Market Farming

[Marcie Rosenzweig <fullcircle AT jps.net>]

Hi all,

To encourage barnching, we pinch the plants back when they are 3-4 inches
tall, and still in the greenhouse.  Plants are set out one foot apart on
intensive spacing on 3 foot wide beds.  We let them settle in and grow for
about 3 weeks before we start cutting.

Our bunches are tall, about 8 inches and that removes about 30-40% of the
plant.  Bunches weigh about 12 oz.  I cut first thing in the morning.  I
keep rubberbands around the last three fingers of my left hand, cut the
bunch, band it, and drop it into a tall kitchen trash bag.  We take any
field heat out by submerging the bunches in cold well water.  We shake the
water  off, put the bunches back in the bag and tie it shut.

At market, we put out half a dozen bunches of each variety.  We stand them
upright in tall baskets.  In the bottom of the basket, we put a cut off one
gallon water jug and keep it filled.  The stems stand in water.  We keep a
spray bottle with us.  If the basil starts to wilt, we spray it, shake it
out, return it to a bag. and bring out fresh.  It takes about 1/2 hr to
revive.


Marcie A. Rosenzweig
Full Circle Organic Farm
Auburn, CA