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Springtime at Katchkie Farm Getting Ready for our CSA

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As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, we get even more excited for the produce coming from our organic farm, Katchkie Farm, in the Hudson Valley. Over the years, our culinary team has worked even more closely with Farmer Jon to get ready for the the growing season, and we’ve all–from our chefs to our guests–enjoyed the bounty. Last year during the growing season, about 30% of the produce we use in our kitchens came from our own organic farm. We also share our bounty through our CSA program. Learn more about our CSA and sign up at Katchkie Farm’s website.

A Note from Farmer Jon

Spring is a very exciting time here on the farm. It is a time when the sunlight starts noticeably coming back, when we get glimpses of the warmer weather ahead, and when the plans that were dreamed of back in the depths of winter can begin in earnest.

No matter how many times I have seen it, watching the first seedlings sprout out of the soil, making their connection with the sunlight, brings me great joy. In the beginning of March, the first onion seeds made their way into soil-filled trays in our greenhouse and within a week, those same seeds started their emergence from the soil. For me this is the first true sign that the growing season has begun. We are now, several weeks into our nursery starts and the greenhouse is slowly filling up with lovely shades of green and leaves of various shapes and sizes. As the weather begins to settle, these young plants will make their way out into the fields and eventually onto the plates of our beloved customers.

This winter—and now merging into the spring months—has been loaded with tractor repairs. Usually there are a few weeks in leading up to growing season that I can set aside to get all the general maintenance on our machines finished, but this year there were some more involved repairs. At one point our workhorse tractor barely resembled a tractor. It was split into two pieces; the wheels, seat, and fuel tank were removed; and the transmission was in a box on the workshop table! After many trips to our local tractor dealer, late nights, and the help from a long-time mechanic friend, it was all put back together and is now ready for our spring field work.

 One of the most exciting aspects of the upcoming season is getting to implement what I have learned over the winter months. Pouring over books and webinars about how plants cycle different nutrients, which minerals are essential at different points in a plant’s life cycle, as well as how to build soil carbon while growing a vegetable crop were some of the topics I had focused on. Some of these principles can be put into practice and will dovetail nicely with what we are already doing at Katchkie Farm. Others will have to be tried in much smaller trials. From what I can garner, the results will be quite delicious!

Ready to sign up for our CSA? Click the link below!

Sign Up for the Katchkie Farm CSA

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