Fall Vegetable Planting

Guest Blogger Master Gardener Amy Weis writes: 

The recent cool days and nights have reminded me that fall is right around the corner. That means I need to start thinking about my autumn garden. Soon I will be enjoying the last of my summer crops – including tomatoes, potatoes, squash and peppers and will start preparing my fall garden.

Farmers around the Lehigh Valley are going through the same process right now, tearing out cucumbers and replanting carrots, kale and beets. I typically pick my fall plants by their hardiness and maturity speed. I have found that the key to a successful fall harvest is timely planting because the crops need time to grow and mature before it gets too cold. Most of the plants will tolerate a light and sometimes even a hard frost with some frost protection, but its best to get them in as early as possible since the average first frost date for our area is October 20.

I usually try to choose varieties that are known for quick maturity, which will be noted on the seed packet or in the seed catalog. Growth often slows down on later season plantings especially when the weather is cloudy. I count back from the days to maturity on the packet to figure my approximate planting date and typically add a couple of weeks for the slower fall growing time. Sometimes transplants from a local garden center are useful, if they are available, as they can save growing time.

It’s best to look for hardy vegetables that like cool weather and will tolerate shorter daylight hours such as spinach, swiss chard, members of the brassica family like cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale, kohlrabi and broccoli; and root vegetables including turnips, carrots, parsnip and beets.

Then, before planting, I clean up my summer garden, removing old plant materials. After that I add back some of the nutrients my summer harvest has depleted from the soil by adding a thin layer of aged manure or compost made from last years shredded leaves and grass. It’s important to plant a tad deeper that you would for spring planting and to ensure that the new plantings get enough water during the remaining dog days of summer.

Our typical Indian summer weather is ideal for cool season crops, but sometimes row covers or a thicker layer of mulch is needed, to be able to keep harvesting even after a few light frosts.

It’s also important to know when to harvest each crop. Some vegetables are quite forgiving in having a long harvest window, others can go from tasty to bitter overnight. Many of the fall root crops can be left in the ground throughout the winter if mulched heavily.

After all this is finally finished, I can sit back and look forward to enjoying fresh greens at Halloween and tasty broccoli and carrots for Thanksgiving.

Sources:  Season Classifications of Vegetables

Grow Your Own:  Vegetable Gardening…Recommendations for Homeowners in Pennsylvania

Support Your Farmer:  Pheasant Hill Farm is owned and operated by George and Melanie DeVault .  They focus on quality, growing everything from arugula to zinnias, with chemical free blueberries, raspberries, heirloom tomatoes, greens and flowers taking top billing. Melanie focuses on specialty cut flower bouquets, and starting hundreds of seed varieties, most heirloom, in one of their four high tunnels.  You can find them at the Easton Farmer’s Market on Saturdays and the Emmaus Farmer’s Market on Sundays. 

Fall crops recently seeded in a high tunnel at Pheasant Hill Farm

Can You Really Tip a Cow ?

Picture courtesy of Lehigh Co. Farmland Preservation

Cow tipping is an activity that allegedly involves sneaking up on a sleeping, standing cow and pushing it over.  Is there any truth to it?  Can you really push a cow over?

The answer is “no”.  Cow tipping is an urban legend and there are two major facts that debunk it: first, cows do not sleep standing up, (unlike horses, they lie on the ground to sleep) and second if the cow was standing, one person would not have the strength to push over a cow - mature beef cows can range in weight from 1,100 to 1400 pounds!

You also wouldn’t want to hop a fence to get close to a cow.  Farmers raising cattle need considerable cow handling expertise in order to protect both themselves and the cows.  In order to reduce stress on the cows and protect the farmer, there are a few behavior traits that farmers keep in mind, especially when they need to move the cattle. 

For instance, cows can see almost all the way around them, with a field of vision in excess of 300 degrees; humans, by contrast, have only a 180 degree field of vision.  However, despite their excellent panoramic vision, cows cannot focus quickly. They also have poor depth perception and vertical vision.  Because of this, a mere shadow on the ground could appear to be a deep crevasse to the cow.  Small distractions, such as something as simple as a coffee cup on the ground, in their field of view could also alarm the cattle.  Farmers can decrease shadowing and distractions by having uniform colors in handling areas and moving cattle through solid sided alleys (as opposed to an open fence). 

Cattle also have comfort zones, just as people do, that are referred to as “flight zones”. A cow’s flight zone could be from 5 feet to 25 feet for tame cattle.  Invading the flight zone too much can cause the cow to panic.  When farmers need to direct the cattle in from the pasture, they stand at the edge of the flight zone and move slowly.  Cattle naturally want to go around humans, so farmers position themselves in such a way, that the cattle will move around in the desired direction.  Other cattle handling tricks include working with and approaching the cows slowly, as well as never leaving one animal alone in a pen; they want to be with other cattle and will make every attempt to do so.

Sources: Cattle Handling and Working Facilities – Ohio State University; Cattle Handling Pointers – Utah State University

Support Your Farmer:

RAINBOW FARM: The Schoeniger's operate a 29-acre farm that raises beef, pork, chickens and turkeys on rotational grazed pastures. Come see their farm on the 2013 Lehigh County Open Gate Farm Tour!

GRAVER FARMSTEAD: Graver Farmstead is a preserved family farm raising grass-fed beef and pork. You can see their farm on the 2013 Northampton County Open Gate Farm Tour!

Keep those veggies coming!

High tunnel at Bechdolt's Orchard

Our usual hot, humid summer temperatures have cooled off quite a bit in southeastern Pennsylvania, feeling more like fall than summer.  Even though produce is booming now, the cool temperatures remind me that soon the harvest will be tapering off and I’ll be tilling in the garden before I know it.  Most vegetable farmers will have ample produce well into September, and many of them will be producing food much later in the year, thanks to structures called high tunnels. 

High tunnels are essentially a cross between green houses and row covers (Row covers are made of light weight, woven material that’s pulled over top of the plants.  The cover allows water and sunlight to pass through, yet covers the crops enough to give a few extra degrees of warmth.).  High tunnels are constructed of metal bows and posts, forming a quonset-shape (like a greenhouse) that is covered with greenhouse-grade plastic. High tunnels are ventilated by manually rolling up the sides each morning and rolling them down early in the evening. Unlike greenhouses, there is less environmental control with no permanent heating system or electricity, with typically only an external water connection for trickle irrigation.  

While high tunnels don’t have all the bells and whistles of a greenhouse, they do elevate temperatures a few degrees each day for a period of several weeks that will increase growth, yield and quality.  High tunnels are also relatively inexpensive, simple to construct, prevent wind and rain damage, and provide frost protection as well as some control of insects, diseases and predators, like birds.  High tunnels can be used to grow a variety of crops like vegetables, small fruits and flowers.

Sources: http://extension.psu.edu/plants/plasticulture/technologies/high-tunnels

Grow Your Own:  You can learn to extend your own vegetable growing season at one of the sessions at Workshops for the Gardeners scheduled for Saturday, September 14^th in Nazareth.  Click here for more information.

Support Your Farmer:

You can check out high tunnels at the following farms during the Northampton County Open Gate Farm Tour on October 12^th and 13^th:

BAARDA FARM, located in Mt. Bethel, is a 20-acre fruit and vegetable farm that makes, presses and sells apple cider and vinegar. Never wasting anything, they sell brown eggs with over 200 chickens that are corn fed and given greens from veggies that stop producing. 

CLEAR SPRING FARM, located in Easton, is a 23-acre vegetable and pumpkin farm.  They have been running a CSA (community supported agriculture) for 9 years.  They have a farmstand on site as well as 3 high tunnels where they will be starting their strawberries for early picking in the spring.

JUNIPERDALE FARMS, located in Nazareth, is a 20-acre fruit and vegetable farm with a variety of field crops.  This is a family farm run by Brian and Eva Fulmer with their children, nieces and nephews.   They have a few beef animals and a high tunnel to start selling vegetables earlier in the season.  During strawberry season they have a pick your own strawberry patch.  In fall, they offer pick your own pumpkin and hayrides to the patch.  

What is a CSA?

Weekly CSA share at Willow Haven Farm

It’s late-July and vegetable production is in full swing across the state.  I know my garden is so awash with produce I can barely keep up with yield, so much so that I’ve been doling out zucchinis to my friends at every social function.  Vegetable farmers are equally inundated with produce this time of year.  To ensure they have an outlet for these crops, many vegetable farms offer CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, shares.  The premise behind a CSA program is to encourage consumers to create a closer relationship with the farmer and get a closer look at how their food is grown.

In a CSA, consumers support farmers by paying for a share of the harvest before each growing season.  This helps the farmer purchase seeds, equipment, and pay farm hands when needed, instead of waiting until the harvest to bring in funds.  By paying upfront, consumers are assuming the risks of crop failure due to pests, diseases and weather, just like farmers do each year.   The majority of these risks can be managed with proper planning and diagnosis, but there are some that cannot be avoided.  If a farmer’s tomato harvest is destroyed by late blight and the cucumbers are thriving, that would be reflected in the weekly share – no tomatoes but ample cucumbers.  This CSA structure allows consumers to be more closely connected with how food is grown, while helping to support the farmers by removing unpredictability of income.

CSAs are growing in popularity.  Current estimates show that there are between 30,000 and 50,000 people in the U.S. that belong to a CSA.  CSAs can range in size, from smaller operations with 10 or 20 members to much larger operations with a few hundred members.  Most CSAs provide a variety of eight to twelve vegetables, herbs and fruits in their share each week in the summer, with an average of five to seven pounds of vegetables.  CSAs offer weekly share pickups in the summer, while winter CSAs may only distribute once or twice a month because of lower produce availability.

CSAs are a great way for consumers to help support local farmers and make sure they eat their veggies each week.  By having a set amount and type of veggies each week, you have to learn to both cook and eat them!

Sources: http://extension.psu.edu/business/ag-alternatives/others/community-supported-agriculture-csa

Support Your Farmer:

LEHIGH VALLEY:  Willow Haven Farm nestled in the rolling hills of the Blue Mountain in rural Weisenberg Township grows natural, chemical free vegetables for their CSA.  The farm also raises chickens, sheep and cows.  Come visit Willow Haven Farm on the 2013 Lehigh County Open Gate Farm Tour!

BUCKS: Blooming Glen Farm in Perkasie grows a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers, available at farmer's markets and through their CSA. 

Say Chevre!

Dove Song Dairy

According to the USDA, the goat industry in the U.S. is growing.  Internationally goats and goat’s milk are very popular; in fact, goat’s milk is the most consumed milk in the world.   There are over 210 breeds of goats and approximately 450 million goats worldwide, with the majority of the population in Asia and the Mid-East.

Last year, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, there were about 63,500 goats in Pennsylvania  and about 15,000 of those goats were dairy goats.  The majority of the goat milk produced in the U.S. is utilized for cheese production.  Goat milk is well-suited for cheese production because it is slightly higher in fat content than cow’s milk. The higher fat content increases the amount of cheese that can be produced per gallon of milk. 

Female goats – does or nanny goats –produce milk after giving birth.  Goats are seasonal breeders, like deer, that go in heat in the fall and have their babies in the following spring.  The does will produce milk for an average of 284 days with peak production occurring 4 to 6 weeks after giving birth, so farmers usually need to process a large flush of milk in spring.    

There are six major dairy goat breeds: Saanen, Nubian, Toggenburg, LaMancha, Oberhasli, and Alpine. Average milk production from the 6 main breeds ranges from 1,820 to 2,577 pounds per year!  Some Saanen and Alpine goats have been known to produce up to over 5,000 pounds of milk.

A goat’s diet can have a big impact on the flavor of the cheese.  Goats are good browsers and can select high-quality plants they need for a balanced diet.  The type of plants they choose to eat can affect the taste and quality of the cheese.  This allows farmers to produce unique cheese flavors by planting specific forages out in the pasture.

Sources: PSU Ag Alternatives,  USDA The Goat Industry, Florida A&M Goat Facts

Support Your Farmer:

LEHIGH VALLEY:  Stryker Farms is a 47-acre pasture-based livestock farm situated between the Lehigh Valley and Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Their farm operates on the principle that all animals are entitled to fresh air, sunshine and plenty of open space. They produce goat meat, raw goat milk, cheese, and yogurt as well as heritage breed pork, and pastured eggs.  They hope you will visit the farm and see what they're all about!  

BERKS: Dove Song Dairy, is an old-fashioned family farm located in the rolling hills of Berks County. Their farm, which dates back to the colonial era, uses a modern-day milking facility they designed to ensure quality conditions for their milk and comfort for our animals. Their 200 goats, made up of mostly Alpines and LaManchas are individually named and enjoyed by friends and family alike. Dove Song Dairy is located in Bernville and produces certified raw goat milk, goat milk soap, and artisan goat milk cheeses. 

Knee High by the Fourth of July

There are several types of corn: sweet, pop, flour, silage, or grain. Each have been historically bred, selected, and adapted for different uses. In Pennsylvania, most of the corn fields you see are silage or grain corn used to feed livestock. Over the course of this past week, you may have heard the phrase “knee high by the fourth of July” in conversation, but what does it mean and why wouldn’t corn reach knee height?

“Knee high by the fourth of July” is an old adage that has served as a benchmark for a good yield of corn at harvest time. With new varieties allowing farmers to plant earlier, most corn crops surpass knee height by Independence Day, but there are cases when the corn doesn’t reach the desired height. Here are a few reasons why: 

Low pH: Corn growth can be stunted when the soil pH is too low, since soil pH plays a critical role in the availability of nutrients. Aluminum and Manganese particularly become more available at low pH levels, and can reach toxic concentrations that could suppress growth or kill the plants. Low soil pH also decreases the available of key nutrients the plants need like nitrogen and phosphorus. To adjust the pH, farmers would need to apply lime in the fall, in hopes of a better harvest for next year. The ideal soil pH for corn is between 6 and 7.

Shallow planting depth: Corn should be planted about 1.5 inches deep. Corn planted at a depth one inch or less, could have poor root development. Once and if the plants germinate, the shallow roots, being so close to the soil surface, are likely to dry out faster during hot, dry weather; whereas, kernels planted at the proper depth will have roots that can access deeper soil moisture.

Weather: This spring brought heavy rain and cool conditions. Heavy rain can ruin soil structure, by compacting the soil, eliminating pore space for water infiltration, and creating a soil surface that is sealed and crusted. The crusted, compacted soil prevents water from soaking through to the plants roots, creating a difficult environment for plants to survive. Increasing organic matter, crop rotations, manure applications, and reduced tillage could help improve soil structure for future plantings.

Sources: http://extension.psu.edu/plants/crops/grains/corn

Support Your Farmer:

LEHIGH VALLEY: Newhard Farms is a 5th generation grain and vegetable farm located in North Whitehall Township, Lehigh County. Don Newhard and his son Joel are currently farming over 2500 acres of crops, which include corn, wheat, soybeans and sweet corn. In the summer, their primary focus is growing and selling their premium quality sweet corn. Most of the sweet corn they grow is sold at The Corn Shed, which is located on their farm in Ruchsville.

BERKS: Fisher’s Farm Fresh Produce is located in Oley. The Fisher family has been farming in the Oley Valley for over 200 years and a sizeable portion of the family's 150+ acre farm is now devoted to growing sweet corn. Fisher's Farm Fresh Produce also offers an array of fresh vegetables for sale.

BUCKS: Eastburn Farm is a family operated farm located in Pineville. They sell delicious white sweet corn starting in mid-July through September, as well as tomatoes through the summer season. They also sell pumpkins, ornamental squash, and gourds in the fall.

The Chicken Before the Egg?

I’ve been working in a garden my entire life, from the time I was a tot helping my dad plant tomatoes until I graduated college and started a plot of my own.  Within the past 5 years my small plot has tripled in size and has slowly turned in to more of a homesteading operation.  This spring, I took the leap into livestock; I bought 6 barred rock chickens for egg production.  It’s really been a great learning experience, and I have a new-found respect for poultry farmers.

There are more than 60 breeds of chickens that farmers use for commercial poultry production.  Some breeds are best suited for either egg or meat production; others can be raised for both.  Egg layers are generally smaller in size and primarily lay either white or brown eggs.  You can tell what color egg a chicken will lay by looking at its earlobes: chickens with white earlobes will lay white eggs while chickens with any other color earlobes will lay brown eggs.

The most common commercial egg layers are the White Leghorn hybrids and Production Reds hybrids.  These commercial layers can produce between 200 and 260 eggs per year.   Purebred breeds can lay between 100 and 180 eggs per year.  Last year, across the state, there were 24.6 million chickens laying approximately 7.14 billion eggs.  

For small scale operations, only one nest is needed for every 4 birds since the chickens do not lay eggs at the same time.  Nest boxes are generally 12” x 12” x 12”.  Eggs need to be gathered from these boxes twice per day by hand.  Large scale operations have automated belts and rollers that collect, wash, grade, store and package the eggs.  

Most hens will begin laying when they reach 20 weeks of age.  Once they reach 80 weeks of age, farmers “molt” or rest the flock from egg laying.  This resting period is achieved by altering the amount of light the chickens receive and altering their diet.  Once they rest for 10 to 12 weeks, regular lighting, feed and egg production are resumed.  After 3 or 4 years and several laying cycles, egg production will decrease.  At this point, most farmers cull the flock and order more birds.

Sources: Ag Alternatives, Penn State Poultry

Support Your Farmer:

LEHIGH VALLEY:  HOLBEN VALLEY FARM has been family-owned and operated for over 50 years.  Currently there are 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th generations committed to providing delicious and nutritious pastured beef, as well as free-range chickens and eggs.  Check out their operation on the 2013 Open Gate Farm Tour!

BERKS:  Gooselane Egg Farm specializes in brown eggs from their free-range, all natural chickens.  The eggs are available for purchase from their self-service store along with freshly made baked goods, homemade rootbeer and produce when in season.  Over the summer, they also offer pasture raised, all natural chickens and turkey. 

BUCKS: The Little Farm Store at Meadow Brook Farms, located in Riegelsville, raises all natural grass-fed black Angus beef, organic chicken and brown eggs.   They also sell fresh bread, milk and dairy products, ice cream, baked goods, coffee and vegetables.