(Continued from June 05, 2010)
“Do you take any precautionary measures if stronger than average frost is forecasted?”
“Yes, we cover the carrots with straw. We always have some bales ready in the shed and the field manager can depend on assistance from a number of volunteers.”
“In the summertime, your fields provide you with a much greater variety of vegetables than in the wintertime.”
“We supplement our North West winter yield with produce from southern California. We have made an arrangement with an organic farm there. They furnish us with vegetables at their cost. They are fully aware of the charitable nature of our organization. They usually visit us a few times during the year.”
The rain had stopped and the sun had come from behind the clouds; so, we walked into the field to view the small remaining patch of carrots. Because of the exceptionally mild winter, the use of straw had not been necessary.
“During the next couple of weeks, we will have to dig up those carrots. Very soon they’ll start growing again and the new foliage takes nutrition away from the roots.”
“What about the new growth on the kale stems?”
“That is an entirely different situation,” Thea responded with a laugh. “The small and tender new leaves are great in the salad; and, since we don’t eat the stalks, we are not worried about the loss of nutrition in them.”
“The fields look very organized. You must have a very good manager.”
“The gentleman in charge is a retired gardener who came west from the Dakotas. He was attracted by our much milder North West climate. We have made an interesting agreement with him. He lives in the farmhouse for free and he gets his three meals a day.”
“So, his part of the bargain is that he organizes and oversees the work to be done by the volunteers. Is that correct?”
“Yes, and he is very good at coordinating activities that need to be done. One could say that his background prepared him for this position. He used to be head gardener in a cloister. In addition to a farm, there was a large ornamental garden to be kept in good condition.”
(To be continued)