Spring at the farm

 Signs of spring across Sonoma Valley continue to pop up 

and our work at the farm accelerates. 

Still in prep mode but now with an eye towards 

what we will plant where, and even more importantly when. 

Work at the farm at Imagery Estate Winery is in high gear, 

laying new lines for irrigation as we finalize the planting plan. 

We know these beds will be abundant with all the tomatoes 

that are now starting to grow in the greenhouse 

and we already have onions growing. 

Radishes are a staple on the menu at the girl & the fig, 

so we rotate where they will be, but we know we always need to be growing them. 

radishes at the farm

always top of the menu at "the fig:"
heirloom radishes
mixed seasonal radishes, anchovy butter & grey sea salt

onions at the farm

But some things can't wait for the larger plan at the farm. 

Our chefs at "the fig" have diners to please, so we make sure 

there are radishes in the beds behind the restaurant,

as well as parsley and other herbs. 

chives, beans, asparagus, rhubarb and nettle all are growing
in the garden outside the kitchen of" the fig"

And the chard that grows at the fig is always happy, now more so than ever.

"Moms" would be proud–we love our greens! 

We never can get enough of them and are always looking for creative ways 

to use them, whether trying the new idea of "massaging greens when raw" 

to make a sweet salad, or cooking them.

rabbit with greens & vegetables

And our friend, Marcy Smothers shares a great tip from her blog 

about "sleeping with lettuce." 

Who knew?

Do you have any tips about your greens?

And what's up with your spring planting?

Out the back door garden

 our farm at Imagery Winery; photo by Steven Krause 

To us, the farm is both literal—referring of course, 

to the 2 plus acres of biodynamic land at Imagery Estate Winery 

in Glen Ellen where we grow most 

of our vegetables, herbs and fruits—but our "farm project" also 
encompasses what we grow at the restaurants. 

A blog past last year took you along with Chef John 
and his farm consultant, Colby Eierman as they reviewed
the space behind the girl & the fig, where they first started planting, 

and looked ahead to what else could be done there:

(that's how they decided to plant 300 asparagus crowns 

even though we need to be patient for almost two years until we can harvest them) 

And, in some ways, the "farms" right outside the doors of the restaurant 

are where the Chefs turn for frequent daily inspiration or a quick solution. 

the lavender bushes and apple espaliers at ESTATE are beautiful and delicious!

apple fennel galette photo by Steven Krause 

The gardens at ESTATE are a significant aspect of the environment and 

experience of dining there, where you can enjoy beautiful ornamental plants, 

a climbing rose that is over 100 years old and lush trees. 

Certainly the herb beds and apple espaliers in the front and the lemon tree by the porch do double duty for us, both as part of the landscaping and serving the kitchen. 

heirloom apples grafted on the espaliers

story goes that this climbing rose was a wedding gift to General Vallejo's daughter 

lemon tree right outside ESTATE bar entrance 

But we also take advantage of every bit of sun and space available

with beds of potatoes, onions, carrots and some herbs in an area in the west parking lot 

as well as creatively planting along the back fence. 

The beans, cucumbers, eggplant, chard, and purslane back there are truly 

an "out the back door" garden for the chefs. 

beans 

cucumbers

chard. Did you know this is a plant that makes you happy?

purslane, which tastes like spinach or watercress, appears in our salads. Here are recipe ideas

And behind the girl & the fig, our new greenhouse is ready for micro greens and herbs. 

The greenhouse is a new addition to our farm project 

and will greatly enhance what we can do, especially with 

more fragile plants as well as allowing us to have more control.

greenhouse at the fig in process

greenhouse ready for plants

Chef Jeremy from "the fig" enjoys the convenience of 

dashing out the door to snip some chives—how much fresher could they be? 

And he likes "keeping his hand" in the farm; while he works the beds 

out back, he may get a new idea for something to do in the kitchen. 

What do you plant outside your back door? 

Get some ideas for container planting in the city.

Whatever you decide, here is a great resource from treehugger.com 

about planting a more "earth-friendly" garden. 

And Smart Gardener is a favorite source for innovative ways to garden in small spaces whether in the city or anywhere. 

Being limited for space should not prevent you from the experience 

and the delicious taste of growing some of your own food!

photo by Jerry James Stone 

And if you and some fellow urban farmers want to join forces 

to create a more extensive garden in a city environment, 

read this article for ideas. 

But for us, here in Sonoma, we know we are lucky 

to have the space we do and the bounty we cultivate 
in all the areas we consider "the farm project."

Our chefs and servers are happy to share that bounty with you,

 telling you which ingredients come from our farm. 

Stop in sometime soon this summer to taste what we are growing.

the peas at the farm inspired the chefs at ESTATE 

to create smoked pea sformato radish salad

300 asparagus plants at the fig

raised beds behind the fig at as winter begins-they will be lush again soon

Our farm project is aptly named the girl & the fig farm project. 

It began four years ago with some planting in the half acre 

behind restaurant. As we've expanded our farm project 

to encompass the grounds at ESATE and then the fertile 

2.5 biodynamic acres in Glen Ellen, 

we of course continue to farm behind the fig. 

parsley box behind the fig lasting into November

The chefs appreciate the convenience of the 

beds abundant with herbs right outside the kitchen door 

and we are continually learning what grows best in this area of full sun. 

We now know that raspberries do well here 

so we will be transplanting those from the farm.

ripe raspberries this summer at the farm

 And chard just loves this spot—it just goes and goes well into January. 

chard still growing in January behind the fig

John has done a lot of research and it seems this spot 

behind the fig is perfect for growing asparagus.

So now that seeds are planted in the lower the quadrants at the farm, 

we returned to the girl & the fig 

to work those beds and plant the asparagus.  

This is a perennial, so we are making a commitment 

giving the space to these plants, but what rewards we will reap. 

In early spring when other fresh vegetables are not yet available, 

having fresh asparagus will be a real treat.  

But like everything about farming, we have to be patient.

We must wait at least 2 years! 

The "Country Wisdom" as well as what John has learned 

from the experts tell us that in the first year of planting, 

it is best not to expect to harvest many spears, if any at all.  

In the second year, you can harvest for 2 weeks, 

in the third year for 4 weeks and in the 4th and subsequent years 

you can harvest for as long as 8 weeks. 

But the plants we are planting now 

will be producing for 15-18 years! 

And when they are producing, an asparagus plant 

can produce more than 100 spears per season. 

We see this as a long term project, and we are serious 

about the farm and what we grow.

In one day Ray and Matt from Local Landscapers 

working with Rafael and Jaimie planted 

300 asparagus in these beds behind the restaurant. 

The transplanted raspberries will share the area and of course, 

we will continue harvesting and growing the chard.

Did you know that asparagus spears have been known 

to grow 10 inches in one day? 

And there are records of shoots weighing 1/3 of a pound each!  

We won't likely be going for anything like that—our focus 

is on taste and bringing the freshest, most delicious 

asparagus to the table for you to enjoy.