2012 Happy Half Acre Farm CSA

2012 Happy Half Acre CSA

This picture is my 2nd days worth of work in the garden. After so much rain I feel as though I am getting a late start! This is the first time in weeks the garden has been dry enough to work in. I can't even tell you how good it felt to be working outside again! I have a good start and the work has just begun!

I am very excited to start a SMALL CSA this year! After attending the Georgia Organics Conference last weekend I really learned a lot about management and maximizing the space that I have. With good succession planting and LOTS of vertical gardening I really expect a large yield in my produce this year.

Membership Includes
16 weeks of produce free from chemical pesticide and fertilizer.

A large variety of produce items

Depending on availability there may be 1/2 dozen country eggs.

Access to the gardens is welcomed and encouraged! Come out and see how your food is grown!

Supporting a small local farmer. Happy Half Acre Farms strives to produce healthy food that is good for you and our environment as well as to raise awareness of good food choices.

Fees and Payment
I will be starting the CSA May 15th and will do 16 week increments. Each share is $375. You save $25 by paying for your share upfront by April 15th, 2012 which makes the total $350. The other option is a bi monthly payment of $47. Post dated checks are required for the payment plan.

Half shares are available for exactly half the cost. Payment options are the same as full shares. Half shares will be picked up every other week.

You may reserve your spot by filling out the application along with a $15 membership fee. Membership fee is waived for prepay. You can get an application by e-mailing me at tirogers99@gmail.com

Pick-up Times and Locations
Shares may be picked up on Mondays from 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at Happy Half Acre Farm.
Address is 2558 Old Clarksville Pike, Ashland City TN 37015

We may allow pick ups at the local Pleasant View or Ashland City Farmers Market. An e-mail will be sent closer to market openings when we decide what markets we will attend.

Contact Info
Ti Rogers - tirogers99@gmail.com
615-389-1910

This list is approximate. I cannot guarantee when produce will become available.
With each summer item such as tomato, eggplant and squash I have several varieties so you may not get the same kind each week.
May 2012:
Swiss Chard
Spicy Mesclun Mix
Asian Mesclun Mix
Italian Mesclun Mix
Spinach
Variety Lettuce
Beets
Radishes
Turnips
Carrots
Bunch Onions
Cabbage
Broccoli
Sugar Snap Peas
Cilantro
Rosemary

June 2012:
Swiss Chard
Spicy Mesclun Mix
Asian Mesclun Mix
Italian Mesclun Mix
Spinach
Variety Lettuce
Beets
Carrots
Bunch Onions
Cabbage
Broccoli
Strawberry
Blackberry
Zucchini
Squash
Tomato
Potato
Garlic
Cucumbers
Red and White Onion
Green Beans
Okra
Basil
Parsley
Sage
Rosemary
Cilantro

July:
Carrot
Bunch Onion
Zucchini
Squash
Tomato
Garlic
Cucumbers
Red and White Onion
Green Beans
Okra
Basil
Parsley
Sage
Rosemary
Cilantro
Eggplant
Bell Pepper
Jalapeno
Habenero Pepper
Banana Pepper

August:
Bunch Onion
Zucchini
Squash
Tomato
Garlic
Cucumbers
Red and White Onion
Green Beans
Okra
Basil
Parsley
Sage
Rosemary
Cilantro
Eggplant
Bell Pepper
Jalapeno
Habenero Pepper
Banana Pepper
Watermelon
Canteloupe

Let me know if you have any suggestions or would like to see additions in the produce list. Thank you for considering Happy Half Acre Farm CSA Membership!

Seed Starting

I am attempting to start up my blog again. Focusing on gardening and animals is my objective. Hopefully I can keep it up and have an account of what I did at what time of year, etc.

So, my current project is seed starting.

It's the middle of February and for zone 6 our last frost date is April 15th. My goal is to start all of my flowers from seed this year. Plants are extremely expensive and I just can't spend that kind of money for all the plans I have this year! Seeds are actually quite expensive as well. Especially if you want a variety of plants.

I have attempted seed starting before in a windowsill and was not impressed with the results. My seedlings always ended up leggy and weak looking. Some would survive into prosperous plants but it wasn't the best way to start a healthy crop.
Last year we built a greenhouse so I thought I would start seeds in the greenhouse.

Well, my first year with a greenhouse I have found there are limitations to it. Many more limitations than I first realized. Don't get me wrong, a greenhouse has it's use and it is good for it's purpose, which is another post entirely. Right now I will stick with seeds! The seedlings will be moved to the greenhouse for toughening once they are established.

OK, so what I have learned is seeds need constant temperatures (which a greenhouse will not provide!). Around 72 degrees is ideal. They also need a good light source. Unfortunately a windowsill is not a good light source. The seedlings grow long and leggy struggling to reach up for the light. This causes them to develop weak spindly stems and they will sometimes fall over.

Here is a picture of my solution. This is not the best picture. It is actually extremely bright but my camera only wanted to focus on the lights so the picture came out dark.

I bought a 4 tier mini greenhouse from Tractor Supply. It comes with a plastic covering but I took it off. On each shelf I attached a 2 foot 75 watt floruescent light to hang just above the seedlings by about 4 inches.

The seedlings need around 14 hours of light each day (a window will not give this much) so I have a plug in timer to turn the lights on at 4 a.m. and turn them off at 6 p.m.

I put a reflective material over the top so the light is reflected inside and keeps even light all over. This is a silver bubble wrap. I found it in the garage. I don't even know where it came from. My husband has a habit of holding on to things and this was probably one of those things! I usually get annoyed when he does that but it came in handy this time!

There is a small fan for air circulation which helps to toughen the stems.

Lastly I have a radiant heater near the seedlings set to 72 degrees to help regulate temperature.

I purchased seed flats with 72 cells each. The flats have a clear plastic top. Keep the top on until the seeds sprout.

The top is used to keep moisture levels consistent. Seeds need more moisture for germination.

When the seeds sprout prop the cover open for 24 hours and start the fan. After 24 hours you can take the plastic top completely off.

Keep the fan on them at all times set on low. Just enough to circulate the air.

You will also want to keep the soil moist but not overly wet. Too much water can cause a disease called dampening off which causes the stems to rot and results in your seedlings falling over and dying.

I had started tomato plants in a windowsill. They came up but were extremely tall and weak. The good thing about tomatoes is you can repot them and plant them up to the top leaves. When they started to put on their second set of leaves I repotted them. Doing this also helps them to develop a strong root system as the tiny hairs on the stems actually root out when put into the soil.

After having them in this newly constructed seed starting tent the tomatoes already look healthier. They have taken on a deeper green and are growing faster and stouter.My other seeds haven't sprouted yet but I will keep posting the results.

Here's a breakdown on what I spent:

Mini Greenhouse TSC - on sale for $20

3 flourescent lights at Wal-Mart - $27

5 Seed Flats at Wal-Mart - $22.50

plus the cost of seeds

Everything else I had was free because we already had it. With the amount of seeds I have purchased this investment was needed!

A breakdown of seed starting:

Constant Temperature - around 72 degrees

Air Circulation- needed after sprouting

Light - 14 hours

Moisture - fairly moist while germinating and less when sprouted

I have learned alot about seed starting this year so hopefully this post can help others!