Market Farming

[Joan Vibert <joan AT windwalker-farm.com>]

Jacqueline - I'm planting the strawberries now because Marie said it would
be okay - am I trusting or what?  I'll water like crazy for a while - and
may try to get the drip laid down in there.  We got the plants about a month
ago and then the rain hit and it was too wet or too busy to get them in
until just now.  I split 1000 tri-star plants with Marie (took us three
weeks to make the connection!) so we'll se if it works for either of us.

Its hot here today - dug garlic until 1 p.m. in a blazing sun but it looks
wonderful.  Great big bulbs even though the soil was heavier than I'd
thought it would be.  Was hoping to "pull" not dig - but I dug, even after
all the rain we've had.  I just kept thinking as I pull out these huge heads
that they'd have been really huge if the soil had been better.  Are we just
never happy?

Marie - I keep the garlic covered as I dig it in the field - don't let it
get hot - keep it shaded.  I put two of Jim's extension ladders lengthwise
across an old wooded sailboat we have in the yard under a big old shady pin
oak tree.  I just laid the garlic across the ladder and covered it all with
some shade cloth to protect against some afternoon sun that may creep in.
It's on the south so it get good breezes and will dry fairly fast.  If it
looks like rain I'll cover it all with a tarp, well-weighted down.  When its
fairly dry I bunch it by size and type and tie it up in the lean-to where it
continues to dry.  Whatever is left after braids, market sales and cooking
usually stays in the lean-to until there's a frost threat.  The book
'Growing Great Garlic" by Ron Engeland is very helpful and an interesting
read.  Thanks for the basket info.

joan
windwalker farm
ottawa, kansas