A huge part of being an organic farm is maintaining organic soil matter in the soils in which we grow your food. Last week's brush with a tropical storm has us now killing two birds with one stone in processing debris felled by Maria into beneficial soil amendments for our gardens. This mulching activity not only will maintain soil moisture and prevent weeds, but it will also replenish the soils of nutrients and hold away pesty problems.
In addition to harvesting guinea grass for mulching our gardens, we are chipping old fallen bamboo, tan-tan's that have invaded some garden areas, and neem sticks. The neem we are processing contains young fruits that contain an oil that repels almost any bugs. In fact, neem is a common organic spray product that we sometimes buy. Now we are applying our neem directly into the fields from the trees that grow on the farm property in our mulching mix. This reduces our needs for spraying for bugs and helps us retain the sporadic rains that fall in the summer season, lowering our need for irrigation.
This week we have a bounty of familiar crops along with some new entries into the season. Cherry tomatoes are starting to ripen and there will be so many more to come. Some carrots are back, as well as our sweet starfruits and plantains. We hoped to have sweet corn this week, but it will probably take one or two more weeks to start filling your farm shares. Luckily the storm didn't knock many down. We have been hilling around the stems, and sampling:) Yet again, we are flush with crops to share with a lot more to come.
One effect the recent storm had was knocking down thousands of colorful mangoes out of our orchards. I was worried that the season would be prematurely over. However, the later season varieties are filling in and coloring up. In fact, we have entirely new fruits that are promising a late flush in the CSA season. Avocadoes teased with an early flush, and are expanding well beyond the tiny ones we see in the States for later in the season.
This week the farm crew all gathered together and watched an amazing documentary movie that I hope you will watch too. It's called the "Real dirt on Farmer John" and here is a free link to the entire flim. It's an amazing movie that highlights some of the challenges and tribulations that we experience here at Ridge to Reef Farm. Also it highlights how important it is that you are willing to support what we do here. Not only that, it's just a good film. So please, check it out.
We are so thankful our your participation in a local food revolution in the VI. Also we are blessed with the support of Leatherback Brewing Company who provides such an amazing service to our members (with beer and pizza options). Please support them and stop by our Farm Tienda on Saturday to get extra crops and farm-based meals from Misfit Island Munchies:)
Peace be in the Garden,
Nate & the Farm Crew
