The Farm on 7th

12/13/2024

UPDATE: Onion/garlic orders should be available for pick-up starting Saturday. We still have bundles available of everything at this point - Texas Early White, 1015 Super Sweet, Texas Legend, Red Candy Apple, Red Creole and mixed packs as well as a few more pounds of Elephant Garlic seed.

Online order form: https://form.jotform.com/203466202164144 (We will contact you once your order is available for pickup.)

11/30/2024

Although we are not doing Fall plants due to our construction, we are going to have onion plant starts available.

We also have a limited amount of Elephant Garlic seed at $16/pound. Elephant garlic is one of the easiest garlics that we're aware of to grow in Zone 9.

If you are interested in purchasing any, please place your order by Sunday, December 8th.

Online order form: https://form.jotform.com/203466202164144

09/16/2024

AND MORE NEWS…
In order for us to continue to keep costs low, it has become very apparent we need to work on ways to increase our efficiency, so along with a variety of changes we are already making, we are also in the process of adding 2 new large greenhouses. (The photos show all the pieces we received and what they're supposed to look like when we're done. 🙂)

As part of that process, we had to come to the difficult decision that it was necessary to remove the pluot and peach orchards in order to make room for the greenhouses and allow for further efficiencies and expansion of the home food production plant sale.

Additionally, it will be necessary for us to skip doing any 2024 Fall plant sales in order to fully focus on getting the greenhouses completed.

On the bright side… our ultimate goal with doing this is to offer the right plants at the right time throughout all the seasons of the year.

We thank you for your understanding and support!

09/14/2024

ANOTHER YEAR WITHOUT STRAWBERRY PLANTS :-(
We were excited to have found a new source for strawberry plants for this year but received bad news a few weeks ago.

For the past several years, strawberry growers have been experiencing a major issue with a disease affecting the fruit and leaves of the plants and, unfortunately, two of the nurseries our new supplier uses recently reported having this disease in their nursery.

We don’t want to bring infected plants here (especially to then share with others) so sadly we are having to skip this year again. We will have to wait and see what the future brings on this new disease.

For those of you interested in learning more, below is a blog post with more information.

Pestalotia fruit rot and leaf spot, caused by Neopestalotiopsis sp. and more commonly referred to as “Neo-P or Neopestalotiopsis”, is an emerging disease that impacts strawberry production (Picture 1). This disease made headlines in 2019 and 2020 when it was first reported to severely impact str...

09/13/2024

With the Baker Creek National Heirloom Expo now at the Ventura County Fairgrounds (right next to the beach!) we made a quick trip this week to check it out. They have seeds and plants for purchase, lots of speakers talking on a wide variety of topics, the largest heirloom seed swap, a poultry show and more. If you haven't had a chance to attend, we would recommend checking out next year's expo!
https://www.rareseeds.com/national-heirloom-expo

07/21/2024

Yes! It is possible to have a complete garden in containers.

The tables from our 2024 Home Food Production Spring Plant Sale became the platform for our container garden - and the results are impressive!
[UPDATE TO POST: 7/21/24 at 3:18 PM: We realize we caused some confusion since there are some 10-gallon plastic pots showing in the video. The flowers that are seen in the video are planted in plastic pots while most everything else - aside from one tomato, most of the tomatillo plants and a few other random plants - are in fabric pots.]

Yes! It is possible to have a complete garden in containers.The tables from our 2024 Home Food Production Spring Plant Sale became the platform for our conta...

06/07/2024

FINAL DAYS | JUNE 7 & 8 | 9 AM TO 6 PM
The last two days of the 2024 Spring Plant Sale are Friday, June 7th and Saturday, June 8th! We still have tomatoes, peppers, melons, cucumbers, herbs and squash. All varieties of sweet potatoes (except white) are available and one of the new varieties of basil we tried this year - Everleaf Emerald Towers - looks awesome!

PRICES: 4" pots - $3 | 6-pack container - $6 | 1 gallon - $6

We also have a few plants available in 5-gallon size. Availability should be up to date in the online catalog if you're wondering if we still have something specific: https://www.farmon7th.com/plant-catalog

05/29/2024

PEST MANAGEMENT
We've received some comments/concerns about the post we made about earwigs and realized we neglected to preface it with a discussion on pest management. We should have made it clear it is ALWAYS preferable to have a good pest management program in place in an effort to manage things naturally.

At the Farm on 7th, ducks have always been our primary pest control (chickens can work as well), along with w**d management, removing crops as soon as we've done our final harvest, and growing plants that attract beneficial insects. We have possums and skunks here as well that presumably also play a part in helping keep things in check.

Some feedback from people on what’s been working/what they’re trying/have tried:
• Several people reached out stating that diatomaceous earth seems to help, one stating they buy specifically food grade.

• There are different types of traps being employed. As you can see from the photo of the rectangular plastic container, this size container (roughly 5x9) is doing a fairly good job of catching them and the bugs should be cleaned/strained out regularly. The magic combination seems to be soy sauce to attract the earwigs with oil to trap them. (We can't use these since our ducks would make a mess.)

• Here is another type of trap one of our customers is trying out (using lawn staples instead of tape): https://youtu.be/9d80yKle7eU

• "I found soapy water and vinegar to be very effective in killing them on contact but should not be sprayed in areas where growing is taking place. All other areas I am spraying and have killed thousands."

• "I have tried Cinnamon oil and garlic oil which have not worked as a repellant. The next one I will try is Rosemary oil that I have read works."

As a matter of course, we choose not to "go to war" with the various insects and instead will pull whatever crop is having the issue and try again the next year. However, we are not talking earwig numbers where they can actually serve as a beneficial insect killing aphids. We're talking an infestation of tens of thousands (at least) in some areas of town with earwigs at the property we're currently growing on ravaging the plants and fruit. Fortunately we’re not dependent on income from these crops, but this level of infestation would be a significant issue to someone trying to make a living selling their produce.

The first photo shows a previous year's healthy onion patch versus the onion plants this year. We had planned to have a class to teach people to make onion braids this year, but that is no longer possible. The annihilation of the green tops by the earwigs has also led the normally softball sized onions to be more the size of a tennis ball and some people have told us they got nothing at all.

Aside from destroying onions, the earwigs are destroying strawberries, eating and crawling into the nectarines, and making skeletons out of the broccoli; they destroyed our beet greens and sage, ate through the leaves of our kale and sunflowers, and the list goes on. When a neighbor notes the "whole back of the house wall was crawling black with them"; someone tells us they bit into one of their own homegrown strawberries to find an earwig inside; and a new beekeeper tells us that earwigs are in his beehives wrestling with his bees, things are out of balance.

We have a few other things that have been recommended to us that we're trying out and we will report on them if they turn out to be helpful. Good luck out there!

05/24/2024

2024 SPRING PLANT SALE EXTENDED THROUGH JUNE 8TH | THURSDAYS, FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS 9 AM TO 6 PM
For those of you who still have space in your garden – or haven’t yet had a chance to start 🙂 - we are extending the sale through June 8th.

PRICES: 4" pots - $3 | 6-pack container - $6 | 1 gallon - $6

We still have stock of most plants and also have a few plants available in 5-gallon size. We're working to keep availability up to date in the online catalog if you're wondering if we still have something specific: https://www.farmon7th.com/plant-catalog

05/22/2024

EARWIGS/PINCHER BUGS
Earwigs are at severe infestation levels this year, causing issues for us and a LOT of our customers. If your plants are getting eaten up, but you're not sure by what, go out at night and check with a flashlight as that's when the earwigs come out and do the damage. This photo was taken tonight showing them on the sunflowers.

Although oil traps can generally work with some efficacy, they are nowhere near the level necessary in many gardens this year given the level of infestation. Someone recommended Sluggo Plus to us which is approved for organic food production. The earwigs are definitely attracted to it and it has been helpful. This product also notes it works for cutworms, sowbugs/pill bugs, slugs and snails. (Be sure you get Sluggo "Plus" as the other Sluggo products don't work for earwigs.)

If anyone has had success with anything else, please let us know so we can share and help others. Thank you!

05/21/2024

NURSERY CONTAINERS & FLATS RECYCLING
One of the ways we keep our costs down is by recycling the plastic containers and flats the plants come in (we go through A LOT). So if you've been accumulating plastic containers, flats, etc from your gardening purchases and are wondering what to do with it all, we will happily take all types of containers and trays!

There is a table and a plastic trash can where items can be dropped at 587 7th Street. Or you can leave things right outside the gate as well.

Thank you for helping us keep prices down for everyone and keeping reusable plastic out of the landfill!

05/17/2024

WEEK 7 OF 8 | MAY 16-18 | 9 AM TO 6 PM
Yes! We still have plants - and they're much bigger now. :-)

We tried to make sure we would have a good selection all the way to the end of the sale and right now we have peanut plants back in stock, there are tomatoes on some of the tomato plants, the tomatillos are doing their thing and there are still plenty of other plants to choose from!

PRICES: 4" pots - $3 | 6-pack container - $6 | 1 gallon - $6

Online catalog (for reference only: https://www.farmon7th.com/plant-catalog

05/15/2024

2024 NORCO RANCH TOUR
We invite you to visit us at our second growing area at the Five Keys/EAT Center farm on Sierra during this year’s Norco Ranch Tour on Saturday, June 1st. We will be there along with incubator farmers who have completed the EAT Center small farmer training.

From 11 am to 4 pm you can visit all 8 places on the tour for only $10! (Children 12 and under are free) You can start at any location and your ticket is good for the entire tour. Spend as much time as you wish at each location. Proceeds from this event benefit local Norco charities.

Our friends at Kmar Farms will also have Norco small businesses Soaps McGoats and Kimpton Farms & Artisan Bakery at their location along with many other vendors selling scones, honey, chocolate, flannels, blankets, hats, candles and more!
https://norcoranchtour.com/

05/02/2024

WEEK 5 OF 8 | MAY 2-4 | 9 AM TO 6 PM
We still have stock of most everything in the catalog and the plants have been loving this warm weather! (Check out the video 🙂🌱)

The pickling cucumbers are ready (although still on the small side) and bush beans are finally in as well. Sweet potatoes will be ready by next weekend for sure!

PRICES: 4" pots - $3 | 6-pack container - $6 | 1 gallon - $6

Online catalog (for reference only: https://www.farmon7th.com/plant-catalog

05/01/2024

PRODUCE AVAILABLE AT THIS WEEK'S PLANT SALE
This weekend's plant sale will include produce! We will have our always popular, delicious and long-lasting lettuce salad mix which will easily last 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. We will also have Golden and Candy Cane/Chioggia Beets, Red Cabbage and Lacinato/Dinosaur Kale.

04/26/2024

AVAILABILITY UPDATE
Should have known we shouldn't send out an announcement without checking during daylight hours to avoid disappointing people who hoped to get the pickling cucumbers this weekend. :-( The seed order we placed several weeks ago had gotten lost and we didn't get the pickling cucumbers until recently. They will be ready by Week 6 of the sale and we'll be sure to post once they're ready!

Meanwhile, below is a list of updates on stock. Check out the online catalog for descriptions:

NEW ADDITIONS:
Herb: Bouquet Dill, Teddy Dill
Watermelon: Sangria
Summer Squash: Sunburst Patty Pan (Yellow)
Summer Squash: Spineless Beauty Zucchini (Green)
Winter Squash: Table Queen Acorn (Vining)
Winter Squash: Table Treat Acorn (Bush)
Winter Squash: Long Island Cheese Pumpkin

COMING WEEK 6: MAY 9-11
Bush Bean: Momentum, Provider
Cucumber: Pickling (Gershwin)

TO BE DETERMINED:
Sweet Potato: Dowling's, Molokai Purple, Orange Flesh, White Flesh

OUT FOR THE SEASON
Beets: Candy Cane/Chioggia
Broccoli: Godzilla
Herb: Italian Large Leaf Basil, Garlic Chives, Parsley (Forest Green, Italian Flat Leaf), Stevia
Kolhrabi: Quickstar
Lettuce: Tehama
Melon: Canary
Peas: Cascadia Sugar Snap
Pepper: Yolo Wonder Bell, Habanero (bad year), Jedi Jalapeño,
Summer Squash: Golden Glory Zucchini
Tomato: Mortgage Lifter
Tomato, Paste Type: Roma (Tachi)

Online catalog (for reference only: https://www.farmon7th.com/plant-catalog)