Progress, Part 2

So here's a photo of last month

And here's a photo I took yesterday. Things are growing!!!!

Boot Camp

Yesterday I attended the First Annual Monterey Bay Master Gardners Boot Camp. It was extremely well organized for the first time of doing this. Cabrillo College's Horticulture Department is BEAUTIFUL! Located on the top of a hill with a fabulous view of the Pacific... well, it doesn't get much better than this!

The keynote speaker was Cynthia Sandberg, farmer and teacher extraordinaire from Love Apple Farm. Her message was that if she could do it, so could we. She gave a few pointers, but what struck me was her journey and how mine parallels hers so closely.

Like me, she came to farming through the love of gardening, mainly tomatoes. She has/ had a reputation as being 'the crazy tomato lady'.

Like me, she came from a career that was very different from agriculture. She was a lawyer, I was a career services counselor.

She loves her plants and calls them her babies.

She began to learn home preservation skills (canning, drying) as a result of farming because she wanted to keep the love and care she put into her summer harvest all year 'round.

Her first income from tomatoes was selling extra plants (on the honor system) that she grew from a table at the end of her driveway. That later turned into selling tomatoes and eggs. And then she began to teach classes (For those of you that remember the year - 2009 was the year of 206  - when I was giving away tomato plants from the back room of Bobbins Nest? What a crack up that was!).

Now she is the supplier of all produce for the 2-star Michelin rated restaurant, Manresa. She is certainly regionally recognized, if not nationally. She's been profiled in Epicurious, Saveur Magazine, The New York Times, mentioned on The Martha Stewart Show, and on and on.

Here's an odd coincidence. David Kinch, owner and executive chef of Manresa, is a Johnson & Wales University alumnus. He is also currently the Dean of the French Culinary Institute's California campus, the former Professional Culinary Institute where I worked the last 1 1/2 years in my previous career.

Since 2008, I've made that transition from 'professional' to farmer. Of course the actual work transition was immediate but the transition in my head took much longer. Three years later, I am proud to say I am a farmer. An organic farmer that practices sustainable methods. I have so much to learn and so much to do. It is so exciting!

Thanks for joining me on this journey. And Cynthia - my hope is that in 20 years, Seven Cats Farm will be as well known as Love Apple. Thanks for the inspiration and reminding me that it doesn't happen over night. I foresee a table at the end of my driveway this summer.

Ketchup

To get us all back on track, here's a recap (to catch up) on what's been happening at Seven Cats Farm~

We've done soil samples - both home kit and lab analyzed. The results have been close, with the lab giving us much more information. Basically, our soil lacks some nutrients and a LOT of organic matter (it's testing out at 2%). I'll need to increase the organic matter through compost and cover crops... need to increase this by at least one percent. I am aiming for a total of 5% organic matter, but that will take time.

We started plants

and more plants

and more plants!!

and then hardened them off.

The Lovey mowed the cover crop

tilled it in the field and made rows.

And then on May 15, we put deer fencing around our humble test field and began to plant tomatoes.

Yep - we dug two feet deep holes, put in fish heads (and tails), aspirin, bone meal, worm casting and a little bit of all purpose organic fertilizer, then covered that stinky mess and put in our little babies.

136 tomato plants were planted! Plus corn and beans, squash and pumpkins, carrots and beets, cucumber and eggplant, fennel and okra, cantaloupe and watermelon, peppers and herbs, and on and on....

We water in and wait. And wait.

In the meantime we've had some pretty fantastic days and nights. Not so warm for growing, but what a view!

Highs in the low to mid-60's are not so great for fast growth. I was beginning to think that my babies would stay healthy but really really small. The things I direct seeded did sprout, but would stagnate at one mature leaf set (that is, if the evil crows didn't get them).

And then - look what shows up! One month after planting and things ARE growing!

And I've added a little extra bling for crow control. Mylar bird tape. That's my kind of bling.

Speaking of crows..... I think I hear them. Time to get to the field and run around like a crazy person. If the shoe fits......