[singlepic id=82 w=320 h=240 float=left]This past week has been very busy and opened many interesting doors for us here at Lick Run. The weekend started off with Rick and myself hosting two visitors who might be joining us at Lick Run in our work. This nice couple joined us on a farm tour to see how two other farms in the area manage seasonal extension and how their farming operations look. We also got plenty of work done including the installation of low tunnels and the prepping of the last of the current grow beds. A greenhouse we are being lent was also constructed at our offsite garden and as the pictures below show, is up and running, keeping our seedlings protected.
The farm tour included a trip to Catawba Meadow Farm and Heritage Point Farm. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey at Catawba Meadow Farm focosed on explaining their use of low tunnels for season extension. Low tunnels are used for crop protection from the elements all year long, but are also very important in extending the end of your growing season and starting sooner. The Baileys also were kind enough to show us their mushroom growing set up which is in its first year, and their solar powered electric fence for deer control. Sean Jordan at Heritage Point Farm shows us around their barn explaining their chicken operations, capacity needs, land easements on their property, greenhouses, and exploring some of the long term plans for their property with us.
[singlepic id=89 w=320 h=240 float=right]With help from our guests, a few enthusiastic neighborhood residents, and a Roanoke County Public School student who heard about our project and came out to volunteer, the current growing beds at lick Run have been weeded, mulched, a few have also been seeded, and low tunnels were placed over those newly seeded rows. Our spring planting has officially been started.
[singlepic id=81 w=320 h=240 float=left]Some of our offsite beds were also seeded this week with mustard and kale. Originally covered in hay a generous neighbor gifted us this past fall, we raked back that layer, seeded the beds, added a light application of hay as mulch, and generously watered. That work was done along with some weeding at the offsite garden. In short order a number of our seedlings will have the strength to be transplanted outside into the ground.
The seedlings, most of which have been under florescent grow lights for the past month have found a new home in a greenhouse. The small greenhouse was quick to set up and anchor down. As I write this a large thunder storm is rolling into Roanoke so it will be the first test of its strength and my ability to [singlepic id=85 w=320 h=240 float=right]follow simple instructions. The greenhouse has a number of vents which allow for air to circulate when the temperatures reach around 80 degree but has no heating for the nights when the inside temperature matches the temperature outside. In order to help keep the temperature above freezing at nights and moderate during the days without using electricity I decided to use a thermal mass. Two large bodies of water, one in a plastic storage bin and one in a rain water barrel, absorb heat during the day and slowly release it over night. Thus far the temperature has not dropped bellow freezing although we are staving that off by just a few degrees.
This week has been exciting with lots of visible progress in infrastructure. Needless to say there is still plenty of work left and the coming weeks will be a great learning experience.
All the best,
Hunter
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