so much is happening it's hard to know where to start...

photo credit: Mollie Firestone

It is spring! The kind of spring that turns to summer- the sun blazing only to have the sky turn dark with clouds and pour. Did you know that there was an all time record set in Portland this past Saturday evening? The most rainfall ever to fall in one hour. One inch in one hour. Amazing. Read this blog to learn more. So much is happening. Such as... the farm stand! Tomorrow will be the fourth week of the farm stand this season. What will you see when you come by? As always, lots of greens: salad greens, kale, chard, spinach, and delicious butter head lettuces (ONLY $1.50 per head!). AND you'll find PEAS! First of the season. Peas are always a treat. Another treat is that my mother, Jane, will be at the farm stand! She is visiting from Arlington, VA and would love to see you! So come TUESDAY 4-7pm, get your veggies and meet my mom.

wrestling with the tiller.
photo credit: Brian Rae

A lot of work has been happening on the farm. I want to thank the guys at Project Grow for generously letting Blue House Greenhouse Farm use their tiller. It's incredible the amount of time some machinery and gasoline can save. I was able to prep seven beds in the time it would've taken me to prep one. It was certainly a blessing. Thank you Tim and James! What else? We've planted part of summer- tomatoes and beans. Peppers, cucumbers, and squash are on the way this week. We are continuing to plant radishes, lettuce, beets, and carrots through the season. And we continue to fend off leaf miners, slugs, cabbage loopers and try to keep the bind weed at bay.  I am amazed by the wonderful volunteers that help each week- harvesting, at the farm stand, planting, weeding, doing whatever needs to get done. The farm wouldn't be where it is without them, that's for sure.

Henny, volunteering and ready for anything in rubber
coveralls, and me.  photo credit: Jeff Ramsey

I also wanted to share an incredible new addition to the farm- some inadvertently invited guests. Bees! So here's the scoop. Jeff and our friend, Brian, have been talking about keeping bees at the farm for months. They planned on making their own bee boxes, but hadn't gotten around to doing it when Jeff was offered a box from someone he works with. Lucky.  He left the box at the farm near the shed, where I do my post-harvest washing and packing. The plan was to clean the box and get some bees. However, things don't always happen by plan. About a week and a half ago, while Quinn, a lovely volunteer, and I were getting produce ready for sale, a swarm came. Thousands and thousands of bees filled the sky. For about an hour and a half they made their way to this box that had invited them here! And after moving the box to a more comfortable distance away, they are still here!  Check out the photos below and get ready for some blue house greenhouse honey.

bees in the sky! photo credit: Quinn Emerson

bees making their way in the box

After Jeff and Brian moved the box,
they put new frames to be able to clean the old ones

This is the comb the bees made in place
of a missing frame in only five days!!

farm stand tomorrow! tuesday May 8

Just a reminder to you Portland folks, come to the Blue House Greenhouse Farm grand reopening of the farm stand! 

Tuesday, May 8th 4-7pm. 

It's supposed to be a beautiful afternoon and what better way to spend it than getting delicious veggies (salad greens, kale, chard, arugula, mustards, turnips, and more) and healthy plant starts (a variety of tomatoes- stupice, sungold, isis cherry, persimmon, green zebra and some varieties from Project Grow seed! AND kale, onions and more starts- always more)! See you there and tell your friends, please.

farm stand opening Tuesday May 8th!!

The long awaited 

farm stand will be reopening TUESDAY MAY 8th! 

Come by between 

4-7 pm 

and see what's growing! 

There will be radishes, salad greens, kale, mustard mix, salad turnips, spinach, and a variety of starts-kale, 

collards, lettuce, onions, AND tomatoes! If you are looking for starts before that time- contact me. Let your friends know and hope to see you there!

starts for sale!

That's right! Starts are for sale.  They are small, but hardy plants- perfect to transplant in your garden now! Kale: Lacinato, Red Russian, and Rainbow Lacinato, Flash Collards, and Lettuces: All Star Mix and Wild Garden Mix.  How can you get these starts?  Come by the farm today (Wednesday) 9:30-5, Friday 9:30-4, and next week Tuesday 9-5, Wednesday, and Friday (same times). Or just contact me and we can figure something out!

Lacinato kale

Red Russian kale

Wild Garden Lettuce Mix

All Star Lettuce Mix

springing

It's just a few days before the official start of spring! Here are a few images of what is happening at Blue House Greenhouse Farm this time of year- in photos!

rocky top lettuce mix starts- planted out in the field just a few days ago

hakurei turnips!

garlic going strong

rhubarb

ragged jack kale- seeds given to me by my sister, Jen!

over wintered chioggia and detroit dark red beets

fava cover crop by my favorite graffiti 

new beginnings

Jeff, planting peas

There are beginnings of all sorts happening at Blue House Greenhouse Farm. Jeff and I planted peas on a  showery mid-February day. Super Sugar Snap from Territorial Seed- delicious.  In the spirit of optimism for a warmer spring than of the past couple years, we also planted- pink beauty radishes, hakurei turnips, arugula, mustards, and a variety of asian greens. We covered the planted rows with agribon, a light-weight, permeable row cover, to insulate the seeds a bit.  We also started seeds in our greenhouse- and they began to germinate last week! We started lettuces and brassicas, both of which are coming up well.  The onions have yet to make an appearance, but that was anticipated as they are normally slower to germinate.

rocky top lettuces beginning to make their way in the world

Another beginning for the farm (as well as for myself), I began working at Concentrates, a farm and feed store! I expect that this job will be a great complement to the farm. I've already been learning a ton that I am interested in applying to the Blue House Greenhouse!  Come check us out!

a new year!

Happy New Year! I've always loved this marking of time where we all agree that we can start anew. Isn't it so promising to begin again? All the promise held as growth keeps still in low light and cold temperatures- there are so many possibilities of what can come.  It is nice to have a winter. 

salad greens under a cloche

I wanted to share an article that was written about Blue House Greenhouse Farm in Catlin Speak- the school paper for Catlin Gable school! Two high school students who had come by the farm on a class field trip were interested in learning more about the farm. Thanks Layla and Anaka! It is a good article (name misspelling aside)!

garlic, beginning to make its way out of the ground

In another bit of news, it looks like the rumors were true that New Seasons has bought the lot across Cook St. from the farm- where the old wonder bread factory used to be. Here's an article from the Mercury. I don't know what it will mean for Blue House Greenhouse Farm after 2012- but I do know that I will be farming there this year! I will keep you all updated, for sure.

Happy winter and check back often to find out what new exciting things are happening at the farm and  when the Farm Stand is reopening this spring!