Cedarmore Farm CSA: CAUTION: HEAVY BOXES

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

CAUTION: HEAVY BOXES

The farm is still having very nice weather so Andy and Lizzie are able to work outside. Because there are so many young tender plants in the ground that don't have mature root systems, they are having to run the irrigation system. There are vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, kale, chard, and carrots...which they hope to harvest some time in the fall. Right now they still have lettuce, spinach, spicy greens, turnips and more vegetables to plant in the future.

CAUTION...Lift your y legs this week because they are REALLY HEAVY!!!

Andy continues to educate us on the organic growing methods used on Cedarmore Farm.

Growing Methods

The land on the farm has been divided into three sections. This way they are able to rotate the crops in each section every two years with a year of fallow in between. During the fallow year they keep putting in cover crops and then plow them under. This really helps to build the humus in the soil (an element that is often overlooked in the most modern day agricultural world). If the weather permits he likes to put in a crop of oats in the spring. Then about mid-June, July it is plowed down and a crop of buckwheat is planted. If they are having a really good year there would be another planting and harvesting of buckwheat. But when it is dry like this year, he only expects to get in one crop. In late summer or fall they will put in a crop of rye to overwinter. This will be plowed down in the spring and then produce will be planted. Also during a fallow year, as the cover crops are growing, Andy will spread composted manure from the cows, horses, pigs and other animals on the farm. The 'egg mobile' will be moved to different spots in these fields so the chickens can do their job fertilizing the soil. And in turn they produce a good quality egg since these cover crops provide a good source of protein for the chickens.

To Be Continued...

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In The Beginning

Andy and Lizzie have known each other since they were very small. Growing up in an Amish community there are plenty of opportunities to play and work together. They grew up in the same church but went to different schools. Several years ago they moved from Wayne County, OH to right outside Hillsboro, OH and established Cedarmore Farm. The farm got it's name very simply...in Wayne County there were very few cedar or sycamore trees . When Andy and Lizzie got here, they noticed an abundance of cedar and sycamore trees on the land. So they just merged the two names and Cedarmore Farm was born. They have worked very hard in the few years that they have been farming the land. Andy and Lizzie are in the process of building their house and hopefully they will be able to move into the upstairs this spring. We can only see good things in their future farming experiences. And we wish them well.

Not only is Cedarmore growing fruits and vegetables. The Andy's have a growing family. They have four of the most precious children! Anna, who is excited about going to school this fall. Dennis who follows Andy around like his shadow. Moses who is doing well after a little run-in with the pigs. And Lovina who is the youngest at 9 months.

Then there is a new season on the farm. In the winter (Jan 2015), the Andy's packed up and moved to MO leaving the CSA in the most capable hands of John and Anna (Anna is Andy's twin sister) Zook and there 7 children. They changed the name of their farm to Cedarmore Farm so we English wouldn't be too confused. So the work has begun to provide lush healthy vegetables for the CSA season 2015 which begins in May.