Vinaka Urban Farm

21/07/2022

Just a Proud Plant Papa and nature nerd gawking over collard greens.

07/07/2022

I have totally fallen in love with collard greens this year. They're one of those crops that looks SO gorgeous every time I walk out on to the farm, tall, upright and vividly blue-green. I've also discovered they're excellent sauteed in a little butter or bacon fat with some salt and pepper and eaten with eggs and breakfast sausage from .grass.dairy in the morning. So delicious, in fact, that I was too busy devouring them to take a picture today 😳👨‍🌾🍳

Veggies are looking happy in the morning sun after all that rain. It's a great day to be a farmer.

06/07/2022

Rather a magical night in Plant Paradise.

24/06/2022

Caught you blushing! The Sungolds are starting to turn! Might have a few quarts next week...on the unlikely chance any escape my ravenous on-the-job snacking 😬👨‍🌾🙃

16/06/2022

Showers this time of year can be a real difference-maker 😁🥕☀️

15/06/2022

Forget the lettuce. I'M wilting in this heat! Still, the weeds don't take days off, so sometimes neither can I. Therefore, it's 5am wake-up times, bust, ahem, *hiney* until 2pm, and siestas and pool time in the afternoon this week.

Is working so far! Record harvests of beets, carrots, radishes, kale and collard greens, none of which apparently take days off either! Compared to them I guess I'm a lazy farmer 😁👨‍🌾☀️

Come see me at market this week and make the work worthwhile! Who am I kidding? It's . If course you'll be there. 🧡🤍💚🥕🥬

#614

01/06/2022

Look who surprised me this evening!!!

31/05/2022

Taste-tested three varieties of early carrots pulled from the field this morning. HOLY MOLEY these things taste nothing like the orange wax sculptures of carrots you get in the stores. So vibrant, and with a texture that's crunchy but still somehow soft and not chewy. Incredible!!!

They're still between 1-3 weeks away from harvest size (I'm a novice carrot grower, so it's hard for me to tell), but it looks like there will be plenty when they do! I'll be so excited to add orange (and, on occasion, yellow and white - I'm trying out a few heirloom varieties) to the market table soon!

👨‍🌾🥕🤓

14/05/2022

No time to snap a photo at market today because the Clintonvillains swarmed High Street as soon as the bell sounded and I couldn't dish out greens fast enough to satiate their appetite for fresh veggies. But I did manage to grab a selfie as I sipped my tea in Plant Paradise (aka home) before I left.

Perfect day. Perfect market. Thanks to everyone who came out to and kept me busy loading, spritzing, selling and smiling. This really is the best market in town, probably in Ohio, and possibly in the world.



#614

06/05/2022

ENORMOUS harvest this week!!! The sky may be gray, but come out to market tomorrow morning at and you'll be bombarded with all the colors Plant Paradise has to offer.

Brave the rain for a few minutes and get to taste the freshness of spring all week? Sounds like a good trade to me. 🌈🥬🎪

#614

03/05/2022

Bursting with life: a top-down view of plant babies thriving in the spring. Most of these are from Plant Paradise, my experimental home garden, but some are also from the farm.

Palnts are beautiful. 'nuff said

1: Spinach
2: Tomato
3: Vinca
4: Marjoram
5: Lisianthus
6: Moroccan Mint
7: Dracula Plant
8: Asiatic Lily
9: Oregano
10: Lettuce

29/04/2022

It's been a cold and cloudy spring here in Ohio and the plants are geowing about as slowly as I trudged to the bus stop as a 3rd grader, but the hoop house managed to squeeze out a few pounds of lettuce mix this week (the fields are ready to erupt with more than a few pounds next). A good thing, too, because I promised the folks at City Folks Farm Shop () I'd have greens for them this week!

City Folks is one of my favorite shops in town. They carry supplies for farming, gardening, and homesteading and are HUGE supporters of local, sustainable, ethically run businesses. Going in there feels like stepping back in time to a place where you run into the same neighbors over and over and just plain feels like home. The surroundings of tools, seeds, jars and cast iron skillets practically beg for you to stay a while and jaw about the weather (as if us farmers needed any encouragement)!

In addition to supplies, City Folks carries a small assortment of local foods, including the pictured Vinaka greens. But they ALSO serve as a pick-up spot for local good that people can order online. This arrangement gives customers access to the full array of goods produced by local makers/growers while making those makers/growers' delivery routes a lot more manageable. This year, I'm one of those producers, so if you can't make it to market on Saturday morning you can pre-order from the full range of veggies to be harvested that week (link in bio) and pick it up at City Folks at your leisure. I drop off before 11am every Friday morning.

If you're in or around the Clintonville area, you should definitely pay City Folks a call. Just be warned: to go there is to run a serious risk of acquiring new hobbies that become obsessions in no time.

👨‍🌾🥕🍳💛

#614

22/04/2022

Made a very special first restaurant delivery of the season to this morning! Since this was the first delivery of the year, I decided to harvest and deliver on the same day (normally I harvest the day before).

Ampersand has bought my produce consistently over the past year, working with me even though I'm a very new farmer and still have a ton to learn. They genuinely care about the freshness, quality and sustainability of the produce they source. Additionally, head chef Joshua Cook (pictured) was recently named one of the top chefs in Columbus. It's a pleasure and an honor for them to buy my greens.

So, if you're planning on going out tonight and the idea of supporting a business that supports the local sustainable, farm-to-table agricultural community (I happen to know they make some mean and very creative Asian-inspired cocktails too) consider heading down to the intersection at 1st and High. You won't regret it.

#614

21/04/2022

Managing the low tunnels takes a lot of schlepping, but there is nothing like the feeling of uncovering all that vibrancy and color once they're removed. 😍

First in TEN DAYS!!! Mark your calendars! 🥳🥬🥕

#614

10/04/2022

There's nothing quite like the day Ohio finally lets you take the plastic off the tunnels in spring. Still leaving the frames up for the (inevitable) next cold front, but in the meantime, sweet mercy, it's good to see fresh vegetables growing in the sun.

First day of outdoors in downtown Clintonville is April 30th! Mark your calendars!

#614

24/03/2022

Digging Week was interrupted briefly by putting low tunnels over all the recently transplanted crops in preparation for the coming cold spell. Fear not, little seedlings. The sun will come again. 🌞

Now, back to the shovel...

21/03/2022

The beds are filling with life! Some direct-sown greens and radishes have sprouted and the first transplants are officially in the ground.

Pictured:

Spinach
Arugula
Radishes
Green onions
Bok choi
Tatsoi
Proud Plant Papa

Much more to come in the next few weeks! It's happening!!! 🐦🌸🥬🌤

08/03/2022

Morning everyone! Took advantage of the perfect weather (a warm day to work in followed by some rain to get seeds sprouting) to get the first direct-sowed seeds in the ground and thought I'd share the process.

First, I prepped the ground with my Ellia 3000 tilther. It's a drill-powered tool that grinds the top 1" of the soil into finer particles and levels the ground. The fine tilth creates ideal conditions for germination for direct-seeded crops, while the shallowness of the tilth means I don't disrupt the soil, which creates long-term compaction and destroys the environment of the all-important soil biology. And the fact that it runs on a drill means I don't burn any gas when I use it.

Next, I waited for the rain, which Mother Nature duly supplied on Sunday evening and Monday.

Finally, today I covered the beds with poly low tunnels. These are cheap but highly effective mini-greenhouses that are easy to make and portable, making them perfect for small-scale farmers like Present Me or obsessive home gardeners like Past Me. To make them, I just bend 10' lengths of EMT conduit, stick them in the ground at 5' intervals and cover them with 10' wide greenhouse plastic (you can also use rolls of 4-6mm clear plastic, which are sold at home improvement stores).

One danger with these tunnels is that wind can easily blow them away, but I've found that by clipping them to the EMT with spring clamps and putting sand bags on the plastic at the sides, even bad wind storms aren't a problem. Another danger is that on sunny days they can get VERY hot! I recommend opening the ends any time it's sunny and over 50 degrees out. You'll be shocked the first time you feel the rush of heat come out when you do!

These tunnels are amazing. They extend the growing season by at least a month in both spring and fall and allow me to protect the plant babies against the big weather swings we see here in the Midwest. They also lock in moisture and warm the soil, both of which help with germination, which should start in just a few days. I'll send along some pictures then. Meanwhile enjoy the crocuses and snowdrops! Spring is here!

28/02/2022

First farm seedlings of the season sown, fussed over, spoiled, and finally sprouted!

Pictured:
2,560 lettuce seedlings
180 tatsoi seedlings
180 bok choi seedlings
900 green onion seedlings

All these seedlings were sown a week ago (2/21). They're all looking healthy and hardy and I had very little anxiety over whether they would actually sprout. What a difference one year of full-time farming makes!

Finally, note the similarity in size between the sprout-lets in pics 6 and 7. Pic 6 is lettuce sown 7 days ago. Pic 7 is lisianthus sown a month ago 😯 That's how slowly those little flower babies grow! Can you believe they become glorious 3-foot-tall beauties with multiple blooms by the end of June?!?!

It's March tomorrow. I'm ready for spring. Bring it on, Ohio. 😎👨‍🌾🌱

#614

18/02/2022

Off-Season Update: Attended my first-ever OEFFA (Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association) conference! Hosted in the Dayton Convention Center, the annual OEFFA Conference is a place for Ohio farmers to network, gain inspiration, and learn about the local resources and programs that exist to help those interested in sustainable agriculture in the area.

What a day it's been. I've met some of the founders of .soil, , and - all great conversationalists in addition to running inspiring and unique Ohio businesses in the sustainable ag arena. I feel like a kid in a candy shop. 👨‍🌾🤓🍭🥬

Never have I felt so excited for or comfortable in a conference. When I was in the academy, I always felt some combination of bored, out of place, and nervous. Not so here. On the contrary, I feel right at home. Just one more sign that I'm a grower at heart.

One more special mention: Thanks to Darren Malhame and for sponsoring ny attendance here. I wouldn't have been able to attend otherwise, and am super thankful for them giving me the chance to do so.

Off to the next panel! 🤓😁🍅

15/02/2022

Off-Season Update:

The flimsy-but-cost-effective carport covering my wash/pack area collapsed under last week's snow load. No major damage done to any important equipment, just slight damage to the farm budget. But if I wasn't taking weather-induced hits to the pocketbook, would I *really* be a farmer? 🤔👨‍🌾😁

Fixing the damage gave me an excuse to get outside and do some actual physical work in the fresh air, which I've been missing. By the end I found myself singing tunes about spring and longing for the return of flowers and songbirds. I love Ohio's four seasons, but I'm ready for them to change again right about now.

That change is coming soon! In anticipation, I started the second round of flowers for the home garden, aka Plant Paradise. Into the large soil blocks went 60 pansy seeds, which we'll transplant out around the beginning of April.

First greens seeds for the farm get sown in less than a week! It's happening!!! 🥬🐦🌸

01/02/2022

*FIRST SPROUTS ALERT!!!*

The lisianthus seeds have started germinating! You almost have to have glasses to see them, but the tiny sprout-lets have begun to emerge from their seed casings and explore the outside world!

As mentioned in the last post, I'm experimenting to see how best to start lizzies from seed. So far, the ones on heating mats and under lights are clearly the quickest and most consistent to germinate, while the seeds started on heat mats without light and those started under lights with no heat mat are lagging behind. Looks like putting them on a heat mat under lights is the way to go. Interestingly, practically all seeds of the Mariachi Pure White variety (upper left quadrant in the pictures) have germinated under all three growing conditions, so if you want to take a crack at growing Lizzies from seed yourself, I'd definitely start there. It's not too late!

It is MAGICAL to see these tiny plant babies start their life journey, and it warms the soul to have green things growing in the office/seedling nursery again. Still a couple weeks until I start the first veggie seeds, but I'll keep you posted on the Lizzies and other behind-the-scenes farm stuff in the meantime. Spring is coming!

24/01/2022

First sowing of 2022 officially underway!

I got tired of waiting for a sunny day and went ahead and broke out the soil blocker yesterday. Into the 3/4" blocks went tiny lisianthus seeds - about 60 seeds each of 4 varieties for a grand total of 240 seeds. They are for our front yard, not the farm, but if I'm on top of things you might see some grace the farmer's market stands come summer. 🤞

Lisianthus is my favorite thing to grow from seed right now. Technically a biennial native to Texas, it takes six months from seed to bloom, allowing me to start seeds in January when the gardening itch starts to intensify. The seeds start out TINY (see pictures) and they grow incredibly slowly for the first three months, but by July they grow into glorious, gorgeous three-foot-high beauties teeming with multiple blooms. Taking a little bit of care of them every day for six months and being rewarded with their blossoms epitomizes of one of the greatest joys of growing.

As is often the case, I found mixed information online about how to germinate the seeds, so I created three different trays under three different conditions to see for myself. One tray is on a heating pad under grow lights. One is under grow lights at 70 degree ambient temperature with no heating pad. And one tray is on a heating pad with no lights. The opportunity to do DIY science is another thing I love about growing.

I can't believe it took me three and a half decades to figure out I wanted to be a farmer. Better late than never 🤷‍♂️👨‍🌾🌹

20/01/2022

Goooooood morn - er, afternoon, Columbus! (I let myself sleep in and enjoy the rare leisurely morning today. It feels glorious).

I might be taking the winter off from growing, but there's still plenty of work going on around the farm. In fact, some of the most important work of the year goes on right now. It entails planning, paperwork and lots of coffee. Many of the farmers who inspired me insist that the most important tools on their farm are their smartphone and their computer, and last year's experience showed me how wise those words are. Keeping close track of crop growth and sales during the year and reviewing it closely during the offseason are absolutely critical components of learning how to get better next year.

Accordingly, I've been spending lots of time in front of my computer the last couple weeks. This week, I organized my paperwork filing system, updated the Vinaka website, set up a new printer, made a tool-charging station, adjusted my seedling shelves, reviewed last year's numbers, abs set goals for the upcoming weeks.

All that feels good, but still, I'm a farmer in January, which means I've got the itch to plant. I got to scratch that just the slightest bit by securing my first supply of seed-starting mix on Tuesday. The first seedlings I'll grow won't be for the farm - they'll be lisianthus for our front yard. The seedlings take three full months to mature to the transplanting stage, so I can get my growing fix a few weeks earlier than if I waited until it was time to start the first farm seedlings. Plus, the results can be spectacular (see pictures of last year's lizzies). I'll post updates of the tiny seedlings as they go through their magical process of growth.

Stay warm out there!

#614

17/01/2022

Goooood morning, Columbus!!!

It's been a while, as I've been submerged in some much-needed rest after the farming season. However, my hibernation period is beginning to pay off and I plan to start keeping folks updated with farm developments, memories from last year, and insights about what's all involved in prepping for the growing season. It's a lot!

For my first post of 2022, I want to give a long-overdue shoutout to City Folk's Farm Shop. Located just south of Morse Road on N. High St. in Clintonville, City Folks is chalk-full of gardening/farming supplies, homesteading resources, and foods grown/made by local producers. Walking through the store is a wonderful, homey aesthetic experience that simultaneously makes you feel cozy and inspired. It's one of my favorite spots in Columbus.

This past year, City Folks carried Vinaka's lettuce mix and a rotating assortment of other greens through the entire growing season. We're planning to continue the same arrangement next season. Denise and Paisley have been lovely to work with, understanding the unpredictability of small-scale farming, nursing my farmer self-esteem by consistently praising my produce, and consistently supporting me through the slow process of building product recognition and acustomer base. They also inspired me to start eating more ethically produced, local meat and dairy, a process made all the easier by the ability to pick it up right there in the store during my Friday deliveries.

For the upcoming season, I'll be adding the option to order the full range of Vinaka produce online and have it delivered to City Folks, where you can pick it up at your leisure any time after it's delivered on Fridays. I look forward to renewing my weekly visits, and encourage all of you to start doing the same. City Folks is run by good people who themselves make a point of supporting good people. What's not to love?

#614

10/01/2022

22/10/2021

By far the biggest, greenest, healthier bok choi on my farm is the one that spontaneously grew from a castoff seedling in the compost pile.

This is why we call compost "black gold." Can't wait to incorporate it into my plots next year.

12/10/2021

Here's what's coming off the fields this week!

The offerings are dwindling as the daylight hours do the same, but salad greens are here to stay through the fall and looking every bit as beautiful as they did in spring.

Home deliveries will continue until the end of October! After that, you can still get Vinaka greens at Clintonville Farmer's Market and City Folks Farm Shop until Thanksgiving weekend, then a welcome winter break before the start of a second full season. I'm already excited at the prospect.

#614

09/10/2021

Morning everyone!

It's a foggy morning but a beautiful one. The temperature isjust right, and if you walk fast enough you can feel Autumn giving you dewdrop kisses as you pass.

#614

05/10/2021

Here's what's coming off the fields this week!

This week marks the long-awaited return of that greens-lovers' cult favorite, spinach! As Sheryl Crow famously noted, "The first cut is the sweeeeetest," so if you've been hankering for some of that deep green in your salads, now it's the time to order.

This week is also the last week of hakurei turnips. They were a big hit this year, so be prepared to have them more regularly available next growing season. The Easter egg radishes I sowed 1.5 weeks ago germinated nicely, but it will still be a few weeks before they're ready to harvest, and that will likely be a wrap for root season.

From here on out it's the heyday of greens season, with lettuce, spinach, power greens and Asian greens baking in the glory of the autumn temps they love. They look so vibrant in the field, they could rival a bed of flowers for sheer beauty. Stay tuned for pics.

As always, the webstore opens at 9am Tuesday and closes at 6am Thursday. Place your orders online at https://vinakaurbanfarm.square.site/ during that window for delivery Friday afternoon. And don't forget to leave your coolers out!

#614