Roots and Fruits Farm

06/24/2024

Being able to grow food for my family is such an important part of my life. Sadly, life has a way of tossing things about now and again. So, I decided to share the process of my journey of “starting over”. I hope it can be relatable to those either just starting out, think they can’t start where they are or for those starting over - like me.
This year I don’t have my big garden, and I am no longer employed at the market garden where I was able to grow produce for our on-site cafe and market as well as fulfill the needs for customers interested in our farm share and our bi-weekly farm-to-table dinners. I am in the process of relocating and going through a divorce and my dad became very ill within the last few months.
What a huge identity loss I feel! I mean, this is what I got to wake up and do every day all day and it was beautiful! And yes, I took a hot minute to feel sorry for myself and allow myself the space to be sad - but it was only a minute as I am not one to sit around and just give up. However, taking a moment to take in my new reality was an important part of the process.
This summer, I am growing 3 tomato plants, a bell pepper plant, an Anaheim pepper plant and some lovely volunteer currant tomatoes. Today, I added a container of cucumbers. I have a few containers of herbs lined up along the drive and that is the extent of my growing. And it’s okay.

11/16/2023

The Department of Agriculture released an updated plant hardiness zone map yesterday.
The last update to this map was 2012.

The 2023 map is based on 30-year averages of the lowest annual winter temperatures at specific locations. It was very interesting to see and compare the maps over time.

Check the link in the post below.

New USDA hardiness zone map released today ‼️ Besides checking to see if your zone has officially changed, there is a lot to explore here! This map includes two new zones and a finer level of detail.

The NEW hardiness zone map is based on 30-year averages (1991 to 2020) for the lowest annual winter temperatures within specified locations. The 2012 edition was based on averages from 1976 to 2005.

Low temperature during the winter is a crucial factor in the survival of plants at specific locations.

New zones: 12 and 13 have been introduced for regions with average annual extreme minimum temperatures above 50 degrees and 60 degrees F, respectively. They appear only on the maps for Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

The new map(s) were jointly developed by Oregon State University's PRISM Climate Group and the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, and it is the most accurate and detailed USDA has ever released.

https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/

07/25/2023

Preserving the foods you grow is such an important skill to teach and know. We have loads of tomatoes, so today we are going to be making dried tomatoes in the dehydrator, tomato sauce for canning and using the tomato that won't process through the mill for tomato powder. The kids are doing an excellent job helping!

07/18/2023

Quite the herb harvest today. We love growing fresh herbs to use during spring and summer and drying them for use during the colder months. You will taste the difference!
Although we use herbs to add flavor to our foods, they can also provide a lot of health benefits for your body. Medicinal herbs can be used in so many ways including teas, tinctures, essential oils, and salves. Herbs should not be overlooked when planning your garden!

06/17/2023

This year, we are succession planting 5 - 4x4 beds using the Three Sisters method. Each bed will have a different bean variety that we will allow to grow to maturity so we will be able to have dried beans throughout the winter months.
We really enjoyed the Honeynut Butternut Squash last year, so much in fact that we decided to grow only that in our Three Sisters beds!
Last year we grew some Glass Gem Corn, a flint corn, that we made hominy and cornmeal from, and saved a few seeds from for next year to plant. This year, we decided to grow a sweet corn and chose the Astronomy Domine variety due to the antioxidants it provides. We hope its as tasty as it looks!

06/14/2023

Checking on the size of the carrots (and making it an afternoon snack!)

02/02/2023

Even though it's a bit too cold for planting outside, it's the perfect time to get seeds started!

There are several plants you can and should get started early on. Onions, peppers, eggplants and artichokes were the first seeds of the year for our garden. Tomatoes came the following week with some brassicas and today we started a few more seeds for succession planting and even threw out a few trays of lettuce.

There's just something about sitting in a warm greenhouse planting seeds ^_^

01/16/2023

Its been a while since we posted anything, but that is because we have been busy! Making alterations to last years gardening plans; moving the trellis and planning new plots - also leveling some of the raised beds while the ground is soft enough.
The winter season was spent adding ammendments to the soil, cleaning up the garden area and prepping it for early spring planting. We also planted our garlic in November and we are already seeing them sprout up! 12 weeks left until our average last frost date!

10/05/2022

Hoping this method works well for keeping the warmth in for the plants over the weekend. With the temperatures dropping this weekend, we took the opportunity tonight to cut and test fit these to act as "mini greenhouses".
Fall is here, and though most of the plants are frost hardy, with succession planting, some are still quite small and we really want to prolong our growing season as long as possible.

09/24/2022

D found the garden turtle this morning - "can we keep him?", he asks... Of course! But he will stay outside lol

So, making his debut, meet Be**er

08/29/2022

Rain, rain, take it easy!
My poor corn plants...

08/24/2022

Just a few garden updates from yesterday and a few puns ^_^

07/06/2022

Clearing went well I must say! Swisher Brand Products makes an amazing that helped us take out so much of this overgrowth. Now, on to battling a pretty severe poison ivy rash - because it happens...

07/03/2022

The rains perked up the garden quite a bit today. Just a few pics to share how things are coming along - so far so good!

I think tonight we are going to hang out and enjoy some of our hardwork and enjoy the evening! Happy and safe 4th guys!

06/30/2022

Checking out the garden this morning, I see have a nemesis in my tomato patch.... I looked and looked - but a master of camouflage - I was not successful in finding the hornworm responsible! I know what I'll be doing tonight... outside with a UV light trying to find this little bu**er.

06/30/2022

Just wanted to share the before and after of the spot I managed to get cut down today. It was blistering hot when I started this and just over half an hour I managed to clear so much space - and turn myself into a puddle of sweat...
Still, I am just all too excited for tomorrow so I can get back at it. These pictures just don't provide any justice on how much clearing was actually done. This spot in particular will be made into an herb spiral garden. My friends over at Holmberg Family Homestead showed me their spiral herb garden during my visit and it inspired me to build one of my own! ... there's still the matter of contending with this tree - but that's for another day!

06/29/2022

This girl has some clearing to do today!

Land management is just part of it! The plan is to extend the garden to have ground level planting for corn, perhaps a few potato beds, a lovely artichoke patch and who knows what else!! Even a bit more space for additional raised beds!

The end goal is to have enough space to grow all my family needs to eat throughout the year. Being self-sufficienct is hard, but rewarding work; and it doesn't happen overnight.

06/26/2022

The little and I went out to my moms for a bit this afternoon (I was gifting her a little greenhouse)
*YOUR WELCOME MOMMA!*

We all have seen how tough things are getting out there - gas and food costs keep going up... so, I have been venturing more into foraging wild edibles the last several weeks and my parents have the yard for it! Full of amazing food. We have found morels out there, bugleweed, 2 apple trees just to quickly name a few.

Before we left, Declan and I found a few ripe ground strawberries and he was all to eager to eat them... not one for me though silly kid... and we went to check on the grape vine my parents have growing. Seriously, how awesome is it that I can raise my kids to know what is and isn't safe to eat - not just from our garden but what nature has already provided? As we take this journey into self-sufficiency, I am more proud everyday to share what I learn with my kids and hope that they too continue to grow and nurture their minds bodies and spirits.