Randy and Mark finished work on the new greenhouse just in time for spring planting to start in January. And it is amazing. For the first time we have heat. I don’t have to constantly bundle up all the plants for cold nights. Or set up a space heater under plastic to keep sensitive plants from freezing. But perhaps the best thing about the new greenhouse is the automation. The back vents, front exhaust fans, and heater are all controlled by thermostats. I don’t have to keep running back and forth to the greenhouse multiple times a day opening and closing doors and rolling plastic up and down just to keep things at the right temperature. The new greenhouse is twice as big. It has two layers of plastic and an air pump to inflate the space between them, which helps insulate the greenhouse. I could go on and on about how amazing it is to be working in a professional greenhouse, and not just a simple tunnel structure.
So what is growing? I’ve started lettuce, cabbage and kohlrabi, bok choy, beets, chard, kale, fennel, and celery. Specialty tomatoes for the high tunnel are
doing well. And I’ve started a host of things for plant sale – eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, herbs (sage, oregano, thyme, parsley, dill and basil) and a whole range of native wildflowers. With the help of Melea and Skylar we got five beds of onions planted in the field before all the rain arrived. That’s over twice as many onions as we planted last year!
Because it is still the slow season, I’ve also had time to paint. I’ve commandeered by mom’s tiny house as an artist studio. All that extra time that I don’t have to babysit the greenhouse is time I have to paint. Soon, farming will take up all my time again. So I am taking advantage of all the time for artistic pursuits while I have it.
You must be logged in to post a comment.