Farm Report: March 2006
by Erica Renaud

The early days of March are always very rewarding. It's the time of year when the smell of spring is in the air and the transition from winter hibernation to plant emergence becomes apparent. It's time to clean the winter-fallen cottonwood leaves from the acequia (community irrigation ditch) and to rake back the compacted leaf mass from the perennial beds, exposing earth to sun, and creating space for the emergence of our perennial favorites such as the lavenders, mints, and gaillardias. Preparing the acequia is accompanied by modifying the irrigation stubs and laying out the drip irrigation lines for the coming season. We've also erected trellises to support our extensive selection of vining, snow, snap, and shell peas with new favorites that include a purple-podded snow and a super sweet snap. Spring's arrival is verified by the emergence of our fall-planted garlic and cover crops (not all having gone amiss from the visiting flock of cranes' consumption of our intended soil food).

While Kelle Carter, Field Coordinator, and Joe Martinez, Maintenance and Repair Coordinator, have been busy preparing outdoor beds and irrigation, Emily Gatch, Greenhouse Coordinator and Assistant Seed Cleaner, and Maria Rhodes, Research Farm Associate, continue their seasonal preparation in the greenhouse, with more than thirty trays of storage and sweet onions along with shallots, accompanied by trays of long-season perennial herbs and flowers. Root cuttings of yacon for the 2006 catalog are also underway, and will appear at your door in the coming months. While bottom, radiant water-heated coils stimulate sprouting and germination of much of the propagated material in the greenhouse, the yacon is moved to the bottom-watering benches once the plants are established. Bottom watering allows water to saturate the plants' roots for efficient uptake without exposing the plants to potential pathogens through overhead watering.

February 26th marked the last day of the winter conference season for Seeds of Change. Both the Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference (UMOFC) and the New Mexico Organic Farming and Gardening Conference (NMOFC) were held on the last weekend of the month in Wisconsin and New Mexico, respectively. Seeds of Change has made a focused effort in 2006 to reach out to the organic gardening and farming community through conference attendance and presentations. By participating in eight farming and gardening conferences so far this year, we have furthered our understanding of the needs and wants of organic gardeners and farmers across the country. Talking with growers of all scales helps direct our varietal offerings and composition, keeps us abreast of new developments in the organic movement, and helps us better serve our customers.

In 2006, the Seeds of Change Research program will once again collaborate with the Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) on their Organic Seed Field Days. On July 19, 2006, Seeds of Change will present a selection of our best varieties for taste and field performance through a "variety tasting" following the OSA Seed Field Day at Gathering Together Farm in Corvallis, Oregon. Farmers and chefs will come together to discuss the flavor and uniqueness of our varieties, while simultaneously learning about how those varieties perform in the field. This is an extension of our 2005 San Francisco Chef Farmer Event in which we brought chefs from the San Francisco area to our trial farmer's fields to discourse on these same issues. Through these and other collaborations between chefs, growers, and Seeds of Change, we hope to identify unique and flavorful varieties that perform to the highest standards for regional organic growers while meeting the demands of their unique markets.

Back at the Research Farm, on my regular evening tour, which my dog, Trigo, insists upon prior to getting into our car and making our way home at night, a sound bellowed from the distance, calling out to us. While I initially thought this was a prank by a colleague, the "koo-koo" call was intriguing, so I followed the now-continuous sound to what seemed like its origin in a set of tall poplars along the main ditch diversion. Scanning high into the trees, I finally identified the mysterious caller as a great horned owl gazing down upon us. We shared a moment looking out onto the farm, he from his 100-foot perch, me from the ground below. He glanced down upon me again and gave an additional "koo-koo." I think we agreed that this was going to be a beautiful and fruitful season.

Koo-koo, koo-koo on your garden and farm this season!

From Erica Renaud, Research & Farm Manager,
and the staff of the Seeds of Change Research Farm

Photo Captions: (1) Trellises for spring peas (2) Yacon seedlings started in the greenhouse (3) Maria Rhodes sowing seeds (4) Discussing the farmer chef connection