02/28/2026
We passed one of our first seasonal milestones last week by completing the first big planting project of the year!
This planting project transformed Hoophouse 3 into its Spring Phase. Hoophouse 3 is our largest growing structure on the farm, providing the first big volume of new crops each year. Though it's unheated, this hoophouse can be planted as soon as the deepest cold of winter breaks - hopefully that has truly happened now!
For Hoophouse 3, we chose varieties that are cold hardy, highly valued in CSA boxes and at market, provide variety at a time of year when diversity is low, and grow quickly. Everything needs to reach maturity and be out by May 1st, to make way for the Summer Phase of fruiting crops. So, we planted salad mix, arugula, beets (for bunching), dill, cilantro, green onions, radish, and pak choi.
After removing w**d suppression tarps and adding compost, we brought the tractor in to incorporate it into the soil. We marked beds and planting lines, then it was all hands on deck to plant this space. Planting finished on Friday - and just in time! With cold nights this week, we're trusting they have had just enough time to recover from transplant shock to handle those conditions.
Our next spring plantings are scheduled for the next 2-3 weeks, but we anticipate those being more challenging. They'll be going into our field tunnels, which are both the least insulated of our structures and waterlogged from snow melt at the moment! Field tunnels do warm up a lot when the sun is out, so were crossing our fingers for some clearer days ahead.š±ā
