Fall tillage

Sunshine

 Awful nice to see the sun this week; been driving the wheels off my truck delivering pumpkins.  The crop is pretty much sold.  A few left for the market tomorrow 

 Tomorrow is the last regular outdoor market.  I'll have squash; sunshine, kabocha and butternut, also, pumpkins, honey, squash bread and maybe some green tomatoes     Mill City market; 9-1pm 

See you there!

Let it snow

Sheds are all full

 

Update

My life is pumpkins now 

Picking every afternoon 

Delivering every morning 

The dry weather has allowed us to stay on schedule, and we've avoided a hard frost so I think we'll continue to have tomatoes and melons for a couple weeks. 

 The butternut and kabocha squash are finally ripe, so we'll harvest them this week and have them for sale starting Saturday at the mill city market 

 

Squash

This weekend 

 Squash, gourds, pie pumpkins, tomatoes, honey, maybe some melons too 

Saturday and Sunday 

 

September

 

There's still sweet corn

I was able to escape once again for a couple days of leisure before the pumpkin harvest begins 

This weekend I'll be at the mill city market Saturday and the Mnpls market Sunday 

 Sweet corn, tomatoes, honey

 

Honey!

Honey; 

 We're bottling today to bring down to Mother Earth gardens Longfellow tomorrow weds 3-6pm 

Saturday at mill city market too 

 Honey, melons, tomatoes, sweet corn 

Sunday?...  I'm going to ride my bicycle 

 Buckwheat cover crop

 Honey frame photo courtesy Steve Nodgaard

Aug 25

We're on the down hill side of field melons, however, wow, the September melons are growing into the rafters. 

  The first photo is of all the pruning of branches we do this time of year in the tomatoes.  Lots of nice  heirlooms this week.

  Sweet corn, melons, tomatoes 

Weds 3-6pm at Mother Earth gardens,  Longfellow 

Saturday mill city farmers market 

Sunday Mnpls farmers market 

Even more melons

Piel de sapo,  Petra negra, sunshine, sureness, Marie's choice, Marie Antoinette 

  Sweet corn and tomatoes too 

 Weds,  Mother Earth gardens, 3-6pm

 Saturday at mill city farmers market 

Pretty fair chance of Sunday at Mnpls farmers market 

This morning I was feeling this strange sense of optimism and positivity,  I realized it was because I'd been sampling melons for about a half hour 

  So if you need a psychological boost,  buy a melon.... buy two and give one to a friend! 

Peace 

Melons

Melons;  fortunately, we have such a good crop, that even with 20% loss from hail,  we'll still have a truck load of melons for the mill city market Saturday. 

 Sadly no ripe sweet corn this weekend.   

Plenty melons and tomatoes 

Weds; Mother Earth Gardens

I never could stop the rain,

 So I'll be there, Mother Earth Gardens 

3-6pm 

Hail

Hail,

 A little shocking.  Plenty damage to the watermelon, but not a disaster.   15-20% loss, but it's such a good crop that I think it'll turn out ok.

 Damage to greenhouses too.   I think I can fix it. 

If I seem distracted this week,  it's probably because I am. 

 The usual schedule now 

 Mother Earth gardens, Longfellow, weds, 3-6pm 

 Mill City market Saturday 

 And, if there's enough corn,  Mnpls market Sunday 

Sweet corn, melons, tomatoes 

Peace 

Sweet corn?

It's true.

 Look for the blue truck 

 I'll have it parked in the street by the mill city farmers market to avoid lines and crowding in the market 

 Sunday I'll be at the Mnpls farmers market with white corn.... somewhere near my usual location. 

Corn will be prebagged in half dozens,  $6.00 per half dozen 

Cash only please 

Thank you 

Sweet corn

Sweet corn

 I almost want to keep it a secret 

 Also,  there's a fair chance of yellow watermelon by the weekend 

Quantities are difficult to figure at this point,   Please be patient 

 Weds 3-6pm at Mother Earth gardens 

Saturday,  Mill City market 

  And there's a chance of some white sweet corn for Sunday at the Minneapolis market 

Sweet corn ?

I'm sorry, no corn for the weekend
   Next week looks good
Thank you for your patience

Melons

Melons 

 First there's 10, then 20, then I pick every 12 hours and try my best to stay ahead of them 

 Nice selection this week.  5 varieties 

  I'll be at Mother Earth gardens, Longfellow,  Wednesday 3-6pm 

 Mill City farmers market 8-1 Saturday 

 Tomatoes, melons, perhaps a bit of corn 

Please no preorders this week.   It's difficult to wrap my head around getting all this harvested and to market and taking all necessary precautions. 

  I appreciate people's patience and kindness 

nstlrfrm@frontiernet.net

Sweet Corn

Sweet Corn 

  I guess sooner or later I've got to bring up the corn 

 This spring I took a webinar from the university.  They suggested household or family units for work crews to minimize the risk of spreading covid.   Immediately I thought of the brothers Lee.    You may never meet them, however, as you enjoy the corn, you might want to thank them in your hearts.    They were good sports, hard workers, and walked just about every row of corn and there's a crop out there to harvest because of them. 

    The dry weather made for slow uneven germination of the first plantings; I think the first ripe corn will be August 1st.

    There's a few melons getting ripe.   Just a few for weds and hopefully a few more for Saturday 

     I'll be at Mother Earth Gardens,  Longfellow,  Weds 3-6pm 

 And the Mill City Market Saturday 8-1pm 

Tomato sales have been really good, brisk.

Thank you.  

   I appreciate everyone's generosity.  

• Jeffrey 

nstlrfrm@frontiernet.net

My life is tomatoes

I'm not obsessed with tomatoes and I don't eat them 4 times a day 

 I'll be to Mother Earth gardens (Longfellow), Wednesday, 3-6pm with a truck load 

 Saturday at the Mill City market too.   

10$ for 2lb trays 

 40$ for 10lb box of mixed 

They're beautiful.   You might want to come by just to gaze upon them 

nstlrfrm@frontiernet.net

Tomatoes! 

 Tomato season is here and I have a really really nice crop.  17 varieties; heirloom and hybrid tomatoes 

    Unfortunately, because of the covid, I lost a very good mid week market; Wednesdays at the university of Minnesota, closed for the season.... I used to sell a lot of tomatoes there.

  Thankfully,  Mother Earth gardens in Longfellow is going to host me Wednesdays starting July 15th,  3pm-6pm.

    You can preorder if you'd like, or you can just swing by the store and pick some up. 

I'll be selling 2lb trays for $10   As we get further into the season I'll have 10lb boxes at a lower price per lb if you want some for roasting or canning. 

   If you want to preorder, just send me an email.  

nstlrfrm@frontiernet.net

   And, for sure I'll have tomatoes Saturdays at the Mill City Market too   

 Saturdays 8-1pm.

 Probably no need to preorder for the mill city market this week.   I expect to have quite a few tomatoes 

  Thank you Steve Nodgaard for the nice photo 

7/4/20 Tomatoes!

  Yes, it's true
 I'll have a few.   I'm going to sell them in 2lb increments; $10
 I'll have some snap peas this week $8 per lb     This will be it on the snap peas.
 Rhubarb and squash bread too
 I'm sorry, no preorders this week, awful busy and I'm not sure on quantities until late Friday.
In a few weeks I should be able to take preorders on the tomatoes
  I'm working on a mid week pickup location too.  
Sweet corn is tasseling, so late July;  maybe the 25th
  Nice rain this week; 2 inches.   About perfect really

2lbs tomatoes

6/27/20

We finally got a little rain

 Crops look good; vine crops in particular have liked the dryish weather 

 I think we'll see corn tasseling soon.  I predict sweet corn July 25

 Still waiting on the snap peas,  sorry, it's going to be one more week wait on them 

Tomatoes starting to turn a little,  hopefully enough to sell first Saturday of July 

This week at the market I'll have rhubarb bread, squash bread and honey 

Email me if you'd like me to reserve you some bread or honey 

nstlrfrm@frontiernet.net

Thank you 

Mill City Market 6/20

My life now consists of cultivating, hoeing, pruning, drip irrigating
 Still planting sweet corn weekly; until about July 9th
 The crops look good
We really really need rain

No snap peas this week.  The next patch is just starting to flower so I think July 27
I think there'll be tomatoes the first Saturday of July

So, this week at the market I'll have
Rhubarb and Squash bread; perfect Father's Day gift
 $15 per loaf,  $8 per half loaf
 Also 8 honey at $8,  2 for $15

If you'd like to preorder,  please email me at  nstlrfrm@frontiernet.net

Thank you


   Melon vines

Saturday 6/13 Mill City farmers market

Tomatoes in the not so distant future.   I think just a couple weeks    It'll be an early season for all the greenhouse crops...plenty sun.   The snap peas are 2 weeks earlier than last year 

 Pumpkins and squash are emerging;  last year we didn't even have them planted until about the 10th of June.   

  Sweet corn is coming along nicely.   We're already cultivating and hoeing 

This week for preorder; 

  Squash bread and rhubarb bread 

15$ per loaf, 8$ per half loaf 

 Honey; $8 for 8oz jar,  2 for 15$ 

  Just email me your order 

 nstlrfrm@frontiernet.net 

I'm going to have some snap peas, but I can't take preorders on that.   We pick them Friday evening and I'm not really sure how much there'll be until we pick.   Last week I sold out in a half hour....  

I need to plant more snap peas

The season has been going well 

 I appreciate all the support 

Thank you  

6/6/20 Mill City Market

 Mill City Farmers market
   I'll have;
 Snap Peas
Squash bread
Rhubarb bread
8oz honey
 Maybe a little Ruhbarb

I'm sorry, I've got an awful busy week, so I'm not taking preorders this week.   Hopefully I'll be back to it next week
 We've been planting, transplanting, cultivating, hoeing, pruning.  Friday is for baking and picking snap peas.
   I hope there be plenty for everyone

Thank you

Dew on spider's web

Saturday 5/30; market canceled

This Saturday; 5/30    Canceled 
 Difficult times 
 Be safe 


 Mill City Farmers market
 8 - 1pm
 The first hour is reserved for high risk shoppers

 I'll have squash bread and rhubarb bread
 15$ per loaf, 8$ per half loaf

The rhubarb bread is made with rhubarb, orange zest and ginger.  Wow
 The squash bread; curry, ginger and cinnamon.  Rich
 Both use Sunrise Flour Mill flour and Sunshine harvest eggs
Penzeys spices
  
 I'm sorry I don't really have enough rhubarb to sell bunches of it.  It's a new patch and it takes time to develop.   I don't want to pull too much during a development year.
  There are other vendors at the market that will have it Saturday I'm sure

 Honey;  I'm out of the large honey; have enough 8 oz jars for a couple more weeks, then we'll have to wait on the bees....maybe mid July 

   8oz for 8$,  2 for 15$

You can preorder and prepay if you'd like
 Just email me at

nstlrfrm@frontiernet.net

 I'll respond and send you a PayPal.me link. 
This has worked pretty nicely.   Thank you for all the orders!
Preorder deadline is Friday 9am

Also be sure to check out the Mill City market website for all the protocols for markets
We want to stay safe and keep the market open

There's a lot of great vendors.   Check out this link to see what else is at the market
https://millcityfarmersmarket.org/preorder/

Wear a mask, be safe, hang in there 

Saturday 5/16/20

 This Saturday 5/16
 Mill City Farmers market
 8 - 1pm
 The first hour is reserved for high risk shoppers

 This week I'll have squash bread and rhubarb bread
 15$ per loaf, 8$ per half loaf

The rhubarb bread is made with rhubarb, orange zest and ginger.  Wow
 The squash bread; curry, ginger and cinnamon.  Rich
 Both use Sunrise Flour Mill flour and Sunshine harvest eggs
Penzeys spices
 
 I'm sorry I don't really have enough rhubarb to sell bunches of it.  It's a new patch and it takes time to develop.   I don't want to pull too much during a development year.
  There are other vendors at the market that will have it Saturday I'm sure

 Honey16oz for 15$ and 8oz for 8$

You can preorder and prepay if you'd like
 Just email me at

nstlrfrm@frontiernet.net

 I'll respond and send you a PayPal.me link.
This has worked pretty nicely.   Thank you for all the orders!
Preorder deadline is Friday 9am

Also be sure to check out the Mill City market website for all the protocols for markets
We want to stay safe and keep the market open

There's a lot of great vendors.   Check out this link to see what else is at the market
https://millcityfarmersmarket.org/preorder/

I've got a couple plantings of sweet corn in the ground, although nothing has emerged yet
 Snap peas look good.  I think I'll have some early June
 Tomatoes and melons have survived the cold nights.   Tomatoes forming lots of flowers os I'll have to get some bumble bees in there soon to pollinate

It'll be nice to get past this cold snap so I can be done with the row covers...  I hope

Mother's Day weekend

5/8/20

Thank you for all the orders 

 Preorders end at noon today 

Thank you!!

5/6/20 update 

I was able to pull a little rhubarb 

 Enough for maybe 15 loaves at the most 

It might be a good idea to preorder 

                       Coming up; Mother's Day!

     Hopefully, just in time, I'll have enough rhubarb to make rhubarb bread.

 I'm going to try to pull rhubarb Wednesday night, so I'm sorry, I can't take orders on that until I know how much I'll actually have. 

  I should know weds evening  

   The rhubarb bread is amazing; rhubarb, orange zest, ginger....wow 

Let's hope 

For sure I can take orders on the squash bread (famousthroughouttheamericas) 

Squash bread;   curry, ginger and cinnamon 

        I use my own squash, roasted and frozen in the fall,  Sunrise Flour Mill organic heritage wheat flour,  Sunshine Harvest farms eggs, Penzey's spices 

   Very nice bread.  (Famousthroughouttheamericas)

The bread is 15$/ loaf.  8$/half loaf 

8oz honey is 8$

16oz honey is 15$

 You can order, prepay and pick up at the market if you desire;  just email me your order and I can send you a PayPal/me link to pay 

   nstlrfrm@frontiernet.net

Or you buy the day of the market, credit card, cardless via Paypal.me, or cash 

The easiest and least contact is paypal.me 

 The first weekend was a success for me.  Thank you for all the support 

Your generosity and kindness gives me hope 

    

Mayapple 

Market season begins

Mill City Farmers Market 

 Starts May 2nd; 8am-1pm     8-9am is for immunocompromised shoppers 

I'll be there from the start and through the entire season 

 You can order, prepay and pick up at the market if you desire;  just email me your order and I can send you a PayPal/me link to pay 

   nstlrfrm@frontiernet.net

Or you buy the day of the market, cash, credit card or cardless via PayPal/me 

   The offering at the beginning of the season: 

 Squash bread;  

     curry, ginger and cinnamon 

  I use my own squash, roasted and frozen in the fall,  Sunrise Flour Mill organic heritage wheat flour,  Sunshine Harvest farms eggs, Penzey's spices 

   Very nice bread.  (Famousthroughouttheamericas)

The bread is 15$/ loaf.  8$/half loaf 

8oz honey is 8$

16oz honey is 15$

Preorders end Friday 9am 
 Thank you for a great response 

Rhubarb bread soon 

400 tomatoes transplanted and covered

Prepping greenhouses for transplanting

Prepping the greenhouses 

I like to to dig trenches then fill the trench with compost, then cover with dirt 

It makes for nice loose soil for roots to wander    

It's a lot of work but the melons and tomatoes seem to really benefit from the effort 

We'll start transplanting tomatoes April 20th

Melons May 1st 

Seeding melons

Long Days

Long days 

 Baking bread, grafting tomatoes, digging trenches for tile

 I'm grateful for each day 

Rhubarb!

Rhubarb is emerging 

Dad came over with the news 

He tapped on the window; we talk from 20ft away now 

The same as I removed the row cover and straw 

We planted the patch year; dreaming of rhubarb ginger crisp and loaves and loaves of rhubarb bread 

Really nice to have sunny day today 

Chisel plowing the greenhouses

Often overlooked is breaking up compacted soil in greenhouse 

 Ripping with a chisel plow is amazing

These days I'm just trying to keep putting one foot in front of the other; people need to eat 

 Marketing will be the challenge.   In the coming weeks please check in here to see what products are for sale; and how and where to get them.  

Peace and Love to all 

Jeffrey

Syrup(ing)

Tomatoes are up!

Tomatoes are up and doing well

 I'll be at the mill city indoor farmers market this weekend 

 10am-1pm 

Tomato bread, squash bread, honey 

Can't wait!