I love this article. And not just cuz you hat-tipped me. 😉 These are all good and important points, and I don't see them made often.
When I was an urban CSA farmer in Portland, tending a network of plots by bicycle, I encouraged my customers to grow some of their own tomatoes because they really don't transport well by bicycle!
It's also great for home gardeners to grow things because the pest pressure can be so great in rural settings in a way you never see in an urban area.
Where in Colorado? I'll be working on a farm in Paonia this year.
Love this, and totally agree! Curcubits can be so hard to grow on a home garden scale in my neck of the woods, because there’s just not room to rotate them far enough from where they were the previous year to outrun the (many!) pests. Now that I don’t grow veggies at work, I’m happy to buy all the beautiful but more susceptible varieties of squash / cukes at the farmer’s market!
Cucurbits can be a nightmare for sure, if feels like the moment one pest dropps off (I'm looking at you cucumber Beatles) another arrives (the mildew!!). Even at scale they are certainly far from easy.
Even as a farmer there are going to be things that others grow better than me (thank goodness) which I can't wait to buy this year.
What are you looking forward to growing this season?
Yeah, exactly! I don’t have a designated space (or much sun) for growing veggies at home, so I’m squeezing herbs and greens into ornamental beds, which I love doing. I might try okra and a very small variety of sweet potato in containers this year though, since I really miss both of those!
Being a senior, I've just started a few raised plant tables for vegetables this year. Maybe a few large containers, if I can find any up for sale. I have seedlings going, but I can't plant until early May. It's just not possible for me to grow enough food to feed us, but it will help a little. We'll still be visiting our farmer's market every week.
I love this article. And not just cuz you hat-tipped me. 😉 These are all good and important points, and I don't see them made often.
When I was an urban CSA farmer in Portland, tending a network of plots by bicycle, I encouraged my customers to grow some of their own tomatoes because they really don't transport well by bicycle!
It's also great for home gardeners to grow things because the pest pressure can be so great in rural settings in a way you never see in an urban area.
Where in Colorado? I'll be working on a farm in Paonia this year.
Ah thanks. I totally agree on pest pressure, there are so many benefits to home gardens.
Also love that you encouraged people to grow their own tomatoes, they really don't transport well (and certainly not by bike)!
Aaaah I loved Paonia! The bulk shop there is my dream, we got our soil from Paonia soil company.
I trained at Wild Mountain Seeds in Carbondale, so just over the mountain towards Glenwood Springs.
Such a great area
“gateway hobby” I love that!
☺️ loved your piece
And thank you for the shoutout! 🙏
Love this, and totally agree! Curcubits can be so hard to grow on a home garden scale in my neck of the woods, because there’s just not room to rotate them far enough from where they were the previous year to outrun the (many!) pests. Now that I don’t grow veggies at work, I’m happy to buy all the beautiful but more susceptible varieties of squash / cukes at the farmer’s market!
Cucurbits can be a nightmare for sure, if feels like the moment one pest dropps off (I'm looking at you cucumber Beatles) another arrives (the mildew!!). Even at scale they are certainly far from easy.
Even as a farmer there are going to be things that others grow better than me (thank goodness) which I can't wait to buy this year.
What are you looking forward to growing this season?
Yeah, exactly! I don’t have a designated space (or much sun) for growing veggies at home, so I’m squeezing herbs and greens into ornamental beds, which I love doing. I might try okra and a very small variety of sweet potato in containers this year though, since I really miss both of those!
Ooooh okra is so fun and let me know how the sweet potato goes!
Fitting things in where we can is the way 😊
Being a senior, I've just started a few raised plant tables for vegetables this year. Maybe a few large containers, if I can find any up for sale. I have seedlings going, but I can't plant until early May. It's just not possible for me to grow enough food to feed us, but it will help a little. We'll still be visiting our farmer's market every week.
This sounds great, Gregg! It's all about doing more of what you can do. What seedlings have you got going so far?