SPROUT- UPDATE

Greetings SPROUTers,

SPROUT was extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Victory Farms of Hanover this 2007 growing season. From the first day Melodie and I met Charlie, we knew he had the experience, skills, and motivation to provide top quality, artisanal produce for a 100 member CSA. The trick was getting 100 members to sign up. After a few email blasts and some aggressive sales on our end, followed up by the Early Share setup at the 17th Street Farmers Market, it wasn't long before we reached 75% capacity. Then word of mouth took care of the rest.

Now, as you may already know, Victory Farms will self-manage the CSA for 2008. And SPROUT will move on to other projects. Our primary focus for now and next year is small-farm setup within the city of Richmond- and a continued search for farmers interested in CSA start-up. We have been convinced, for some time now, that the demand for CSAs in our region will continue to grow. Since March 2007, our wait list/ mail list has tripled in size. The future looks bright- and green!

So stay tuned for more email updates from SPROUT and a new website. Thank you for your attention.



Sincerely,

Christopher Humes, SPROUT!
chris@sproutorganic.org
www.sproutorganic.org
Eat your greens!


***SPROUT is an all volunteer organization that is committed to the growth and success of sustainable, local, artisanal farming.****

Farm Report – October 2007

The picnic at the farm on Sunday was a great way to celebrate the first year of Victory Farms in Virginia. I estimated the size of the group that participated at around 75. The food was great, and while it was a bit warm, shade and breeze made it quite pleasant. There were games for the kids, several farm tours by Charlie, and “door prizes” that included cloth bags handmade by Mim, discounts on next year’s shares and a load of Charlie’s prized compost.

During the farm tour Charlie highlighted some of the features of the ¾ acre array of raised beds, including:
the deer fence that got put up when he spotted a small herd across the field when he first arrived;
the huge compost pile fed by manure from the horses raised on the farm plus plants that had done their task;
the food prep area that included an insulated room kept quite cool with a small AC unit, tables and a sink and a clothes washing machine that they use like a giant salad spinner to spin water from the greens secured in linen bags;
the beehive that was purchased early last spring when he noticed a disturbing lack of pollinators;
the 50+ raised beds, 100 ft. long and 3 ft wide, with irrigation tubing hooked up to a deep well;
the tank system that feeds sea kelp and other nutrients to the plants by injection into the irrigation water;
the plastic sheeting and straw & bark chip mulch used to minimize weeds and loss of moisture;
the frame for the greenhouse where the seedlings are started in late winter.

He also took us row by row explaining what was growing, and what had been there earlier in the year. After a month without rain, it was amazing how healthy the plants looked, and apparently, the wells are holding up fine. He described how some plants were good “companions”, e.g. basil and tomatoes, and how he used the thinnings from some rows to start bigger plants in another row. And he described some of the challenges of the first year in a new environment – weather, primarily. He noted that two workers were able to manage the farm work fairly well, the importance of having the food preparation area close to the field where everything is grown, and the critical role of the compost that allowed planting with much tighter spacing than normal.

Charlie also gave some hints about next year. He plans to extend the rows from 100 to 150 feet, to cut two “aisles” through the field, which would separate the field into four quadrants – thereby shortening the distance to carry produce to a cart from the field. He hopes to increase membership in the CSA to 150 members. I’m sure we will be getting details on how to signup in the next month or so.

John Gallini, SPROUT Member and CORE Volunteer

Farm Report – September 2007

As I walked over to the raised beds in early September, Charlie was busy spraying a BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) and kelp mixture on a bed of seedlings to provide some of the minerals and nutrients essential for plant health, plus some discouragement to the Harlequin bugs enjoying the young, tender leaves. With over a week with no rain, the irrigation system was delivering water to the plant roots. A hissing noise suggested something was wrong, and Charlie lifted the plastic sheeting to reveal a leak in the tubing. Out came a knife and a coupling, and in a short time the leak was fixed.

The rains have come less regularly in recent weeks, so the irrigation system has been put to use to help germinate the new plantings. Indeed, the rows of corn and squash have been pulled out and seedlings of the spring/fall veggies are coming along nicely. And at this time of year, the insects and critters are becoming less of a problem.

Mateo continues to provide a major part of the farm work. He was spreading compost and weeding the ends of the rows as we walked among the beds. And Amy continues to be a big help with distribution. Still, at this time of the year, it was not surprising that Charlie was feeling a bit stressed by the work and his concern that each week brings an adequate selection of veggies to us.

At this time of year the melons and squash are phasing out. The tomatoes, peppers and eggplant will continue until the first frost, but at reduced rates. But we will continue to get a variety of salad greens and start to see carrots, beets, turnips, bok choy and radishes.

As this season is coming to its close (our last week is October 18/20), Charlie is developing plans for extending this season and starting to think about next year.

As we were walking between the newly planted beds Charlie commented on how different the weather in Virginia was from his previous experience in Arizona. As he learns more about the weather patterns, insects and other challenges of farming in Virginia, we will all be the beneficiaries.

John Gallini, SPROUT Member and CORE Volunteer

FARM REPORT: August 2007

Farm Report – August 2007

As I write this, the temperature is approaching 100o, and Charlie is in Maine! And the farm is thriving.

One of the major challenges in operating a farm for a CSA is finding the right people to take on the different jobs that need to be covered, and now, almost half-way through the CSA season, it seems that Charlie has the right people. In addition to his wife Gina and their children Mae (12) and Conor (8), his team includes Amy and Mateo. Amy has the responsibility to prepare the shares for the market pick-up. (It was Amy who convinced Charlie that he could take a few days off to join his family in Maine). Mateo has assumed much of the responsibility for the field work – harvesting the crops, cleaning up the beds, and planting new seedlings. And, indeed, the field looks great as the rows of tomatoes stretch beyond their 7 ft. supports and some rows look ready to be replanted.

While the weather is going through a hot spell, and rain has been sparse, the fertile beds are surviving quite well. One of the concerns as the season started was whether the wells could support extensive irrigation, but the rains have been frequent enough so that the need for irrigation has been limited.

Another interesting development that has developed during the year is that Charlie is connecting with other organic farmers in the area, including Caryn Phillips and Tony Lagano. Caryn has continued farming part of the land that previously provided produce for Sprout. Tony has a small (40 member) CSA based in Louisa County. Charlie has arranged to trade some of his excess crops (such as eggplant and cucumbers) for chard and potatoes and onions, providing more diversity for our shares.

Insects continue to be a challenge. Japanese Beatles have been more-or-less controlled by the bug-bags, but they severely impacted the bush bean crop. The crops have been protected from Flea Beatles and Harlequin Bugs by the use of Reemay® row covers.

As beds are finished (such as the corn), the old plants are pulled and the beds are “solarized”. This process involves taking up the plastic mulch and the drip tape, working more compost into the bed and then covering the bed with clear plastic sheeting which allows the sun to heat the beds to the point where weed seeds are killed to a 2 inch depth. Then the plastic is removed, drip tape replaced and the bed is reseeded and covered with burlap. These beds are then irrigated regularly for a week and seeds will sprout in 3-7 days, at which point the row covers are put in place.

So expect some of the “spring vegetables” in the next few weeks – including lettuce, arugula, beets, cabbage and turnips. And, of course, the summer crops will continue – tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, squash melons … and we should start to get pole beans.

John Gallini, SPROUT Member and CORE Volunteer

Victory Farms- FARM REPORT: JUNE 2007

June 2007 Farm Report

In December 2006, Charlie and Gina Collins, and their children Mae (12) and Conor (8), moved to Hanover County from Phoenix by way of Maine. Gina had accepted a position at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and Charlie intended to continue his interest in organic farming. They had managed a 150-member CSA in Phoenix as one arm of their business, Victory Farms, Inc., and they were hoping to do something similar here. They rented a farmhouse in Hanover on a 52-acre site with an acre or so of land available to them to be farmed. So when he ran into Chris Humes and Sprout (via member Christina Newton) it seemed like a perfect match. By the end of April, Charlie and Sprout had signed a contract and by June 3rd, the 100-share capacity of the CSA was nearly sold out.

The farm consists of 50 raised beds, each 110 feet long by 3 feet wide. At one end of the beds is a 40 by 12 foot greenhouse where the seeds for most crops are started. A large quantity of manure from the farm (the owner raises horses) was worked into Charlie’s other specialty — the compost. The garden area is surrounded by a fence to keep out deer and other creatures that might enjoy the produce as much as we do. A drip irrigation system supplies water, and sometimes additional nutrients, to the plants. The water comes from one of two drilled wells. Each bed is covered with black plastic and straw mulch that keeps the weeds out and reduces water loss.

The early spring vegetables were planted down the outside of each bed and the later vegetables planted down the middle – with the expectation that the later vegetables will remain small until the early crops are harvested (which hasn’t always worked!) Holes are poked in the plastic mulch to plant the seeds and seedlings. Many of the crops are supported by a trellis or stakes so that they create a vertical garden. Tomato staking is a big project this weekend as a storm approaches from the Gulf.

Over 80 varieties of vegetables are planned, and most of them started. Of course, not everything will thrive, but we are definitely off to a good start. Here is a sampling of the items planned for this season:

Lettuces and salad greens, including Arugula, Mizuna, Batavian, Oak Leaf, Simpson, and green Butter Crisp.
Chicories, including Escarole, Endive, and Radicchio
Greens, including spinach, Swiss chard, kale, and mustard.
Broccoli and cabbages, including Napa, Hon Tsi Tai, and broccoli raab.
Onions, leeks, and green garlic.
Root vegetables, including carrots, beets, turnips, rutabaga, potatoes, and radishes.
Shelling and sugar snap peas.
Flat Italian and string beans.
Tomatoes, including Heirloom, cherry, salad, and paste.
Cucumbers, including Asian, Armenian, lemon, salad, and pickling.
Eggplant, including Black bell, Japanese, Chinese, and striped.
Watermelon, cantaloupe, and canary melons.
Corn
Summer and Winter Squash, including Zucchini, crookneck, patty pans, and Butternut.
Herbs, including basil, parsley, cilantro, dill, marjoram, and thyme.
Flowers – assorted cut and sunflowers.

Of course, there have been some challenges. Several weeks ago, Charlie noticed that there were no bees around and that the squash were not being pollinated. With the help of the county extension office, he ordered a rental hive which has now been delivered (one queen bee and 30,000 workers). After figuring out the best spot for the hive, the pollinating has begun!

Flea beetles are eating holes in the eggplant leaves, requiring treatment with the natural, organic bug repellent Neem, and one of the helpers discovered that he could significantly reduce the cabbage fly problem by using a homemade butterfly net.

One new technique will be installed soon – an injection system that will allow the addition of liquid organic fertilizer to the irrigation water.

You can see pictures of the farm at the Sprout website: www.sproutorganic.org. (You have to go to the BLOG section for now).

To me, it is amazing that so much has been accomplished in less than six months. Charlie had help from his mom and dad for two months in the spring, and now has his sister, Kate, here to help in June and July. But it’s a full-time job for the whole family!

Over the next few weeks we will see a transition from the spring crops to the early summer items.

John Gallini, 6/3/07