos

2008-04-30T19:23:00.000-04:00

Here goes the beginnings of the Blue Clay greenhouse (obviously built up on some imported red clay, blue clays arch nemesis)

Now with shutters and fan mounted.
I told y'all this was going to be thorough!

Here is the BCS 852 in all its glory. And posing with the lovely 30 inch tiller attached to the PTO.

The chipper! Great for shredding our scraps for compost/mulch.

Greenhouse with plastic on and tables moved outside for the addition of gravel. If this experiences could be repeated, put in gravel before plastic and save your back some work. Scheduling was not available in this case.

Seriously, put the gravel in first, then the plastic!

The aforementioned rotary plow at work, only unlike the video, in some Southern soil. It will take a little while before the soil is built well enough to fluff right up. This is using it for primary soil preparation. In the future, this tool will and should only be used for bed making and ditch digging. This was done to help improve drainage and make it easier to create those wonderful raised beds. The depth of plow is around 16-18 inches which is crucial for soil loosening. In the future conservation tillage will be utilized to protect the soil structure that will be built by proper management.

This is the BCS with the rotary plow attached. The picture does not do justice. You can see the trail behind it though which looks like a little tasmanian devil just came through!

Earthway spreader. Essential for adding amendments and lime. ONLY FOR USE WITH OMRI LISTED OR NOP APPROVED MATERIALS. This is to stay within the guidelines for USDA certification which we are gearing up for. This involves a detailed record keeping regime and proper equipment etiquette(i.e. pressure washing machines and materials that have had any contact with conventional or synthetic materials) to stay within the rules.

That's it for now!

More to come soon...

Welcome to Blue Clay Farm

2008-04-30T18:58:00.000-04:00

I figured that since the farm is being from the ground up that a log should be kept up and in a year or two could contain a lot of good information and would help out immensely in remembering every step of the way. There has been much going on in the forms of planning and procurement for this operation.

Blue Clay is the proud owner of a BCS 852 walk-behind tractor that was purchased recently from a local. Lucky for us, as we were able to obtain it for a reasonable price with a few major implements. These include a sickle bar mower, chipper, 30" tiller, mowing sulky and a 5500 watt generator. Those who are interested may visit http://www.earthtoolsbcs.com/ to find out all about these nifty machines. It is the weapon of choice for many organic soil wranglers. We have since purchased a single discharge rotary plow (video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de7vMFasJEU) which is an awesome tool for doing primary soil preparations and also for forming raised beds.
In preparation last year, the Hammond's Ferry Foundation purchased a Jaderloon 14 x 40 hoop house for the farm. The power is now hooked up and the thermostat is running properly. There is a 32" exhaust fan and a 20" HAF.
Anything I have forgotten will be brought up in day to day posts as they occur.

-Thanks for Visiting