Spring cleaning

Well, despite the recent warm temperatures and much as we are

all hoping it is springtime, it's not quite here yet.

Judging by the calendar, we've got about 5 weeks

until March 20, the Spring Equinox, and the official first day of Spring.

But of course, nature, the weather and the farm follow their own "inner clock,"

and we in turn pay attention to their rhythms as we go about our work.

A recent stop at the farm brought this to mind

as well as looking at the definition of "spring.

spring  (/spriNG/)

Verb Move or jump suddenly upward or forward.

Noun The season after winter and before summer.

The season after winter and before summer–pretty simple and to the point. 

Certainly spring is its own season and when it is in full force, 

there is much to enjoy at the farm–a lot of hard work and the time for planting in earnest, 

as well as a more accelerated opportunity to harvest. 

Spring is the time we can expand our "farm to table" experience at the restaurants, 

when the chefs are presented with more options directly from the farm. 

Matt from Local Landscapers with just picked garlic
on his way to "the fig" kitchen

happy chef with just picked carrots
photo by Steven Krause from
Plats du Jour: the girl & the fig's Journey Through the Seasons in Wine Country

But there is something about the "after and between" concept of the definition. 

That moment is exactly where we are now. 

That space following winter but before summer's full bloom 

and we are filling that space with "spring cleaning" at the farm. 

Clearing beds, working the soil, getting ready for spring planting. 

And in a way, that work is a "move forward," 

which is the other definition of the word spring. 

Works perfectly, right?

farm beds cleared as we prepare for spring planting

what will Executive Chef John Toulze plant here? 

replacing the black lines for irrigation needs to be done before planting

we are working to get the soil as rich and healthy as possible

One part of our "farm," where it is always spring or summer 

is our greenhouse behind "the fig." 

While the temperature in the greenhouse can get really warm in summer, 

even now and during the last few cold weeks, it has been 70 degrees inside. 

Our microgreens are very happy there. 

And the chefs are even happier that they can dash outside, 

cut some fresh greens and sprinkle a bit of spring 

 from our garden on your dish just as it is whisked from kitchen to table. 

Interested in growing microgreens at home?
Here's an instructional video on how to do this.

One of our microgreens is mustard, which is not the same 

as what we are growing at the farm at Imagery Estate Winery. 

The mustard beds at the farm, like those you see in neighboring vineyards 
this time of year, are good cover crops which will be tilled into the soil 
to provide good nutrients. 

According to Mark Uchanski, a professor of vegetable physiology:

 "Plowing the mustard plants into the ground leads to increased soil organic matter, 

which can result in better yields and larger, healthier plants. 

mustard beds at Imagery farm

"Mustards are a good cover crop for a variety of reasons. 

One of the main benefits is that they have high levels of glucosinolates.  

 According to Cornell University: ”The practice of using mustard cover crops 

to manage soil-borne pathogens is known as biofumigation. 

 Biofumigation is simply the suppression of various soil-borne pests 

and diseases through naturally occurring compounds."  

It is possible that some of the mature greens 

may be harvested but that is not their main purpose. 

The tasty mustard greens we are now enjoying at the restaurants 

come from the delicate microgreens growing in the greenhouse,

which are not allowed to mature, but are brought to you 

when they are small but oh, so sweet!  

mustard microgreens in the greenhouse

mustard cover crops at Imagery farm

Well, all our hard work at the farm and in the kitchen must be paying off. 

We just got a rave review for the girl & the fig restaurant.

If you haven't been there in awhile, come by to see and taste what we are doing. 

our signature fig & arugula salad
photo by Steven Krause for
Plats du Jour: the girl & the fig's Journey Through the Seasons in Wine Country

If you want to have microgreens at home, here are more growing tips.
And what are you doing at "your farm" 

in this "space" between winter and summer?

farm fyi

photo by Steven Krause 

"It's a farm, so all our plans may not mean much," 

John reminds us frequently. 

We can do our research and plan and yet we know 

that it is mostly up to Mother Nature 

what the harvest at the farm will yield. 

We pay attention to what nature tells us, 

 to learn how to best contribute to creating an abundant farm. 

photo by Steven Krause

We are lucky to have rich fertile soil at the Imagery Estate Vineyard farm. 

One way to tell if it is a good soil is to grab some dirt
and ball it up – then quickly open your hand.
It should break up easily. And, the dirt should
brush off your hand without sticking too much.  

Of course, if you find those friendly earthworms in the dirt, 

then you know you've got "the good stuff." 

Loam soil like ours – a combination of sand, clay and silt 
in relatively equal amounts – is considered best for planting. 

It is ideal for most plants because it holds plenty of moisture 

but also drains well so that sufficient air can reach the roots.

We even pay attention to which way the winds blow. 

Since that is usually west to east, 

we are keeping the lemon verbena bushes 

which act as a natural wind barrier. 

So we worked around these in November and December
as we prepared the winter garden. 

The fragrant lemon verbena also inspired 
the creation of lemon verbena pot de creme.

photo by Steven Krause

The hyssop plants that were interspersed in this area here help out too. 

An extension of our biodynamic insectary concept, 

the blue blossoms and scent of the hyssop 

attracts bees, hoverflies, and butterflies. 

This herb works hard for us controlling pests 

and encouraging pollination without the use of unnatural methods.

This winter we are experimenting with companion plants,
a new way of planting for us that we hope 
will really enhance our harvest. 

It's not about getting more or bigger plants, 
but ones that taste better. We will alternate radish and mustard greens
in a row and see if the radishes grow differently
than in the rows where they are planted alone. 

The mustard greens act as a buffer for pests that can harm the radishes. 

we had radishes last well into November this year. 

What's interesting is that the mustard greens both 
repel and attract insects – keeping some away 

but attracting others that might have attacked the radishes.

It is easier to take out some of the mustard leaves 
that are sacrificed, leaving others untouched. 

photo by Steven Krause

And all this activity goes on around the radishes which are protected, 
ensuring that they make it to the table 
sweet, peppery and perfect to enjoy.

mixed seasonal radishes, anchovy butter and grey sea salt at the girl & the fig 

The farm blog will chronicle how the companion plants are doing, 
so continue to follow here to see how it grows.
Let us know what you think of the blog, ask a farming question
or tell us how your gardening is going.
And we especially want to know 
if you enjoy something at one of the restaurants
 that we've grown at the farm.