Baby (plants), it's cold outside

Recently we all held our breath on Feb. 2, Ground Hog Day 

waiting to hear our fate. It was good news from 2,608 miles away 

when Punxsutawney Phil, the "weather psychic" did not see his shadow 

which means an early spring! 

Did you know that this was the 127th Groundhog Club event?

AP Photo by Keith Srakocic of Groundhog Club Co-handler
and Punxsutawney Phil on Feb. 2, 2013 

But even as we look ahead to spring 

and enjoy the recent sunny days, it is still very cold at the farm. 

So we continue in our winter farm mode—working and overseeing 

things at both farm locations, knowing that some plants will grow better than others.

 

The garlic at Imagery farm seems to be doing well 

while the onions are struggling a bit more.

garlic beds

onion beds

Bok choy, broccoli and collards are holding their own. 

"The hardiness of plants describes their ability 

to survive adverse growing conditions. 

A plant's ability to tolerate cold, heat, drought, flooding or wind 

are typically considered measurements of hardiness.

Winter-hardy plants grow during the winter, or at least remain healthy and dormant. 

Apart from the obvious evergreens, these include many cultivated plants, 

including some cabbage and broccoli, and all kinds of carrot."

bok choy

calabresse broccoli is the most common variety
tips on how to grow it

collards

carrot photo by Jerry James Stone

All of the plants require careful attention,

so we are out at the farm often and

much of the tending needs to be done by hand.

"Some plants produce special hormones that 

keeps them from freezing and these plants have a lower hardiness rating 

(meaning they can survive colder weather) 

than plants who produce less of this hormone." 

One plant hormone in particular that helps 

keep them from freezing is "Abscistic Acid."

garlic must have the abscistic acid hormone

Wondering about your plants' "hardiness?" 

Here's the Hardiness Rating from USDA planting zone map.  

And here are tips on protecting plants from the cold 

including building a greenhouse and the importance of mulch.

greenhouse and mulched beds
behind  "the fig"

 The cold weather does not deter us from doing our work. 

Encouraging our labors are other natural harbingers of spring at the farm

 closer to us than the 2608 miles that separate us from groundhog Phil.

we think a first year American Robin

still no sightings of our resident Owl
but it's too early in the day!

While the Insectary may not now be as lush as it soon will be, 

the hardier plants that contribute to a healthy farm 

still surround and assist us.

Insectary in the summer

Insectary in December

bit of color at Insectary in January

What's hardy in your garden these days?

How do you protect your plants during the winter?

And do you have any signs of spring yet to cheer you on as you work?

Everyday is a new beginning at the farm

The start of a new year. 

Whether you are someone who makes big resolutions 

or reviews the past year with deep reflection, it is hard 

to escape the feeling of new beginnings that permeates everything around us. 

And certainly following the revelry of the holidays, the pendulum 

seems to naturally swing back to a time of rest and re-setting. 

After the festive feasting, you crave simpler fare. 

And knowing we are on the "other side" of the shorter days, 

we linger just a bit longer outside each afternoon as dusk comes later. 

With this and any bit of sunrise peeking out a moment sooner, 

it's a bit easier to think about those resolutions to exercise and be outside more. 

So, here's to launching new projects, starting a diet or 

just "eating better" and getting more exercise.

 If a new page on the calendar helps propel us forward, 

then that may be reason enough to assign some significance to a new year. 

We are always ready for you, with fresh vegetables 

either grown at our biodynamic farm or procured from a local purveyor. 

Whether it is radishes from seed to table as a regular item 

on the menu at the girl & the fig, or a seasonal entree such as our 

pan-seared sea bass with brown butter spaetzle, winter squash, organic apples, sage, 

our simple mantra of an "ingredient driven" focus 

starts at the farm on our way to your table.

For us at the farm of course, January does not represent a new moment, 

but is rather a part of an ongoing cycle. 

And as we have noted before, while the winter seems like a slower time at the farm, 

there is always something going on, there is always work to do. 

Mixed in with other vegetables in our the winter garden, we are growing garlic. 

Although we do think of garlic as something to grow in early spring, 

there is a long history and tradition of planting garlic on the shortest day of the year 

for harvesting on the longest day of the year. 

So including garlic in our December work at the farm made sense. 

There are two types of garlic: hardneck and softneck. 

Each has its own strengths and each is more suited to certain situations than others. "Hardneck garlic varieties are generally hardier than softneck varieties. 

 They are the best option for northern gardeners. They are also the best option 

if you want to enjoy garlic scapes in early summer, since hardnecks 

are the only type that send up a strong central stalk in spring (this is the scape.) 

Softneck garlic varieties are the best ones to grow if you live in a milder climate. 

They don't form scapes, and generally form several small cloves per head. 

They mature quicker than hardneck variety."

For a great step by step on planting garlic, 

watch this video by Roger Doiron of Kitchen Gardeners International. 

It may be a bit too late for you to do this now, but there are some good tips here. 

And remember, hard as it may be to do, don't use all the garlic 

you harvest—that way you will have some to plant! 

The spot at the farm we chose to plant garlic this winter 

is the same area we had success this spring, so we are hoping for the same luck. 

We won't know for awhile, so we continue our slow incremental labors 

checking the farm daily and paying attention to what it tells us. 

garlic beds just planted in December 

abundant garlic at the farm in March

It may not be as big a fanfare as the "marking a new year," 

but then again one day there may be nothing to see in the bed where seeds are planted, 

and the next day we will be rewarded with a true "start" of something that is sprouting. 

Which is why the farm is really about new beginnings every day. 

tags from the starts we planted 

and soon the plants are thriving

How do you celebrate the new year? 

Is a fresh start that includes growing your own food part of your plan?

Summer's approaching...patience at the farm

In a few days it will be the official start of summer. 

While we certainly have already been enjoying the fruits of our labors at the farm, 

we are now preparing to really reap the rewards. 

radishes and onions this spring; photo by Cece Hugo

abundant garlic beds earlier this spring; photo by Cece Hugo

We look forward to enjoying what the chefs will create
from the 350 tomatoes, 100 peppers and 100 eggplants at the farm,
as well as all the herbs and other vegetables.

heirloom tomato & watermelon salad, a favorite at the girl & the fig
featured in our new book, Plats du Jour: the girl & the fig's Journey Through the Seasons in Wine Country
photo by Steven Krause 

photo by Steven Krause

wood roasted shiso peppers from ESTATE

Summer begins the time when a trip to the farm is not only 

about the work we need to do, 

but there is always the promise of leaving with something fresh in hand. 

We confess it is often challenging to wait for summer's bounty, 

but the knowledge of how things do change 

at the farm encourages us along.

apricot tree in the orchard in late April

the apricot tree now

A great article recently talked about how gardening teaches us patience. 

In The Telegraph, author James Alexander-Sinclair says 

"gardening is the last bastion of the patient, as nature cannot be hurried...

often the greatest pleasure is in the waiting: 

to appreciate the progress of the plant at every stage." 

We keep the image of something like our lemon verbena pots du crème

photo by Steven Krause 

as we wait for the lemon verbena to be ready. 

For now, though, as we anticipate summer, 

there are a few special things we are creating with inspiration from the farm.

What are you enjoying from your garden right now?

And what have you planted that you look forward to having this summer?

The Winter Garden becomes a Spring Garden

While March 20 was officially the first day of Spring,

we were aware of it before then. 

These photos were taken a bit earlier in March,

and you could just feel everything at the farm about to burst!

blossoms on a peach tree (photo by Cece Hugo)

rows of garlic going crazy (photo by Cece Hugo)

Quail egg photos by Matthew Ruff

quail eggs found in one of the rows

and our steadfast egret standing guard at the farm

Our companion planting project has been successful.

Not only are we harvesting more vegetables in the space we have, 

but with the careful work done by Local Landscapers, 

who know what to plant with what, everything is growing more healthy and robust. 

The radish plants interspersed with onions have done especially well.

just picked radish photos by Matthew Ruff

You can decide for yourself how they taste when you enjoy 

 the heirloom radish starter at the girl & the fig: 

mixed seasonal radishes, anchovy butter & grey sea salt 

Another sign of spring is the raspberry bare roots beginning to bud

At this rate, it won't be too long before we are 

repeating last summer's berry picking ritual

Sometimes you just have to sit down on the job!

we have a way to go till before we have a bowl of berries

Our tomato starts growing from seeds in the Greenhouse 

mean this summer's tomatoes will truly be "seed to table." 

greenhouse photos by Matthew Ruff 

Thanks to Garden Keepers CSA for the use of the Greenhouse 

and the loving care from Local Landscapers which will take us from here

to here 

(Last season John and the farm team 

harvested almost 2,000 pounds of tomatoes). 

and finally to here!
Did you know that we can go through

70 pounds of tomatoes a day at the girl & the fig alone?

We are getting excited about all that is growing 

now at the farm and will be sharing 

more updates and photos with you soon.

The winter garden is indeed becoming the spring garden 

and the menus at the restaurants are reflecting that.

And we love sharing what we grow with you, here in the news of the blog,

but of course especially from our kitchen to our tables when you visit us.

We also encourage you to grow as much 

of your own food as you can.

And we hope we inspire you. 

Share your thoughts and successes, ask us questions.

A great resource for your home gardens is Smart Gardner Fresh, 

whose motto is "simply grow great food." 

We aspire to do that every day.

Simply grow great food.

Simply cook great food.