June 8/2017

As we all know the beginning of this year has been… challenging. It was to cold to plant and then all of the sudden, summer, with brief interludes of fall.

            This out of character weather is due to a pacific weather pattern called ENSO, or El Nino Southern Oscilation. Within that cycle is 2 phases the “hot phase” called El Nino and the “cold phase” called La Nina. Guess which one we are in now? So snuggle up aggies cause this little girl is with us till the water warms (usually 9-12 months) … ( we are about 5-6 months in so don’t panic)

What are El Niño and La Niña?

     

   But like all plant lovers, gardeners, and aggies we threw on the rain gear and toughed it out to get things planted. First, however, was a brief reprieve in a cozy classroom to learn about earthworms and yarrow (our professors aren’t cruel).

            Lumbricus terrestris, also known as Earthworm, Dew worm, and (my personnel favourite) Nightcrawler. These creatures are super common in Canada but only arrived in the 16^th century, who new!…

Maybe their from Germany?... get it?... no one an Xmen fan?...

Anyways… any gardener or novice alike knows when they see earthworms in the soil they have a good thing going on. They are important in soil activity, creation, aeration, and decomposition. So small, yet so helpful!

Worms are slow moving, but still found all over the world in wet climates in temperatures -35C to 30C and despite the belief that they can recover from being cut in half (not a starfish!) they are damaged and killed in highly cultivated soils, just another reason for no/low till practices.

As usual Eric brought the pun game to this many segmented presentation. As we wiggled our way through truly slime information, the material gave us something to chew on and baited us into learning heads from tails about Lumbricus terrestris.

Our next learning venture brought our focus to the surface to Achillea millefolium or more commonly known as Yarrow.

Yarrow is a plant considered to have many varieties or separate species, the judge is still out on that one. While in some cases this plant is considered a weed, it also has a place in history as a medicinal herb. Used to treat pain, reduce fever, and patch wounds.

It can be identified by its fern like leaves and compact umbel flowers

The extensive and fibrous rhizome of Yarrow adapts it to life in dry 

rocky terrain or life by the lake, which makes it unsurprisingly found

 throughout North America.

Yarrow is potentially effective in bioremediation for its ability 

to absorb heavy metals like Cadmium. As well, its a source of 

nourishment and shelter for beneficial insects like ladybugs and bees.

Bring on the rain!

Once landed on our soggy soil we went through the tasks, which included; weighting the pear trees, laying irrigation lines and harvesting strawberries from the experiment patch.

Here Rebecca is giving us the low down on the irrigation structure

Laying out drip irrigation involves mainlines and T tape, which we had to be laid out, measured, and cut to size for the specific beds in half of the AB block, including Nick's carrot and onion experiment and Stark's Strawberry experiment.

Pear trees about to pump some iron (cement)

Now is the perfect time to weight the Pear branches, as we are past frost and with so much moisture the trees are pliable. Weighting the branches furthers our goblet design that we pruned last fall. redirecting branch growth can be done in several ways; tying the branches to guide lines, which are then tied to the trunk or ground is one way but can (if never removed) girdle the tree. Today we were using cement weights made by scouts (thanks!). This process will improve light penetration in the canopy. As we moved through the orchard weighing were needed we also thinned fruit to 1 or 2 per branch, lightening the burden to the branch and tree.

Along with laying out the irrigation lines, a team finished transplanting leeks and celery in AB1 next to Nick's experiment and at the same time another group started harvesting strawberries, carefully weighing and counting each variety. As much as we were tempted we were forbidden from eating any until this was done.

We may not like this weather but the transplants like it just fine

The irrigation took no time at all and those left to separate and loosen the seedlings for transplant, rushed to get things out of their trays for the next step. 

The only glitter I like

 Even though this spring has been wet and cold, every class I have been impressed by everyone’s spirits; no grumbling (maybe a little) and mostly laughing and making terrible yet amazing puns. Every lunch on the farm is evidence to this, we squeeze in under the canopy to eat and end up laughing. Our fearless leaders (as a few of us have come to call them) Mike and Rebecca spout out silver linings to our grumbles. This makes me think of how important a good crew of people is, to get things done but also to enjoy what you’re doing. I’m interested in exploring intentional communities and healing through teamwork and if anything this class is the perfect example.

"Many hands make light work"

Little farm of horrors!

Fancy Strawberry