How to grow Onions

It has taken us 2 years to have good results with onions!

How to prep your beds for onions?

Carefully separating onion bulbs.

Onions are heavy feeders and heavy drinkers.  Till the soil to at least 12" with lime if you are in rainy climates.  If your soil is dense make sure to add composted manure or use cover crops you till in every year to build soil.                                                                                                                  Start your onion seed 6 weeks before in flats to have bulbs ready for planting or purchase bulbs.

Amendments for growing onions:

Making furrows for onion planting

 Heavy amendments are recommended BUT, you needn't fill the whole bed.  The onions are lazy with roots that go down and not very far out.  Our beds are 5' from tire to tire with about 4' of actual bed space.  

If you are using plastic Lay out your fertility such as Chicken poop or mint straw and till in.  Our manure spreader lays out three streams so our fertility is targeted to the lanes the onions sit in.

Laying onion bulbs out for planting in the field.

I Highly recommend laying down drip tape at this time.  Onions drink and cannot dry out.  If you can I would then recommend a weed barrier.  Onions will not thrive with weed competition gulping their water and eating their food.  Weeding can be very time consuming!  Putting down weed barrier will save you time and translate to dollars in your pocket if you are growing for market.  I can't tell you enough how much sense I feel biodegradable weed block is.  If you have a large area removing plastic from your fields is HORRIFIC! Poke your holes in the plastic and plant bulbs 6" apart in rows 10" apart.

If you are not using plastic:
We create 3 furrows about 10' apart.  Fill the furrow with well composted manure like mint straw or chicken poop.  I would recommend sprinkling Humic acid down the furrow and kelp if you can afford it in small beds. Lay the bulbs out being careful NOT to squeeze the necks! Space them 6" apart down the furrows.

Come back and cover your onions sitting them straight up and water them in. You can lay drip tape down even if you aren't using plastic for ease of watering.  Targeted watering also means that weed will dry up in between the isles for lack of overhead water.

How often do I water my onions?
Never let onions completely dry out until you are ready to harvest.  If you are using plastic you will need to water less as your water loss will be significantly less. Watch your soil for signs of drying.  Make sure water is penetrating at least and inch in the soil.

How often do I need to feed?
You should feed your onions every few weeks if you are using folier feeds such as MaxiCrop.  You can use a fertigator in drip systems to inject fish fertilizer every week.  If your onions are in the open you can side dress them with manure once a month.  Feeding is essential for big onions.You can buy humic acid that you can water in.  We like fish and seaweed as well.

Onions are a lot of work but they are a must for market growers and great for storage with the home grower!

Turnips and the "Knowing"

For those of you in the Eugene area and for some of you out there in the nether sphere, a handful of sunny days have awakened something in you. Yes, spring is just around the corner! Its vitality has awakened in me the desire for vital foods fresh from the field. While it’s not exactly grim here at the farm, we have little out in the field.

Turnips in the field. Greens identification (left)

Yesterday I wandered out and took a look at what we had. Beets, chard, kale, arugula going to seed, garlic, and turnips. I pulled up some turnips and headed in. I’m new to turnips and so I consulted Mrs. Joy who informed me it was a perfect complement to fowl and whatever you could do to a potato, you could do to a turnip. She advised peeling down into the red zone to avoid bitterness and that over baking gave them a cabbagey taste. Hmmmm…

I thought for a moment, then opted for investigation. I decided to bake them for my initial journey with these plump rascals, so I peeled them. When I smelled their white flesh it had a sweet aroma with a hint of that parsnip spiciness. I chopped them into bite sized chunks and threw them into an 8x8 baking dish. I again smelled them and it came to me just like that: apples and coriander. Ya it was weird, but I’m into this inner knowing lately so I figured we have 500 of these, why not! I salted the turnips like I would potatoes, sprinkled with ground coriander, threw a cubed gala apple on top, and put them in at a very hot 400 degree oven.

About 40 minutes later I checked and they were almost done.

I grabbed a large amount of Kale and headed in. Usually we just steam the Kale and eat with a little Balsamic vinegar, but I wanted to do a little more and crown my turnips with it. I consulted the web and found an article with a woman who didn’t like Kale much; as a matter of fact she described it as scary! “Hmmmf! Enough of this, I am returning to the inner knowing!”

Turnips in the field. (right)

Don’t be afraid of Kale, it’s perfectly wonderful and so beautiful this time of year. I threw some oil in a pan with some chopped garlic and stared at my spice cabinet. "Trust the knowing, trust the knowing, trust…" I threw in a tablespoon of curry powder, ½ teaspoon of cumin, some fresh cracked pepper, ¼ teaspoon of chili powder, a dash of ground sage and hoped for the best as I stirred it into the oil. I had cut the Kale into large bite-sized pieces and as the fabulous aroma of my spice blend filled the kitchen, I tossed it in the pan with 1 cup of water. After it was steamed about half way to my liking I opted to lightly salt, throw in about 3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar and just 2 ounces (about half one of those tiny cans) of tomato paste. I was feeling good, almost giddy in my adventure. As a matter of fact I lighted on the memory of just yesterday finding Black Eyed Susans throwing flowers at the base of their withered stalks and of the bee that came to visit me; the memories coupled with the freedom of the inner knowing were quite intoxicating.

I laid the turnip dish on the plate and piled it with Kale. When J and I sat down to eat I lost a bit of my confidence for a moment, but when we tasted it, what a delight. The flavors all blended so well! The turnips were incredible. They melted in your mouth and the occasional apple was scrumptious. I was so inspired, I wrote this blog post ... lol.

Turnips at table. Remove the skins into the

red zone to avoid bitterness. (below)

And the point to this diatribe? As we move into spring I strongly encourage you to grab its vital energy, something new for your table, and play with it. Trust your inner knowing and see what it shows you. Consider it vital to your mental condition to engage in a fresh way with your food.

Enjoying the Harmony of Life

Our squashes at Heron's Nest Farm are looking great. We were a little late in getting them in, but the fruits have "set" and are getting plumper by the day.

Yesterday we put garlic in and I plan to plant shallots this weekend. I can hear the freshly tilled earth calling to me. The farm seems to beckon me all throughout my day. But the farm is not the only thing beckoning; my children need me as they start the school year, my home needs constant attention, my own yard is in disrepair, I am taking 17 units in 2 weeks, and, and...

It's all a bit foreboding. But yesterday it was so quiet in the field with the soft soil beneath my feet and the birds tweeting. There is an incredible feeling of containment that overwhelms me when I look down the symmetrical rows of tilled earth and plant cloves of garlic in a straight line 6 inches on center. It's incredible the joy of the potential just beneath the surface and the visual splendor of crops fruiting full throttle. Everything seems perfect in those moments and really I want for nothing more. It is as though I can hear the sound of all creation singing in harmony and its melody quashes every worry.

Jesus told us not to worry and when I sit in those moments I understand why. That song I hear is the one of many lives and energies adding their piece/peace to the score. It is never cacophonous unless I fall out of its rhythm. Instead of being present in the moment I drift away to my list of things to do, bills, etc. I essentially check out of reality and the noise in my head drowns out the beauty and synchronicity of resting in perfect love and perfect trust.

That's what I want; to rest in this world nestled with those lives and energies, loving and trusting them. I want to grow in the appreciation of those around me knowing that we are interconnected and that the parts are never greater than the sum. I hope we can all enjoy the symphony and appreciate the notes that are being offered by the people and life in all its forms around us everyday, every way, and in every moment. It's a precious song whose rhythm both shapes us and helps us to contribute our distinct offering of "self".

Thoughts?

Community is a key to sustainability

We have summer rain!

OK, it's more like a drizzle, but I'll take what I can get.  My window sits open and the sound of drops in a syncopated rhythm is carried in by a cool breeze laden with the smell of summer rain drops on dry soil.  I am waiting for my second wind as tonight I am making chocolate custard pie.

This weekend Jay and I are hosting a dinner party.  I am reading and focusing on Italian cooking this month (recipes forthcoming), so Italian it is.

Europeans really know how to eat.    Food sits in the backseat of American culture for too many of us.  It's such a sad thing!  Good food makes for good times.   Community is built quickly by eating together.  In order to sustain life here on Earth in better ways shouldn't we know one another to sustain one another? Community is a key to sustainability.

We hear about buying local, but I would add, BE local.   Be present with the people around you.  Enlarge your circle of love by reaching out.  I charge you this: make it a point to break bread (or even just coffee) with someone soon.  Remember that hospitality is not a clean house, but the warmth others feel from you upon entering your home.  Don't wait for things to be perfect!

Maybe a dinner party is too overwhelming for you, but there are so many ways to connect in love; we have only to see our world as bigger than ourselves and the list of never-ending tasks before us.