Terra Cotta Farms

06/01/2026

It’s scape season on the farm!
Scapes are the flowering stalk of the garlic plant, they are milder than the cloves, and only grow on hardneck garlic.
 It’s best to remove the scapes from the plant, that way it can direct its energy back to the bulb.
If scapes are left they will produce a flower and then bulbils (seeds) are formed, which can be used to start new garlic.
Leaving them on will result in smaller bulbs at harvest time.

This is the home stretch for our garlic, in about a month or so we will be harvesting.
So now is the time to stop fertilizing and keep w**d pressure down.
And even though mother nature had the job of watering under control for a while, now conditions seem to be leaning more to the dry side.
So make sure your garlic gets at least an inch of water per week.
The care we give our plants now will pay off at harvest time.

If you plant ice, you’re gonna harvest wind

Bee humble ✌️

05/21/2026

05/21/2026

Happy world bee day!
Bees are responsible for 1/3 of the food we consume.
So don’t forget to thank them for all their hard work.
Bee humble people ✌️🐝

04/27/2026

It was a Bee-utiful weekend to work the hives!
Our spring maintenance is in full swing.
All of our colonies made it through the winter which is a first and quite uncommon in the beekeeping world.
Varroa mite management and ample food stores play huge role in over wintering.

The first picture is a poster child of what a bee hive is made up of.
Pollen stores on the right side
Nectar and worker cells in the center
Capped worker brood cells on the left
On the lower left you can see cells that protrude from the comb surface. Those are drone cells (male bees).
And in the lower center of the frame there is a long peanut looking cell.
That is a queen cell and a beauty if I do say so myself!

In the next picture there is the queen of the hive herself making her rounds.
See if you can spot her.

Enjoy! ✌️ 🐝

04/15/2026

Without question Spring has sprung here on the farm!
Lilacs are in bloom, mushrooms are popping up, bees are bringing in pollen, and after a 4 year long wait our first plot of asparagus has reached maturity where it can be harvested.
Our Asparagus is the Mary Washington variety, which is a heirloom variety, and is organically grown right here in Ottawa, IL.
It’s just starting to take to off so our supplies will be very limited but if you are looking to purchase you can find it at Open Space Art galley on Madison street in Ottawa.
We hope you all enjoy it as much as we do!
✌️🐝🍄

04/04/2026

Garlic update:
March gave us some above average temperatures and the garlic has loved it!
95% of our crop emerged though the straw/mulch on its own.
So now is a good time to check on the beds and help out any of the cloves that might be stuck below.
Just pull back any mulch around the clove and let them breathe, your garlic will thank you!
Garlic is also a heavy feeder so now is a good time to fertilize.
A 5-2-2 fertilizer is a good choice to boost your crop as it starts to enter its bulb stage.
Harvest time will be here before you know so treat your garlic well and you’ll be rewarded!
✌️ 🧄

02/16/2026

Bee-autiful day for some hive inspections!
Zero winter loss so far!
Most of the colonies had very nice clusters indicating a strong start to spring.
All colonies still had great food stores, we added a small amount of fondant for insurance.
A guest appearance by master keeper J-ray Sampson as well as the young padawan in training Floyd Z.
Teach your children well the future depends on it!
Bee Humble 🐝 ✌️

02/14/2026

Bee kind people 🐝❤️

St. Valentine isn’t just about chocolates, cards, and romance. Long before modern Valentine’s Day became what it is today, St. Valentine was associated with care, devotion, protection, and compassion.

Back in 496 A.D., St. Valentine was named the patron saint of beekeepers. And honestly… it makes sense.

Beekeeping isn’t about grand gestures.
It’s about:
🐝Caring for something fragile
🐝Protecting life that sustains others
🐝Showing up, consistently and gently
That’s the kind of “love” this is about.

So when you see St. Valentine connected to beekeeping around Valentine’s Day, it’s not about hearts and candy — it’s about recognizing the quiet, devoted work beekeepers do for their bees.

Different kind of love.
Same heart behind it. 🐝💛

12/12/2025

Fresh garlic powder is now available at Open Space Art Gallery & Studios!!
$10/jar

We also still have whole garlic bulbs available!
Both options make the perfect addition to all your holiday meals. 🎄🧄

Stop in and grab some while it’s fresh!

11/22/2025

Late post:
All the garlic is planted and covered with a nice blanket of straw to keep it warm this winter, it also helps keep the w**ds down come next spring.

A little over 3,700 cloves planted by hand that’s a new record for the farm!

We’ll have 9 different varieties that we are excited to share with you all next year each one having its own unique characteristics.

We still have some Italian softneck available, which stores well and will hold up well into next year but supplies are dwindling fast so stock up for all your holiday dishes. We like to use ours in bagna cauda and garlic confit. You can purchase at Open Space Art Gallery & Studios.