tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38256752167184143912024-03-14T11:19:39.120-04:00Tool Dude's BlogAdam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-33248690130829108042014-03-13T14:24:00.001-04:002014-03-13T14:39:35.430-04:00Weeding Tools<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are a number of weeding tools offered by Johnny's, each with their own unique application. Using the right tool for the right job not only makes the work faster and more efficient, but the ergonomic advantages they sometimes offer can even make the work somewhat enjoyable. Sceptical? Let's take a look...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Long-handled Tools</span> </h3>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Stirrup Hoe</span></h4>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPkqVaoG3hvw5_odHpPynoOloIU57eXgAhoeSlpsiIbrfbrGayIzNoKBq8P_kFDFpYj9oBlagQU6Z6NPFUFJMWu3DXQk651RDF-ImIT9dK1d429S0vpmiy3fpbtXybqOT_m3Rd8_s4vJQ/s1600/00000.01.StirrupHoes.cat.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPkqVaoG3hvw5_odHpPynoOloIU57eXgAhoeSlpsiIbrfbrGayIzNoKBq8P_kFDFpYj9oBlagQU6Z6NPFUFJMWu3DXQk651RDF-ImIT9dK1d429S0vpmiy3fpbtXybqOT_m3Rd8_s4vJQ/s1600/00000.01.StirrupHoes.cat.tif" height="261" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our most popular hoe, hands down. Why? Efficiency and versatility. This is a root-slicing hoe that is designed to cut on the forward and reverse stroke. It is rugged enough to take on more mature weeds yet has a rounded blade, allowing the user to weed very close to the crop without damage. This is a great all-around hoe that can literally cover some ground in a hurry. It is especially adept at inter-row weeding and keeping the footpath under control. Stirrup Hoes come in three sizes - 3-1/4", 5", and 7" wide and sport a beefier handle to support the extra stress involved with the push stroke. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8ugsAXfiDcfL049qe_pHmzDYUwwZucye9fwvnzxbg5_9SiTYmKH04wGoQYWJpiSatM6mz76UuqJBTx7pITOm5O7btKgxCBKjoaSwAClts0RtpnEXFzyof-KngZiOiZp-cvlU1MQpJr2Y/s1600/img_02892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8ugsAXfiDcfL049qe_pHmzDYUwwZucye9fwvnzxbg5_9SiTYmKH04wGoQYWJpiSatM6mz76UuqJBTx7pITOm5O7btKgxCBKjoaSwAClts0RtpnEXFzyof-KngZiOiZp-cvlU1MQpJr2Y/s1600/img_02892.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Mark Guzzi hoes a row at Peacemeal Farm in Dixmont, ME.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Photo courtesy, Eric Gallandt, University of Maine.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Collinear Hoe</span></h4>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOBLstB-Hi8xjREwYEsTlp0J04KwCt2jzhA5HDSmJ0zk_HJN0NMW3cLYzhyphenhyphendn3jQzChrPg9sfPylwF9kNu88jRjVzrDaRiysD1H6DYXo_EO8ZWoxjObsSo5YY4obx4mF0WTLLPEDXPuVN/s1600/Collinear+Hoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOBLstB-Hi8xjREwYEsTlp0J04KwCt2jzhA5HDSmJ0zk_HJN0NMW3cLYzhyphenhyphendn3jQzChrPg9sfPylwF9kNu88jRjVzrDaRiysD1H6DYXo_EO8ZWoxjObsSo5YY4obx4mF0WTLLPEDXPuVN/s1600/Collinear+Hoes.jpg" height="180" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Also, one of our all-time most popular hoes, the Collinear Hoe is very unique. Eliot Coleman designed it with a sharp, rectangular blade that lays flat against (or collinear) with the ground. It is a type of 'draw hoe' because it is pulled toward the user. Doing so, slices weeds off just below the soil surface, leaving them to whither and die in the sun. It is very versatile and especially effective in and around low lying foliage on crops like head lettuce. It is also designed with ergonomics at its very inception. The idea was to create a hoe that could be used in a vertical stance, to reduce lower back strain. The collinear hoe is therefore used with a thumbs-up grip, much as you would a kitchen broom. It can be used in a back and forth motion in lighter weed pressure or more aggressively as a draw hoe on more mature weeds. There are three versions of this tool - 3-3/4" and 7" fixed blade models and a 7" model with a replaceable blade.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFCGuKJIc7tPEyRac2B7w8J0_Jh0jCtiGvYmvC1c8VTvG-L526oKtEZTifVz632k8uAWj_t4SswxBg7U7kTJH1T3xDqoIKroCpGD4BsdYkTcbeIGGMVXYkawBr4aR1QqQkTdt6JHsZe4vZ/s1600/Collinear+Hoe+Series-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFCGuKJIc7tPEyRac2B7w8J0_Jh0jCtiGvYmvC1c8VTvG-L526oKtEZTifVz632k8uAWj_t4SswxBg7U7kTJH1T3xDqoIKroCpGD4BsdYkTcbeIGGMVXYkawBr4aR1QqQkTdt6JHsZe4vZ/s1600/Collinear+Hoe+Series-1.jpg" height="221" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Pniy5-qki0BfkX8buXq1LfbHcV4bF5yB07ZkS4wQn9tY5SSTE7SYaK99RR6A5-4BrCP_EjLU_R4ULSGz1ak3WngJN5LMlJpgUnhCSIvK-5ow-WgkEVFSSIh14VNOsjWycZpXRiEwpQHa/s1600/Collinear+Hoe+Series-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Pniy5-qki0BfkX8buXq1LfbHcV4bF5yB07ZkS4wQn9tY5SSTE7SYaK99RR6A5-4BrCP_EjLU_R4ULSGz1ak3WngJN5LMlJpgUnhCSIvK-5ow-WgkEVFSSIh14VNOsjWycZpXRiEwpQHa/s1600/Collinear+Hoe+Series-2.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijidixd2naqb4rx66b57TAkVrJyR-zX2IBfEKhHRGGZNlfbGXzc5KArmx0QiPvMgzc3Sc5b4_CwYxKwwDcbKpd3bkVcCkW8QFjiOudoS774MQgKbLXDFWs0dpqfKk195AHGrHvPV1hg3kt/s1600/Collinear+Hoe+Series-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijidixd2naqb4rx66b57TAkVrJyR-zX2IBfEKhHRGGZNlfbGXzc5KArmx0QiPvMgzc3Sc5b4_CwYxKwwDcbKpd3bkVcCkW8QFjiOudoS774MQgKbLXDFWs0dpqfKk195AHGrHvPV1hg3kt/s1600/Collinear+Hoe+Series-3.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkvAomHxAkqXMmK82h3mDlnEmyYRRcRPVH0BljBaxoAu6SR_YwaDDgHYmwlLvfbV-IaW2ymEiO_q6T_boEpr2nB3NwF2gTSjEVnCjTydv0y92C-bP6-p9X-Y1ZgzycoOLp929g31dzPfh/s1600/Collinear+Hoe+Series-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkvAomHxAkqXMmK82h3mDlnEmyYRRcRPVH0BljBaxoAu6SR_YwaDDgHYmwlLvfbV-IaW2ymEiO_q6T_boEpr2nB3NwF2gTSjEVnCjTydv0y92C-bP6-p9X-Y1ZgzycoOLp929g31dzPfh/s1600/Collinear+Hoe+Series-4.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This series of photos courtesy Jean-Martin Fortier, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Les Jardins de le Grelinette, St. Armand, Quebec.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Wire Weeder</span></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQ__QHZZeAOP1c_xyeci6yNrKOcEuSUlKvGrYllEmemEVlzUNwde4B6Jaj5a_37CWf_KYdgU0D8V_qtH8ceYbjlvksothnQQaJC7kZBInNZxi8jMDQZYbpAPK7P5__g3-nswYRC-yRy0K/s1600/09374.03.LHWireWeeder.cat.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQ__QHZZeAOP1c_xyeci6yNrKOcEuSUlKvGrYllEmemEVlzUNwde4B6Jaj5a_37CWf_KYdgU0D8V_qtH8ceYbjlvksothnQQaJC7kZBInNZxi8jMDQZYbpAPK7P5__g3-nswYRC-yRy0K/s1600/09374.03.LHWireWeeder.cat.tif" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This is a highly ergonomic weeder designed by Eliot Coleman, with surgical precision in its application. Like the Collinear Hoes, it is designed to be used with a straight back and both thumbs up. It is great for emerging weeds, especially in and around younger crops or closely-spaced crops, where clumsiness just will not do. It is somewhat blunt, so it is designed not to cut through the weeds, but to overturn them, exposing their roots to the sun. There is also a short-handled version of this tool.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQ__QHZZeAOP1c_xyeci6yNrKOcEuSUlKvGrYllEmemEVlzUNwde4B6Jaj5a_37CWf_KYdgU0D8V_qtH8ceYbjlvksothnQQaJC7kZBInNZxi8jMDQZYbpAPK7P5__g3-nswYRC-yRy0K/s1600/09374.03.LHWireWeeder.cat.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="height: 343px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 509px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmyqyYLUimk8ib8qD_7z3D4aAgezfKmpzg11IVJ_jp43RTPBvqv1K3LcyWDXVACCN2H2gfIcDJ5D4InPngwE1EJU29baw1G3PP4ffhOGG5-u3eaW5Z2548M8MsE1RoEuHk82YEGPZtb1J9/s1600/IMG_0832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmyqyYLUimk8ib8qD_7z3D4aAgezfKmpzg11IVJ_jp43RTPBvqv1K3LcyWDXVACCN2H2gfIcDJ5D4InPngwE1EJU29baw1G3PP4ffhOGG5-u3eaW5Z2548M8MsE1RoEuHk82YEGPZtb1J9/s1600/IMG_0832.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Back & forth operation.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This tool may be used in a back and forth motion, or simply dragged through the soil if weeds are just emerging. You will see above that the user is holding it at a slight angle to fit between these closely spaced crops.</span> <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAA-xSXCA_-5Bs9XuD4tvpE1jft4tm7eMfzsGysJuSLR100FJdIuPo3bSSX4ZYsiLcXBl1BU09RoHXU-LQRXC4ZC3PeZqdfbj_rcYrENjKosO_26adj9Tbsq-0hYQpCkxA6imj1ZU4C0V/s1600/IMG_0833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAA-xSXCA_-5Bs9XuD4tvpE1jft4tm7eMfzsGysJuSLR100FJdIuPo3bSSX4ZYsiLcXBl1BU09RoHXU-LQRXC4ZC3PeZqdfbj_rcYrENjKosO_26adj9Tbsq-0hYQpCkxA6imj1ZU4C0V/s1600/IMG_0833.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Simply dragging the weeder through the soil.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Trapezoid Hoe</span></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhOHEdRjgCvXM7rqegdQ8Kyf2jCsRN8BhX_6grt7SvUdQrill9vPvl3LD95An7lZSJkGUApGiiWMsbat0VqfIEziaElYrF7vxSlEb3XM24W_oXLnZjNuQreFDkB4QghkFK04Q4SItS9o7/s1600/09590.01.61-2-TrapHoe.cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhOHEdRjgCvXM7rqegdQ8Kyf2jCsRN8BhX_6grt7SvUdQrill9vPvl3LD95An7lZSJkGUApGiiWMsbat0VqfIEziaElYrF7vxSlEb3XM24W_oXLnZjNuQreFDkB4QghkFK04Q4SItS9o7/s1600/09590.01.61-2-TrapHoe.cat.jpg" height="253" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is our favorite for mid-sized weeds. It is a traditional chopping hoe with a unique trapezoidal shape. The b<span style="color: black;">eveled blade is angled just enough to get under the edges of plants. Sharp corners tackle stubborn roots. The replaceable spring steel blade allows easy renewal after multiple seasons of vigorous use.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Cobrahead Long-handled Weeder/Cultivator</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBf6q4qgBJBu6nJxx3HzcItVJ7SOGVSM5IVJy0_n4DiFbEKi_4hj6YLKq5xoTRguynmx9yvz5Rzac73FwHsIiZDGv47L3Nxw5EnUluJ65DDfAfOqqkGahIPXpqyjgpdgpf0JXRpZr6a5_R/s1600/09809.01.LHCobrahead.cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBf6q4qgBJBu6nJxx3HzcItVJ7SOGVSM5IVJy0_n4DiFbEKi_4hj6YLKq5xoTRguynmx9yvz5Rzac73FwHsIiZDGv47L3Nxw5EnUluJ65DDfAfOqqkGahIPXpqyjgpdgpf0JXRpZr6a5_R/s1600/09809.01.LHCobrahead.cat.jpg" height="200" width="184" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5ALptBILD29vObflTsB6cKFax898V_mNh1TqGQjpkxY1I8dNE8JWtkaUmm4XKr31A4RBkFulfeP8yHcMNOGBUo1hWRXR5KP8d06zW6MxFcORV6NOAd8qgq5PGxLyPg6T5zoP5LDUTeY6/s1600/long+action+13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5ALptBILD29vObflTsB6cKFax898V_mNh1TqGQjpkxY1I8dNE8JWtkaUmm4XKr31A4RBkFulfeP8yHcMNOGBUo1hWRXR5KP8d06zW6MxFcORV6NOAd8qgq5PGxLyPg6T5zoP5LDUTeY6/s1600/long+action+13.JPG" height="200" width="167" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The curved blade of this tool acts like a steel fingernail. It weeds, cultivates, digs, furrows, and plants with ease. It works well in almost any soil. The blade is set in place with Allen screws, allowing easy replacement. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><h4>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The 3-Tooth Cultivator</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBcf04sTA3zvr7sIAd0zCsXm4-36JuOC22tXvpFmAWhCK4-7ujL9YRQy_Ljg9bHQLWsmBShW0lF68z6iUJRYIR4TX4S_N6lORCP9IndUELeN2DD860igP5L_q-UALufIkh1WSlp6l4OKE/s1600/09071.04.3toothcult.cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBcf04sTA3zvr7sIAd0zCsXm4-36JuOC22tXvpFmAWhCK4-7ujL9YRQy_Ljg9bHQLWsmBShW0lF68z6iUJRYIR4TX4S_N6lORCP9IndUELeN2DD860igP5L_q-UALufIkh1WSlp6l4OKE/s1600/09071.04.3toothcult.cat.jpg" height="303" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">This tool was designed by Eliot Coleman to have a push-pull action for incorporating compost and fertilizer, and loosening soil. What's that got to do with weeding? Well, it can also be used for cultivating between rows in footpaths and is especially effective on emerging weed seedlings in those areas as the cultivating action of its teeth act to bury those young plants, smothering them.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-L_xE28IA7_2oOe_jXcXSV_BOxukrydPZhtkK1UmIyRroSG_HXtEhqyJ-_iRKjWSz5BW3c6ztLfvZBK_BjfcHnILNCKRGPy8j2a5gDCQHyxJwWDAu70qFywFWHj3uv2uJJT1GN70Y525/s1600/DSC_4994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-L_xE28IA7_2oOe_jXcXSV_BOxukrydPZhtkK1UmIyRroSG_HXtEhqyJ-_iRKjWSz5BW3c6ztLfvZBK_BjfcHnILNCKRGPy8j2a5gDCQHyxJwWDAu70qFywFWHj3uv2uJJT1GN70Y525/s1600/DSC_4994.jpg" height="302" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A vigorous back & forth motion is used to cultivate.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: black;"></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Short-handled Tools</span></h3>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Hand Hoe</span></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2G3gOm1g7b5pHJbbZKZOOXAsQNGfd785H0jvXMKbm0x92yxVAEWWnFhRfp839A6NE-rwdc793H3jKEAFT0E6J0XE0jzHimV0MyzLPC1QUGuQU4hsmcUx640BGO8tS5L38-vmt1-CvR2vF/s1600/09187.06.HandHoeSILO.cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2G3gOm1g7b5pHJbbZKZOOXAsQNGfd785H0jvXMKbm0x92yxVAEWWnFhRfp839A6NE-rwdc793H3jKEAFT0E6J0XE0jzHimV0MyzLPC1QUGuQU4hsmcUx640BGO8tS5L38-vmt1-CvR2vF/s1600/09187.06.HandHoeSILO.cat.jpg" height="198" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVQdWPTCsAc3L2ysYgCO-oOGr30PZbLXc5RzupwMwA1rluUznvKQ_LPoudpKuDh9Fu1pdgxgAleq9HfzqeCJF6dRCktVbJ9R0esoBtyd6r5Wd5ar3UP5a0tL_zfNt4mKsqsda0t9K_8wg/s1600/Square4+-+Hand+Weeders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVQdWPTCsAc3L2ysYgCO-oOGr30PZbLXc5RzupwMwA1rluUznvKQ_LPoudpKuDh9Fu1pdgxgAleq9HfzqeCJF6dRCktVbJ9R0esoBtyd6r5Wd5ar3UP5a0tL_zfNt4mKsqsda0t9K_8wg/s1600/Square4+-+Hand+Weeders.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also known as the <em>Nejiri Gama Hand Hoe</em>, this low-cost lightweight tool becomes an extremely sharp and precise extension of the user's arm when in use.</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is by far, our best-selling small hand tool. It sports a D-shaped high-carbon steel blade, welded to a steel shank, set in a wooden handle. These are great low-cost tools for growers to equip their entire farm crew with for detailed in-row weeding in the field. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Lucko Wire Weeder</span></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">
<br />
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYshdrFFnJg32AemtaU7qN7IlDaAhwTQCPoM26tGFWJJmMH_pciYn4dIe0HDfozddI_AttWE0QNGLwj_y_OXr7Xym-LNPzLbEAViUQwuOXtmCZ6_r14Q46J1t5GlxkVYlH6-gI72IELxZI/s1600/09195.01.LuckoWireWeeder.cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYshdrFFnJg32AemtaU7qN7IlDaAhwTQCPoM26tGFWJJmMH_pciYn4dIe0HDfozddI_AttWE0QNGLwj_y_OXr7Xym-LNPzLbEAViUQwuOXtmCZ6_r14Q46J1t5GlxkVYlH6-gI72IELxZI/s1600/09195.01.LuckoWireWeeder.cat.jpg" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This tool was recommended to us by Paul and Alison Wiediger of Au Naturel Farm in Kentucky. The Wiedigers prefer this European-made tool for detailed weeding in their hoophouses. The round wire design creates a business end of the tool that won't cut drip tape but will easily upend young weed seedlings. It has a narrow end for weeding between closely spaced crops like dense plantings of baby leaf lettuce and a wider end to cover more ground in open areas.</span></span><br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Wire Weeder</span></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPJVApS6VwOJ1b04MMoD2oRM7Q10Cw89oDyafc89ddJR9-e93Bv7lWJ9kb1NqpyGuY-1nAC4qUVyVZ_5NPm5LTDborWyA9jQE1NgWpYk3NNKPU_HMgF_pkFgDqifFvEfFwZaAu7z4qIGR/s1600/09673.02.WireWeeder.cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPJVApS6VwOJ1b04MMoD2oRM7Q10Cw89oDyafc89ddJR9-e93Bv7lWJ9kb1NqpyGuY-1nAC4qUVyVZ_5NPm5LTDborWyA9jQE1NgWpYk3NNKPU_HMgF_pkFgDqifFvEfFwZaAu7z4qIGR/s1600/09673.02.WireWeeder.cat.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The short-handled version of one of Eliot Coleman's favorite tools, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">it is perfect for in-row weeding of closely spaced crops like salad mix, carrots and onions, as well as perennial flowers and herbs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Spring Tine Cultivator</span></h4>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooi9z4cH9SWfdxph0cWN1yWcrF7A4KNb_9caGaMLskmkaiTkwUMrZHSGr8UQJ4Q8ejON2VVKkVhcGSgqHdkgx6dMMQ91vVpXRvpW9SpP88swxrMdx_GZ_MmoGa5At2WvUUuJnjSWxsqVq/s1600/09458.springtineSILO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooi9z4cH9SWfdxph0cWN1yWcrF7A4KNb_9caGaMLskmkaiTkwUMrZHSGr8UQJ4Q8ejON2VVKkVhcGSgqHdkgx6dMMQ91vVpXRvpW9SpP88swxrMdx_GZ_MmoGa5At2WvUUuJnjSWxsqVq/s1600/09458.springtineSILO.jpg" height="155" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Three round, spring-steel tines with a wooden handle. This light-weight tool feels great when cultivating tight areas. It's spring tines scratch the soil just enough to uproot smaller weeds while loosening the surface soil, allowing water and oxygen to penetrate. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Ho-Mi EZ Digger</span></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7aEvymcYeKXUIeR4GiTEoDbzKiL0Mc_A2-G49qg7NJ5DgiJfgM5vvOPEuMEQjhg95TBWBtVF7LhfDxIeE3cZsif-VcKoXeg8YXcoAFAnbk4mwDqKKnk7aVoXyEcsbRG4zT12HyGTlNgN_/s1600/09841.01.HoMiDiggerHS.cat.jpg" height="224" width="320" /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is also known as the traditional Korean hand plow and dates back over 5000 years. It has multiple curves in its forged design that impart strength as well as function. It can be used to </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">dig, furrow, weed, cover seed, transplant seedlings, and loosen, level, cultivate, and mound soil.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhft9v3I4uV3c3_xD4NAFa6DaF-hN2xuuD9lzHBUoY4HreYY6re1BRevHj3qxFZSKpe2dIU9h7AnyViHtHxyGtjz1kMC8V5C572IcN6uM7UwaRBxZJX47TU1T14lPpoIGg24YVSyLpZjF12/s1600/09841.06.HoMiEZDggr.cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhft9v3I4uV3c3_xD4NAFa6DaF-hN2xuuD9lzHBUoY4HreYY6re1BRevHj3qxFZSKpe2dIU9h7AnyViHtHxyGtjz1kMC8V5C572IcN6uM7UwaRBxZJX47TU1T14lPpoIGg24YVSyLpZjF12/s1600/09841.06.HoMiEZDggr.cat.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjME64VHk3Tm_aol4iuNagYDoyZPEMH1-VxcgSCHx3p5F1nGk-3P3MBbitdin3LmbWlNrnPpwAmnDt5O8c41YQpH7tZ41TeMxQiWUKR4RQKNhOnXnoaqFxj1eoWt1uTZzActgMbM1xUkubF/s1600/09841.02.HoMiEZDggr.cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjME64VHk3Tm_aol4iuNagYDoyZPEMH1-VxcgSCHx3p5F1nGk-3P3MBbitdin3LmbWlNrnPpwAmnDt5O8c41YQpH7tZ41TeMxQiWUKR4RQKNhOnXnoaqFxj1eoWt1uTZzActgMbM1xUkubF/s1600/09841.02.HoMiEZDggr.cat.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EJuApy1KCBND0jy1ZwzvsUyyGdSlZ2n2kejdP5OOecjDhM79Sq1D1bl4WGTw1uonfQlocq34MrtaJrYymKwCIAOU1fhL8A706R382nJ2RgZ8T7C6ZtuEuYCMYyJTFd5LddJ0U-vSgZmS/s1600/09841.03.HoMiEZDggr.cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EJuApy1KCBND0jy1ZwzvsUyyGdSlZ2n2kejdP5OOecjDhM79Sq1D1bl4WGTw1uonfQlocq34MrtaJrYymKwCIAOU1fhL8A706R382nJ2RgZ8T7C6ZtuEuYCMYyJTFd5LddJ0U-vSgZmS/s1600/09841.03.HoMiEZDggr.cat.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Cobrahead Weeder & Cultivator</span></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_ywPjGtNdYft9etxospgxnBT9QBuzGNHs_CGCHnBmsOhMl7GfcrpXh7txbCqW6xjkJDKBLW-6RHbAASDBp5ieIzBDGK-9TpQquZyCSEpRMu6JheP13w-0EQz_n8NLTRwMS-aZPgJVdfE/s1600/09531.cobraheadSILO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_ywPjGtNdYft9etxospgxnBT9QBuzGNHs_CGCHnBmsOhMl7GfcrpXh7txbCqW6xjkJDKBLW-6RHbAASDBp5ieIzBDGK-9TpQquZyCSEpRMu6JheP13w-0EQz_n8NLTRwMS-aZPgJVdfE/s1600/09531.cobraheadSILO.jpg" height="230" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The short handled version of the Cobrahead described above. <span style="color: black;">The tough, sharp steel blade and comfortable handle make fast work of tedious garden chores. Used to weed, cultivate, make small furrows, and even as a mini trowel for small transplants. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thermal Weed Control:</span> </h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Flame weeding is also a very effective method of organic weed control. There are two main methods...</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spot Flame Weeding</span></h4>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIL4Jbj7-tBEBQFakE8pWfNQVYpq7gD3Xb4nC1udinDqYQghCjqiPrCEJx38IIFd6vBREChmxD56um_iowU8ieK__2m8A3pYCfZbXWoyHsRISIPHXEhkVUWoemhJzohcfnf3CfhhxrnCm-/s1600/09758.03.FlameWeeder.cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIL4Jbj7-tBEBQFakE8pWfNQVYpq7gD3Xb4nC1udinDqYQghCjqiPrCEJx38IIFd6vBREChmxD56um_iowU8ieK__2m8A3pYCfZbXWoyHsRISIPHXEhkVUWoemhJzohcfnf3CfhhxrnCm-/s1600/09758.03.FlameWeeder.cat.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Spot flaming is done most often at the ends of rows, and in the footpaths to control weeds after a crop is established. It is not necessary to char or burn the weeds. The flame need only overheat the tissues of the plants and break the cell tissues to be effective (visually, the plants will wilt).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pre-emergence Weed Control</span></h4>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLQJc2Cq5gxLDYP9e62-vEeS8PhpjSGYL5Ny5iZ5bOPt0bzd0ICeybqsuNkinCc6xi2C8PGdguJlHuAP23xLdopvz9yMq7TzMTQlQNj1PmZ9nkla4otVZ1oftvPkKapz1S6qwnfs3lA1O/s1600/DSC_58423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLQJc2Cq5gxLDYP9e62-vEeS8PhpjSGYL5Ny5iZ5bOPt0bzd0ICeybqsuNkinCc6xi2C8PGdguJlHuAP23xLdopvz9yMq7TzMTQlQNj1PmZ9nkla4otVZ1oftvPkKapz1S6qwnfs3lA1O/s1600/DSC_58423.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jba6x-1bScoNzegSnuoNWhhlV_8hNYgHvDP111tzHdP84pffQZbk9esrpSI4_onRnwJ8XnYp1MhU1tKroSztdumFDP_EhnCCGzaXsRVhFhWJcP8vMstlZHF6BW1YxnOnc8ZhqI7VROvm/s1600/337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jba6x-1bScoNzegSnuoNWhhlV_8hNYgHvDP111tzHdP84pffQZbk9esrpSI4_onRnwJ8XnYp1MhU1tKroSztdumFDP_EhnCCGzaXsRVhFhWJcP8vMstlZHF6BW1YxnOnc8ZhqI7VROvm/s1600/337.JPG" height="273" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This is a practice that many farmers swear by, especially for dense, hard to weed crops like baby leaf lettuce or greens. In this method, the bed is prepped for planting a couple weeks prior to seeding and weeds are allowed to grow. Just before seeding and without tilling or disturbing it, the grower will flame the bed, killing any weeds that have started to grow and then seed into a so-called <strong><em>'stale bed'</em></strong>. After that, the crop should come up nearly weed-free. The labor and fuel costs associated with flaming are usually far less than the cost to hand weed these dense beds or cull out weeds in the wash water, so the method pays for itself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Other general notes about mechanical weeding:</span> </h3>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana;">Weeding is most effectively done when the weeds are young and in the morning on a sunny day. Together, those two tactics will result in the highest mortality rate, reducing subsequent weeding. Young weeds are simply easier to kill and all weeds are easier to kill when the afternoon sun is available to dessicate their disturbed foliage and roots.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Also, although there seems to be an unending supply, there really are just so many weed seeds available in the 'weed seed bank' - that collection of weed seeds lying dormant in your soil, awaiting favorable conditions to germinate and cause you problems. Weeding while the weeds are young and have not gone to seed, works to effectively deplete the weed seed bank and eventually will result in relatively weed-free conditions. But, you have to be diligent and proactive in order to ever achieve that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks for reading and best of luck in your own personal battle against weeds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Adam.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Adam Lemieux </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tools & Supplies Manager</span> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" target="0"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvXRxYUDILenehvqGLpWnfNS5Uy11E1WWWqUCPLhL08r0LMTsinwH6f7OZ5pFtqCMUphZ8cNJFWFla6RKp9rowpgvA1svMncebwDmP2vjzTC3wY0OmpOMjIyAg_O3C_MjHmDPEpv-p-yO/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" height="62" r6="true" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhOHEdRjgCvXM7rqegdQ8Kyf2jCsRN8BhX_6grt7SvUdQrill9vPvl3LD95An7lZSJkGUApGiiWMsbat0VqfIEziaElYrF7vxSlEb3XM24W_oXLnZjNuQreFDkB4QghkFK04Q4SItS9o7/s1600/09590.01.61-2-TrapHoe.cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /></div>
Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-26772139568490666752014-03-03T16:08:00.001-05:002014-03-03T16:08:52.087-05:00The Market Gardener
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLlX0sJY12bq8y6HwlQxJcWjAkdp5-Ezvt0HoIvv1vCKcvhjQLQogkChsgu8xG9vI0Y2rqIPRqnj7Q-lMQKdWl7vbFbQKZnw0417XO1YFi_naGfXYnZr5v9MxhgFVMtt6Y-IDvenceIC2/s1600/img_1035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLlX0sJY12bq8y6HwlQxJcWjAkdp5-Ezvt0HoIvv1vCKcvhjQLQogkChsgu8xG9vI0Y2rqIPRqnj7Q-lMQKdWl7vbFbQKZnw0417XO1YFi_naGfXYnZr5v9MxhgFVMtt6Y-IDvenceIC2/s1600/img_1035.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jean-Martin Fortier is a market farmer in Quebec who, along with his wife, Maude-Hélène Desroches and their two
children, operates <a href="http://lagrelinette.com/" target="_blank">Les Jardins de la Grelinette</a>.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjRGBvgF3BwSslKMrS-OESU6_OHI3J_UzKZq8JgwnONa_OAOtd1OyPQFm1N54qqXeziDNaGM2yLh18mN3Q0YJL3k2SEgJdoKddC6PoU0HSgvUPwV5GnmdV4f_Gdgjciscv9e3xC_kV_xd/s1600/470389_378206078893977_1864157880_o%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjRGBvgF3BwSslKMrS-OESU6_OHI3J_UzKZq8JgwnONa_OAOtd1OyPQFm1N54qqXeziDNaGM2yLh18mN3Q0YJL3k2SEgJdoKddC6PoU0HSgvUPwV5GnmdV4f_Gdgjciscv9e3xC_kV_xd/s1600/470389_378206078893977_1864157880_o%5B1%5D.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEias1fj3ivGaYKH_vVR0-4z_gatRekqNx1lXxGBR99eIOwrYjS0wvvc9rx5w9h3mNGUvv6yB4s24xtg6ZqLxm-QCl0FIXYVJN1e71gzk6EcVRyaHG36nfJ5BpUJeeJ7Ai8MYbppevPKaYPQ/s1600/img_1486%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEias1fj3ivGaYKH_vVR0-4z_gatRekqNx1lXxGBR99eIOwrYjS0wvvc9rx5w9h3mNGUvv6yB4s24xtg6ZqLxm-QCl0FIXYVJN1e71gzk6EcVRyaHG36nfJ5BpUJeeJ7Ai8MYbppevPKaYPQ/s1600/img_1486%255B1%255D.jpg" height="341" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
With
about an acre and a half of intensive diversified crops in production, they are able to support a CSA with over 140 members and attend two local farmer's markets. <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">After 10 years of refining
their craft, and trying to grow more and more out of their limited land base,
they now gross more than $140,000 on their micro-farm.</span></div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTheUCqeKf4mWQqoEPQ2DDuoVu2a8eMvcUfgOl9alkdJI0eHfmLvGOpcTqBNeOqQSCE-SKoImofO119gmOsnlWTy_aqa8gJKbsJW-4-AuWEs0x51Rthdh1su9t3UM1KKBrlcISnrdj7qUs/s1600/jean-martin-and-maude-helene%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTheUCqeKf4mWQqoEPQ2DDuoVu2a8eMvcUfgOl9alkdJI0eHfmLvGOpcTqBNeOqQSCE-SKoImofO119gmOsnlWTy_aqa8gJKbsJW-4-AuWEs0x51Rthdh1su9t3UM1KKBrlcISnrdj7qUs/s1600/jean-martin-and-maude-helene%255B1%255D.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jean-Martin has clearly been influenced by the writings of Eliot
Coleman, as many of his methods are straight out of Eliot's playbooks. As a
result, he employs many tools that were developed by Eliot and Johnny's. He has
even named his farm after one of them. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>'La
Grelinette'</em> is the French name for what we call the broadfork, a two-handled
fork invented in France by André Grelin in 1946. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_bkJ4qp4gfYvzp4RL8WdMOjhOyVMY57-4ZfxuHqQPUMtmlL64wpm3NweqnhbMXvOgHRJktDp6mYa03QD71My0FG93e_uFruxQCkk4Q9k3rTzRYW387iwG0a7rIT8y-HnbR29oL3fmFZ3/s1600/A%5B1%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_dyi6S_9i_XPfIwTRnBQdEhg6_HCCG480WzJtslaTQqVmBbzQuzpfJDOhwju5dhCouaOoywqSkrIuGHPzuxbMGpqiURDM9pipD6k13Zws3L946cgghZdwXHmDVpPyhGjWB_FMrf8SAkL/s1600/b%5B1%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmfGHKmAfQDtCvD8LoDLgXp6lEvqmKPdLjdtNx6mLt5m7EY4UNA91vkFK6IU0BKKcvEWScxDnZOM0qLI8qZLuUekGxy5zNQuQH1KVhIbaG-U_SolJeNWIFr03USYSzX8E4m0WohMu2l9I/s1600/grelinetteq161%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmfGHKmAfQDtCvD8LoDLgXp6lEvqmKPdLjdtNx6mLt5m7EY4UNA91vkFK6IU0BKKcvEWScxDnZOM0qLI8qZLuUekGxy5zNQuQH1KVhIbaG-U_SolJeNWIFr03USYSzX8E4m0WohMu2l9I/s1600/grelinetteq161%5B1%5D.jpg" height="400" width="258" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was redeveloped
here in 1998 by Eliot Coleman and Johnny's Selected Seeds. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzW4fxETDIufbIdPgD5jq-tva4gE75wTJU1XDHDPHG-Ez8opA0T8Cuc9IFtCJCn1qSP80P1Z6gm4TxwDQiVuJr3O75jk4fcyUVbEDzMXVHuh6AsyieJuksB_unSsHzATbmCkxAKg39rD5/s1600/1999+Catalog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzW4fxETDIufbIdPgD5jq-tva4gE75wTJU1XDHDPHG-Ez8opA0T8Cuc9IFtCJCn1qSP80P1Z6gm4TxwDQiVuJr3O75jk4fcyUVbEDzMXVHuh6AsyieJuksB_unSsHzATbmCkxAKg39rD5/s1600/1999+Catalog.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For many years now Jean-Martin
has been describing his growing strategies and use of scale-appropriate technology on a <a href="http://lejardiniermaraicher.com/blogue/" target="_blank">web site and blog</a>, where he
promotes the idea of farming with hand tools (i.e.: they don't have tractor) as
an alternative way of entering farming professionally.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
In 2012, Jean-Martin published <b><i><a href="http://lejardiniermaraicher.com/" target="_blank">Le jardinier-maraîcher</a></i></b>,
a 200 page manual for small acreage organic agriculture. <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The book quickly became a Canadian
best-seller and has since sold more than 15,000 copies.</span></div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4TZtrNi18lr0C8hI8UioITWQXH-c7IQ4Jc88V0EkQZ9hSdzg_Qddbx12kQV7GN7VXYjgAObW1adMdHKuYlRN4c04BsQfczyCsKDSoN6fgNUTBfl5OX693s0GKgHk6H27mKAyMtPd8asl/s1600/484080_399298633451388_369110583_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4TZtrNi18lr0C8hI8UioITWQXH-c7IQ4Jc88V0EkQZ9hSdzg_Qddbx12kQV7GN7VXYjgAObW1adMdHKuYlRN4c04BsQfczyCsKDSoN6fgNUTBfl5OX693s0GKgHk6H27mKAyMtPd8asl/s1600/484080_399298633451388_369110583_n%5B1%5D.jpg" height="400" width="385" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In it, he describes
(in French) the technical aspects of his operation and the tools that they use
to make their labor efficient and cost-effective. Many of the drawings in the
book illustrate Johnny's tools, including Broadforks (of course), the Tilther,
several seeders including the Six Row Seeder, the Bed Prep Rake, Collinear and
Stirrup Hoes, and the Wheel Hoe. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHH74bRAIMlZKtRrAPaD74PIYhje2VUHOHGZAQzBbqquq-seXdM8DbTdaE8x6P5AcDSMqQmQk-e0LGEGeKFbxZOTBAyhyI_QjIprWsxRIih_shDlzLTE6iV3A7wpgos7C_rXxt5cTMOTC0/s1600/paniers-bio-2%5B1%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHH74bRAIMlZKtRrAPaD74PIYhje2VUHOHGZAQzBbqquq-seXdM8DbTdaE8x6P5AcDSMqQmQk-e0LGEGeKFbxZOTBAyhyI_QjIprWsxRIih_shDlzLTE6iV3A7wpgos7C_rXxt5cTMOTC0/s1600/paniers-bio-2%5B1%5D.png" height="373" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
His approach in <b><i>Le jardinier-maraîcher</i></b>
is that 'small is beautiful'. That is to say
that he keeps his operation small and profitable, but it is more than that. It
is not only about being profitable, but about enjoying life, enjoying what you
do, and remembering to take time off regularly so that your work remains
enjoyable. <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">All this is feasible he
stresses, if your operation is super efficient all the way through.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a follow-up to <b><i><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-5515-the-new-organic-grower.aspx" target="_blank">The New Organic Grower</a></i> </b>in
1989 and<b> <i><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-5521-four-season-harvest.aspx" target="_blank">Four-Season Harvest</a></i> </b>in 1992, Eliot Coleman released<b> <i><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-7698-the-winter-harvest-handbook.aspx" target="_blank">The Winter Harvest Handbook</a></i> </b>in 2009.<b> </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Sy9YZHoAjkXWHPdqC88SH5NBqA6jxtljdrdYs8QCMVpQ11UaKGhyphenhyphenHGGb53GJ1mTkqzeeLxq8oUoaupSGXORhC7aRzeuk9YyCh-WgxBgIGBR9fMfbm1u_62SMLKN-NVphHRKM0Qcvm1pp/s1600/9698%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Sy9YZHoAjkXWHPdqC88SH5NBqA6jxtljdrdYs8QCMVpQ11UaKGhyphenhyphenHGGb53GJ1mTkqzeeLxq8oUoaupSGXORhC7aRzeuk9YyCh-WgxBgIGBR9fMfbm1u_62SMLKN-NVphHRKM0Qcvm1pp/s1600/9698%5B1%5D.jpg" height="400" width="382" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was very well received by the
public and included a great many things learned between that time and his last
publication and many new innovations as well, particularly those centered
around winter crop production. Converse to Jean-Martin, in 2013, he released a
version of <a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-7698-the-winter-harvest-handbook.aspx" target="_blank"><em><strong>The Winter Harvest Handbook</strong></em></a><strong> </strong>translated into French, entitled <b><i><a href="http://www.actes-sud.fr/catalogue/botanique/des-legumes-en-hiver" target="_blank">Des Legumes en Hiver</a></i></b>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCWkvC-oKKCTMoPvgM3FRfriKDOyAiScbjwciT7L504ox5scfvmBSpXjTHPhQtg5-MOcB6hr_KwYkAUJuAl0Ft9XiAgNQGJ0UU42HK8cXsR8rS3ZbNqt5tbosChUKWQFglXmoEeG7Lb42/s1600/51Yh82QwKLL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCWkvC-oKKCTMoPvgM3FRfriKDOyAiScbjwciT7L504ox5scfvmBSpXjTHPhQtg5-MOcB6hr_KwYkAUJuAl0Ft9XiAgNQGJ0UU42HK8cXsR8rS3ZbNqt5tbosChUKWQFglXmoEeG7Lb42/s1600/51Yh82QwKLL.jpg" height="400" width="308" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In November of 2013, it seemed only natural that the two
should promote their books together in France, and that is just what they did. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dear Jean-Martin,</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chris Siladi shared your email and it reminded me that I
had never thanked you for the book. It is very well done and should be of great
use to market growers everywhere. But most delightful to me is the idea of your
trip to France and Belgium. I love the exchange of ideas and information. And
when we pass ideas on, the next person gets to start where we got to and take
the ideas to another level. My most important early inspiration came from Louis
Savier in France (as I wrote about in The Winter Harvest Handbook) and that
jump-started my farming at a higher level and gave me the opportunity to add
ideas of my own. You say in your book that my work inspired you (thank you for
that compliment) and you have subsequently modified and improved upon that. So,
I am delighted by the thought that all of this accumulated knowledge will soon
return to France where it began in order to start the cycle all over again and
hopefully spread even further and inspire future generations to excel our
efforts. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I believe the Grelinette is still made in France by the
son of the originator. It would be interesting to visit him. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Best,</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eliot</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In Paris, they addressed a standing-room-only
auditorium at the prestigious university, AgroParisTech. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3D2KSVFP2uahyCMjCmjVQwFqnUiBEV3kqjEiocsqezw3Nwp0qdDyoxrXgZMbxMSiBBbSsWc54c_QM52Cl-jGIjt0AdghRo9BN-IU_Yb5KLyoGnHGNuESIIW93dkYVlIUVPT3cXiP5clbA/s1600/1425500_10202537213340298_1552144098_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3D2KSVFP2uahyCMjCmjVQwFqnUiBEV3kqjEiocsqezw3Nwp0qdDyoxrXgZMbxMSiBBbSsWc54c_QM52Cl-jGIjt0AdghRo9BN-IU_Yb5KLyoGnHGNuESIIW93dkYVlIUVPT3cXiP5clbA/s1600/1425500_10202537213340298_1552144098_o.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iJAtpNTC85S0F-MvQGn8U0a_qjWf_isZbYb9fp7Rol9lqIebZyd1mGX8segyjIwf14dHdo8UsdJ5rFHFbE8FeRVMcdR8nMeP7pJsatuq_g2uo8XjZu7ZKxp0eBQXacwAYqElkdfO61Mv/s1600/1384300_539778242776546_1634320924_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iJAtpNTC85S0F-MvQGn8U0a_qjWf_isZbYb9fp7Rol9lqIebZyd1mGX8segyjIwf14dHdo8UsdJ5rFHFbE8FeRVMcdR8nMeP7pJsatuq_g2uo8XjZu7ZKxp0eBQXacwAYqElkdfO61Mv/s1600/1384300_539778242776546_1634320924_n.jpg" height="320" width="226" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgwQleOWliI1HFpClinh0w-7ux1m9iCjOTNa_EhSaZcos7vUQkQaCFys_uziRY79FDoIoNFySawFwr8y1a52r4iMeyiJHHvTD09BrmPDH5jHqnjS1bjCk9EwulP2zUU6sazd5iWUDvxKh/s1600/1001592_548594241894946_1354608293_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgwQleOWliI1HFpClinh0w-7ux1m9iCjOTNa_EhSaZcos7vUQkQaCFys_uziRY79FDoIoNFySawFwr8y1a52r4iMeyiJHHvTD09BrmPDH5jHqnjS1bjCk9EwulP2zUU6sazd5iWUDvxKh/s1600/1001592_548594241894946_1354608293_n.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xdlvVhrofnfEdUj-IS1Mxwa21kVqkyOkU6AihkTaOM28Zg4mmPSZ3xk0aLd5nhYE0ISiDa-GvSRJ-D3FPMBI3J9uUuvCW0_X3mbXYGbtHfx9kN1yQG1ZPSLbW1Fa_nV3TBB9mchifNby/s1600/1441490_548593068561730_1556665328_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xdlvVhrofnfEdUj-IS1Mxwa21kVqkyOkU6AihkTaOM28Zg4mmPSZ3xk0aLd5nhYE0ISiDa-GvSRJ-D3FPMBI3J9uUuvCW0_X3mbXYGbtHfx9kN1yQG1ZPSLbW1Fa_nV3TBB9mchifNby/s1600/1441490_548593068561730_1556665328_n.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2p-YohESPan-_5Llrunbj5_bxcfc_GLyJFD4MlecRVlt4lIYg_fCpMKgLRsq2pNPNctjIzSNmELnv99JotP5FgId-LtnjJJVWPmAVBDzKfMBgsyoiQiGScR1HvIClh4kBX85jIyETE0EY/s1600/1441318_548594531894917_1678315592_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2p-YohESPan-_5Llrunbj5_bxcfc_GLyJFD4MlecRVlt4lIYg_fCpMKgLRsq2pNPNctjIzSNmELnv99JotP5FgId-LtnjJJVWPmAVBDzKfMBgsyoiQiGScR1HvIClh4kBX85jIyETE0EY/s1600/1441318_548594531894917_1678315592_n.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Eliot also presented three other very well-attended
workshops in both France and Austria. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i><o:p></o:p></i> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJ1UB3j5PQ4R3QIxWTU4_BIXgb-6IChoVFJn-AXYY1nrIBXtynIZ7OLjnrTXc-Hy2xiMSEmUDHS6NPNM6WE417fLPNd9ZM4nNz2XjMHDHAfd-Dv64ygJq1tP50Gf6jkCOw4amYrBqiNHB/s1600/1399803_654355107937616_1136913851_o%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJ1UB3j5PQ4R3QIxWTU4_BIXgb-6IChoVFJn-AXYY1nrIBXtynIZ7OLjnrTXc-Hy2xiMSEmUDHS6NPNM6WE417fLPNd9ZM4nNz2XjMHDHAfd-Dv64ygJq1tP50Gf6jkCOw4amYrBqiNHB/s1600/1399803_654355107937616_1136913851_o%255B1%255D.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3PuJmOsHMvC16WPacroCPAtKuDolYA7Yhn2TF_pL6u94EkMQcV6e-SW0MWlDvOC5p7HtO90poZis9d2B7naYtEQh9x5FVYTs39tPEvvBfXK__FB9-axjQONWcgNHOT5aWTJ9nxXmNnBM9/s1600/1457732_10202311807499469_1352991128_n%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3PuJmOsHMvC16WPacroCPAtKuDolYA7Yhn2TF_pL6u94EkMQcV6e-SW0MWlDvOC5p7HtO90poZis9d2B7naYtEQh9x5FVYTs39tPEvvBfXK__FB9-axjQONWcgNHOT5aWTJ9nxXmNnBM9/s1600/1457732_10202311807499469_1352991128_n%255B1%255D.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In 2013, Jean-Martin also set out to publish an English
version of <strong><em>Le jardinier-maraîcher</em></strong> and in January of 2014, <b><i><a href="https://www.themarketgardener.com/market-gardening-tools/" target="_blank">the market gardener</a></i></b> was published. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.themarketgardener.com/market-gardening-tools/" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.themarketgardener.com/market-gardening-tools/" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgChScI73io2Vefw6Io7nKbYgM8hayou15UStOjH4MStDhSEBw13ir7SKvq-qObTeJCAafKR_aQCbvQ0nxnMfLE2TTCSPOBdlB7xSO66Fe_iAkc0UKPzLFAJ2Gw67neNYTAh25kLttj6OEe/s1600/MarketGardener-cover%5B1%5D.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/mVG8Ew4iGdY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It included a very inspiring foreword by Severine von
Tscharner Fleming. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HtRp4RRzdsRAJYL4y5xd8y6T69ugA3n7ovcvaMwfwkqmDSpMWdgNWNagKnfU54Oi-mXjPXJVODiz5EoA3b7HjsZCj80RiPkZfkd3lnrkBnkzPtAVug72mGxzktUV9ch8VS_3heGAEr4f/s1600/69703%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HtRp4RRzdsRAJYL4y5xd8y6T69ugA3n7ovcvaMwfwkqmDSpMWdgNWNagKnfU54Oi-mXjPXJVODiz5EoA3b7HjsZCj80RiPkZfkd3lnrkBnkzPtAVug72mGxzktUV9ch8VS_3heGAEr4f/s1600/69703%5B1%5D.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Severine is director of the <a href="http://www.thegreenhorns.net/category/about/aboutus/" target="_blank">Greenhorns</a>, <em>"a non-traditional
grassroots non-profit organization made up of young farmers and a diversity of
collaborators"</em>, whose mission <em>"is to recruit, promote and support
the new generation of young farmers"</em>. She is also a co-founder of the
<a href="http://www.youngfarmers.org/" target="_blank">National Young Farmers Coalition</a>, <em>"a national network of young and
sustainable farmers organizing for our collective success"</em>, who mission is
to <em>"represent, mobilize, and engage young farmers to ensure their
success."</em> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The following is a 'letter of praise' that I sent New Society Publishers
after receiving a digital review copy before the book was published: </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<em>Jean-Martin Fortier extols the
virtues of being small-scale, and expertly details the use of such
scale-appropriate tools as broadforks, seeders, hoes, flame weeders, low tunnels,
high tunnels, and many other unique tools, specifically design for this brand
of farming. He picks up right where Eliot Coleman has left us, applying many of
his cotre principles, but doing it in such a brilliant way as to provide
beginning farmers the information they need to start up and become successful
small-scale growers themselves.</em></div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jean-Martin remains a tools collaborator and field tester
for Johnny's Selected Seeds and we are in frequent contact. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52QkrHWQpU3oOHYMeXtb9pkJuuWDQORtf0W6g02hN63WeUv-RTHvoqC9mIixiY24MUYXR_RBj_AlIfnBkvAKuMoNhd1JkBFXFIQ7AteoJ6XWaz2IZISvwu0jMCEKXa7VuiTGSdb-tcXAp/s1600/1397929_724042984275945_550406751_o%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52QkrHWQpU3oOHYMeXtb9pkJuuWDQORtf0W6g02hN63WeUv-RTHvoqC9mIixiY24MUYXR_RBj_AlIfnBkvAKuMoNhd1JkBFXFIQ7AteoJ6XWaz2IZISvwu0jMCEKXa7VuiTGSdb-tcXAp/s1600/1397929_724042984275945_550406751_o%5B1%5D.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnojI1FJkuG5TIAfXZa4vBU5U47g2qQn1FXgnSmxsRWRvJzEMxCfEIWaoBsfpWqqlcRfjnt9GgC0Cv0AyjOtX3PTQJFtpwNqc1OEuoas6tx3PWpwrjiN0Ix7oM7nGnMCxCa0PAaT3g2yZg/s1600/seeder%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnojI1FJkuG5TIAfXZa4vBU5U47g2qQn1FXgnSmxsRWRvJzEMxCfEIWaoBsfpWqqlcRfjnt9GgC0Cv0AyjOtX3PTQJFtpwNqc1OEuoas6tx3PWpwrjiN0Ix7oM7nGnMCxCa0PAaT3g2yZg/s1600/seeder%5B1%5D.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He
is also a new member of the <a href="http://www.stonebarnscenter.org/farm/news/slow-tools-fast-change.html" target="_blank">Slow Tools Group</a> founded by Eliot Coleman and Barry
Griffin. The group has met three years in a row now at the Stone Barns Center
for Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, NY to brainstorm new ideas for scale
appropriate tools for small commercial growers. We intend to keep that creative
momentum going with another gathering in December.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYaD6T5WdirInbeEw6G1uFWf4MHA1Cq-7-SrEs03BvF3e0PIPhPFsA552nXX_Adhxb_voZj8QBlkn1NxoV1Ax_7rUFRwRYLVlNLFscCepywDQTmaICx1sgXWCKULKos4-s7KJ1XxXSsFl/s1600/1497888_10201105155090280_1740886278_o%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYaD6T5WdirInbeEw6G1uFWf4MHA1Cq-7-SrEs03BvF3e0PIPhPFsA552nXX_Adhxb_voZj8QBlkn1NxoV1Ax_7rUFRwRYLVlNLFscCepywDQTmaICx1sgXWCKULKos4-s7KJ1XxXSsFl/s1600/1497888_10201105155090280_1740886278_o%5B1%5D.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQuPZKOmQ0EkshXfnF9FYIRVI_CpDoAyP33_OxskJ88wwjzBKhSKEnOayE6Cu2DgGR2DPaFd01_ZTlfnSaGzy98_zhli-tL1Q5mZ01ZjuFa9xs2V6D-jadL1dTESPV96wIaGeOWNPbb-bf/s1600/IMG_0169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQuPZKOmQ0EkshXfnF9FYIRVI_CpDoAyP33_OxskJ88wwjzBKhSKEnOayE6Cu2DgGR2DPaFd01_ZTlfnSaGzy98_zhli-tL1Q5mZ01ZjuFa9xs2V6D-jadL1dTESPV96wIaGeOWNPbb-bf/s1600/IMG_0169.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Meanwhile, Jean-Martin continues to promote his book through interviews, lectures and other speaking engagements. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfW0m7DSaS9C5C5GdHYeEDNmYwF09yvDQv1tNjOyxbQpr3BE-MSa8aUkH08Z8-8GsPbtKZEy-EktfX_0i5npE3Nsl5X9WsBxwOom1wxQW0Po8_dZXb9hmcwuQ4GETVq1vXAYJwCrUDSqY/s1600/1549520_564936550257132_1129397299_n%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfW0m7DSaS9C5C5GdHYeEDNmYwF09yvDQv1tNjOyxbQpr3BE-MSa8aUkH08Z8-8GsPbtKZEy-EktfX_0i5npE3Nsl5X9WsBxwOom1wxQW0Po8_dZXb9hmcwuQ4GETVq1vXAYJwCrUDSqY/s1600/1549520_564936550257132_1129397299_n%255B1%255D.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At Johnny's Selected Seeds, we are more than proud to carry
this fine publication in our line of books. You can find <strong><em>the market gardener</em></strong> on our website
<a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-9295-the-market-gardener.aspx" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thanks! <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Adam. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Adam Lemieux </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tools & Supplies
Product Manager<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" target="0"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvXRxYUDILenehvqGLpWnfNS5Uy11E1WWWqUCPLhL08r0LMTsinwH6f7OZ5pFtqCMUphZ8cNJFWFla6RKp9rowpgvA1svMncebwDmP2vjzTC3wY0OmpOMjIyAg_O3C_MjHmDPEpv-p-yO/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" height="62" r6="true" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-22083662421424037442014-02-21T12:45:00.000-05:002014-02-21T12:59:33.414-05:00<h3 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Product Development Spotlight: </span></h3>
<h3 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
Johnny's Hardpan Broadfork and Seedbed Roller</span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCh1Ys2skD5xyQulKSAyKNAfyMaEyD12Ppy2FpQFGj6t4UQRz4xwu-jzXFA-0tG2-NQUmVosPIbzmHKWdRIiQetEIXS1vVk00BFm5E1gSGSPi_U3BfiMRMeZ4kaGRzMLzwyu1_euSFEbe/s1600/DSC_6126_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCh1Ys2skD5xyQulKSAyKNAfyMaEyD12Ppy2FpQFGj6t4UQRz4xwu-jzXFA-0tG2-NQUmVosPIbzmHKWdRIiQetEIXS1vVk00BFm5E1gSGSPi_U3BfiMRMeZ4kaGRzMLzwyu1_euSFEbe/s1600/DSC_6126_2.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The Hardpan Broadfork<o:p></o:p></h3>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Several new broadforks have made it to the
market recently, garnering a fair amount of market share and adversely
affecting our own broadfork sales. We have also had a number of broadforks returned to us because their tines were bent. At Johnny's, we stand behind our products 100% and we generally fix or replace those for customers, depending on the situation. Our vendor aids us in those efforts by making those repairs. generally, the bent tine(s) are replaced and the head is given a new paint job. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9-8Hu0UYdsDgnNrrhR2_QIN1r1NnWEfPoO7BYHkY648-KGgXzKAyGligcAyiwtGo2eQx2QlxiFI-pFHyU4-jQfQ3XT0yaiSeOX4B1M5EMeLK2Qb8t5n8IYPBt_aecznleTQbbmHsNZ3w/s1600/SS850056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9-8Hu0UYdsDgnNrrhR2_QIN1r1NnWEfPoO7BYHkY648-KGgXzKAyGligcAyiwtGo2eQx2QlxiFI-pFHyU4-jQfQ3XT0yaiSeOX4B1M5EMeLK2Qb8t5n8IYPBt_aecznleTQbbmHsNZ3w/s1600/SS850056.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkFbJXAscE3DqnkQlBiZAMFxz6e2TjecO1yy4Cj4o2lQmsLPKm2DXkf9fDqNBfWU4jWubWKoCK2WxWF56jsk4BvxwbTMpyqcrPzBvtqNXSR7vt-Wfsj_2V0dHu7NiAozBtDrnQiK64tEG/s1600/SS850058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkFbJXAscE3DqnkQlBiZAMFxz6e2TjecO1yy4Cj4o2lQmsLPKm2DXkf9fDqNBfWU4jWubWKoCK2WxWF56jsk4BvxwbTMpyqcrPzBvtqNXSR7vt-Wfsj_2V0dHu7NiAozBtDrnQiK64tEG/s1600/SS850058.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ike is a Maine blueberry farmer and rake maker. He owns Hubbard Rake and was approached back in the 90's by Eliot Coleman and Rob Johnston to make our original 520 Broadfork, which debuted in Johnny's catalog in 1998. For those who don't know, Eliot has been our Tools Advisor for many years and has designed and/or developed many of our exclusive tools. He is pictured below.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwCTlxMxHYhDDcDN5Fhi92_ZYzGoFOPlqGuvBQJNc1RkThqbR4bfz0-bwewtkvmPAwCaTrZwykKJH4wRBrRXnWFh1tLh851Ps-8YVIJSpXAeMJmFdtIMi3COqfrqPhpEmU64NZa62XFEn/s1600/1999+Catalog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwCTlxMxHYhDDcDN5Fhi92_ZYzGoFOPlqGuvBQJNc1RkThqbR4bfz0-bwewtkvmPAwCaTrZwykKJH4wRBrRXnWFh1tLh851Ps-8YVIJSpXAeMJmFdtIMi3COqfrqPhpEmU64NZa62XFEn/s1600/1999+Catalog.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He is one of our trusted vendors who actively works
with us to develop new products. Last year, we asked Ike to redesign the
broadfork and create some prototypes for us. Several new prototypes were
constructed for field testing, changing slightly each time until we felt we had
achieved what we set out to do - make a broadfork that will accept a higher
level of abuse and work in better in tougher soil conditions. I think together
we accomplished that. Here's how it went...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Development - Prototyping
and Trials:<o:p></o:p></h4>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">2/26/13 - Hubbard Rake produced a three slightly different prototypes
for testing - one with round tines but without the 90 degree bend at the top, and
two with tines made out of flat 1/2" plate steel. The latter were cut to a
very sharp point. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">3/1/13 - <span style="color: black;">Product trialing
technician, Paul Gallione tested 3 broadforks in high tunnel plus our standard
520 as the control. The model with flat tines suffered both a weld failure and
"fish-hooking" of the points. The round tine model with tines extending
from frame at a 90 degree angle had bending issues. The model with tines
extending vertically through the frame held up the best with repeated
usage. Our standard model also had bending issues. That same day, we met
with Ike, who agreed to remake the plate steel model, but with more blunt ends
to prevent bending (maybe).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxpRPaby42pjhRjC13BRm4kkLd64bVeObDoKNl14a7FbGAsHJf0wohJaXH8DxLNs5vOJvl6K-t6GCOaWgHeU0xqvXC0kmStsQ7sZ49IQDoghNkkiaR0fUAJSvTZ5mQD3BH1WdnNY5eWM2/s1600/IMG00366-20130222-1605%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxpRPaby42pjhRjC13BRm4kkLd64bVeObDoKNl14a7FbGAsHJf0wohJaXH8DxLNs5vOJvl6K-t6GCOaWgHeU0xqvXC0kmStsQ7sZ49IQDoghNkkiaR0fUAJSvTZ5mQD3BH1WdnNY5eWM2/s1600/IMG00366-20130222-1605%255B1%255D.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHiDACJBKfRM-rGtwc14iOxB0u8o7ntx8DmrBhWsjkditx6akw_fMdUI2yHFuNgJvgj4cvUjAW6kQqKPKjTq6OxEvPNLraVhS2ksiM3eFQKn46uPWeOi9Yg7DV2Ri6vQatQ5usOZ7FJ5S/s1600/IMG00368-20130222-1606%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHiDACJBKfRM-rGtwc14iOxB0u8o7ntx8DmrBhWsjkditx6akw_fMdUI2yHFuNgJvgj4cvUjAW6kQqKPKjTq6OxEvPNLraVhS2ksiM3eFQKn46uPWeOi9Yg7DV2Ri6vQatQ5usOZ7FJ5S/s1600/IMG00368-20130222-1606%255B1%255D.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbc0eGPlnjKwTDiJdr0gW8XawIvo2bWORgQGQZz8UXKmznnP7Qg_7bK1yolOn0c76pvS0dRBb6pTueP98XS9VbXy8Zx6ExorjKVoo8NgMEl1ngvFiRpLTYt9pNg28u0I_amOtt-iqiTTX_/s1600/IMG00370-20130222-1607%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbc0eGPlnjKwTDiJdr0gW8XawIvo2bWORgQGQZz8UXKmznnP7Qg_7bK1yolOn0c76pvS0dRBb6pTueP98XS9VbXy8Zx6ExorjKVoo8NgMEl1ngvFiRpLTYt9pNg28u0I_amOtt-iqiTTX_/s1600/IMG00370-20130222-1607%255B1%255D.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">3/15/13 - <span style="color: black;">We continued testing
round-tine models. The "new" straight tined prototype bent, thought
this one would hold up but not the case. Tested "new" flat tined
model with modified tips and stronger welds. No issues as of yet, the
modification to the tips has curtailed the "fish hooking"
effect. It had good penetration, but was noted to be somewhat heavier
than round tined models.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHP4HPuabCGxvQTkoOdypLa1Nt_GquXEuRJcdVsI-Hkv_SVHPb9XjXCzwHwpLcID2zJ1kIl933zCR4CZ4j59m_qmSOFN8YpjJdQK6eiZp1vlf0bnftaCRIM05H1NcbnVyX8KSKfb5lYvK9/s1600/IMG00382-20130314-1520%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHP4HPuabCGxvQTkoOdypLa1Nt_GquXEuRJcdVsI-Hkv_SVHPb9XjXCzwHwpLcID2zJ1kIl933zCR4CZ4j59m_qmSOFN8YpjJdQK6eiZp1vlf0bnftaCRIM05H1NcbnVyX8KSKfb5lYvK9/s1600/IMG00382-20130314-1520%255B1%255D.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVuyAn7JFh7D7mXtN6-gy88XvBPUmg_YQojDDj3OP7iZoYxw02tzcUHiAc_byoYWlnNZ0UgTrgQwpLbC-7VEEylCmz5SWz2JwmrglyPSzY2-i4IFJcKNry5B5TeCxHZ94OolWPYMELVyi/s1600/IMG00383-20130314-1521%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVuyAn7JFh7D7mXtN6-gy88XvBPUmg_YQojDDj3OP7iZoYxw02tzcUHiAc_byoYWlnNZ0UgTrgQwpLbC-7VEEylCmz5SWz2JwmrglyPSzY2-i4IFJcKNry5B5TeCxHZ94OolWPYMELVyi/s1600/IMG00383-20130314-1521%255B1%255D.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5/20/13 - The flat-tined model was
tested in the rocky soil of Paul's hoophouse on his own farm. He managed to
unearth several large rocks with no damage to the broadfork. His opinion at
this point was that it was well suited for heavy and rocky soils.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrZfF7VnlbuDnYWtVMKGkgf4yHerla2B8kEExnpNCBMSPKfj5VRsIS0GMFeOMYOBjdBUmnRXpGKAY0-CmNXh5hsY896jo8oyXZtgkXuxj0OOBF6PsTf42ftX2knZ6G8DwzF9-UMwNBSqQ/s1600/IMG00430-20130509-1835%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrZfF7VnlbuDnYWtVMKGkgf4yHerla2B8kEExnpNCBMSPKfj5VRsIS0GMFeOMYOBjdBUmnRXpGKAY0-CmNXh5hsY896jo8oyXZtgkXuxj0OOBF6PsTf42ftX2knZ6G8DwzF9-UMwNBSqQ/s1600/IMG00430-20130509-1835%255B1%255D.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8/5/13 - In an effort to reduce
weight and cost, a prototype was constructed with thinner 3/8" plate steel.
This tested well, and was easier to use because it had better penetration and
weighed less. Throughout all this, we tried to keep the shape somewhat similar to the curvature of our original broadforks. </span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sQMDALWyazTnXslN-cjIG5FthWwvloGIChaJtb9gaZ0engyMXQXtCixMv1BZmLg4s0dQ8n0irWi06Lyywp9tJNt1YRBR_auyA1kyKr0X3ZX1jWsCb848OCz1LotvFlVNPR00kEIVNCf4/s1600/9677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sQMDALWyazTnXslN-cjIG5FthWwvloGIChaJtb9gaZ0engyMXQXtCixMv1BZmLg4s0dQ8n0irWi06Lyywp9tJNt1YRBR_auyA1kyKr0X3ZX1jWsCb848OCz1LotvFlVNPR00kEIVNCf4/s1600/9677.jpg" height="320" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original tine shape.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqmFrit3GVti1Rd4iB89p1XkjnFegi0bgY3w3fr1GNZu2RXPI0LwIAS9jRZd5AtantXxhFnQwt4ZiwfkfmpQEkiRu-4id5S7gSDpF9IPLaULZ94GsUNhz8fjg5KX2w2a4H9Gtar4ek4P0/s1600/7238_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqmFrit3GVti1Rd4iB89p1XkjnFegi0bgY3w3fr1GNZu2RXPI0LwIAS9jRZd5AtantXxhFnQwt4ZiwfkfmpQEkiRu-4id5S7gSDpF9IPLaULZ94GsUNhz8fjg5KX2w2a4H9Gtar4ek4P0/s1600/7238_2.jpg" height="320" width="243" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New tine shape</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8/28/13 - Paul's final recommendation:
"My final review of these prototypes has demonstrated that the model with
the narrow steel tines is the best option. The narrow tines reduced the overall
weight of the product ( only downside to previous model). This improved version
give greater strength, durability, with the same ease of use as the regular
tine model. My recommendation is to add this product specifically for users
with heavy and or rocky soils." <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Commercialization:<o:p></o:p></h4>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What needs to be done to bring it
to market? This being what I would call a "spin-off" product,
commercialization is somewhat easy compared to other completely new products. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well first, it's got to be entered
into our New Product Information System (NPIS). An entry in this system
includes all the pertinent information about this product need by Purchasing, Sales,
Marketing, and Product Management - obvious stuff like part number, price, cost,
vendor, product name, etc., but also other things like product structure and group
categorization, initial forecast, catalog and web copy, harmonized codes for
export, and so on. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRq64zQo3a1VfzRiHtdEg1ttkNQXdbb2pVCAOITRaUaekn48bg8izum4hy7u41cVVQSIthMPertQd4ZR1qxzEJODzf9BZ7phv4XqoOwOjc6kj_JOzqcO5x80oMACPpk49kFkJnh0VLPhat/s1600/NPIS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRq64zQo3a1VfzRiHtdEg1ttkNQXdbb2pVCAOITRaUaekn48bg8izum4hy7u41cVVQSIthMPertQd4ZR1qxzEJODzf9BZ7phv4XqoOwOjc6kj_JOzqcO5x80oMACPpk49kFkJnh0VLPhat/s1600/NPIS.jpg" height="275" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then, we'll need some pictures.
Studio shots? In-use application shots? Yes, on both counts. Video? Maybe some
time soon.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicUj54roDIDaiglpm7nMoZOcB3lPg7ytOIVHuafkcx3vmt_uLA4_RE9ITCoKaprNkFxcGHn3YF0J2-IQkDa0dOv1KwW5V4BQt6HKC-lOFh8ExW_tkg9ZyCgZJ5ClPL1iu0OvzMEj-DnNSK/s1600/07238.02.520Broadfork.cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicUj54roDIDaiglpm7nMoZOcB3lPg7ytOIVHuafkcx3vmt_uLA4_RE9ITCoKaprNkFxcGHn3YF0J2-IQkDa0dOv1KwW5V4BQt6HKC-lOFh8ExW_tkg9ZyCgZJ5ClPL1iu0OvzMEj-DnNSK/s1600/07238.02.520Broadfork.cat.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></span></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Logistically, what do we need?
Well, a box for starters (packaging). We've got to make sure we've got one it
fits in or special order one that to fit it. We've also got to spec out any packing
material that may or may not have to be added. This was easy because it fits easily
in the same box as our standard 502 Broadfork, so that was a snap. What does it
cost to ship? Is it over-sized or heavy? Will it qualify for additional
shipping charges and if so, how much. In this case, no. Is it 'kitted' with other
parts to make the final product? In this case, yes - handles and wedges. A
kitting instruction must be created. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then there's the instruction
manual. Do we start from scratch? In this case, no. I was able to modify the
existing broadfork manual to be used (and included) with all broadforks.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSVIpKAx3JWRbmqT0mpPuF94uZn5pof-ap2hAs6BQGGIjBJw4aV6ktxMjSZ2ejkGrmIctu5B4JuJ7_7SbUbHAGkFT2bDf2G4XM0XcQxZxSLgM1xKswGRZo2qK6YM_LTMTqOmy2KL1DGeS/s1600/Pages+from+9338+9383+9677+9061+7238+Broadfork+Insert_10.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSVIpKAx3JWRbmqT0mpPuF94uZn5pof-ap2hAs6BQGGIjBJw4aV6ktxMjSZ2ejkGrmIctu5B4JuJ7_7SbUbHAGkFT2bDf2G4XM0XcQxZxSLgM1xKswGRZo2qK6YM_LTMTqOmy2KL1DGeS/s1600/Pages+from+9338+9383+9677+9061+7238+Broadfork+Insert_10.13.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnC-3pKU-9oCRRn8Z9gR5YFGStqgOWL5oKno9GutMdtfItAJx0fsPtWsrxfcZIIbuH1UNBHMxAzdpNrMBzpQD9WQdpSgCx5Wxg9SDUub84r8qJi4L4JTKGn4sChpAcjg3Ws2rvECiV2gk7/s1600/Pages+from+9338+9383+9677+9061+7238+Broadfork+Insert_10.13-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnC-3pKU-9oCRRn8Z9gR5YFGStqgOWL5oKno9GutMdtfItAJx0fsPtWsrxfcZIIbuH1UNBHMxAzdpNrMBzpQD9WQdpSgCx5Wxg9SDUub84r8qJi4L4JTKGn4sChpAcjg3Ws2rvECiV2gk7/s1600/Pages+from+9338+9383+9677+9061+7238+Broadfork+Insert_10.13-2.jpg" height="320" width="246" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjExPKHHAsDh82aHYcX2ChKI4CypGJoALC-4Y5JO8syrFYC-ZY0rHu7p_r5UpGTK5rtR1HJyKuAJ80SdHIyzWgIWvyI17Kzbi4K_44ipX0I3lM9ygcMTDlDF97DBTepvncz9qqG_En3fR/s1600/Pages+from+9338+9383+9677+9061+7238+Broadfork+Insert_10.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span></span><br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">QA - If a product does not already
have engineering drawings (and most don't, like this one), then a product spec
must be created with inspection criteria and instructions. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Catalog and web layout - how do we
want this positioned in our customer-facing sales channels? The product manager
follows this through the entire process, making suggestions and editing as
needed.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifu58Z8fuN3lRfv3Xh5p8ntK8XJ9yD5tYcv6PHDGuvzq9609QN3rN4HPfk9gs8qkUt0zSvm8mMI7mxHry5e1BeCssGdeq9gPJKzguhrU8yOYwp-z_A4-RVlUPb1CZPn6xGDiB1bekBiFA8/s1600/RelId=6.1.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifu58Z8fuN3lRfv3Xh5p8ntK8XJ9yD5tYcv6PHDGuvzq9609QN3rN4HPfk9gs8qkUt0zSvm8mMI7mxHry5e1BeCssGdeq9gPJKzguhrU8yOYwp-z_A4-RVlUPb1CZPn6xGDiB1bekBiFA8/s1600/RelId=6.1.5.jpg" height="640" width="462" /></a> </div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Product launch and marketing plan - the product must be now
included in the appropriate monthly initiative(s) to support its success. The
PM will advocate for that and support Marketing's efforts as necessary.</span></div>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The Seedbed Roller<o:p></o:p></h3>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhHL53u30Dob1mqolUCVk-9pwNh1gtVO1hSSa_VdGPrxkmGM8Ml5exITnjE9wzzb5Gyiu5vNXiS8OejiHgyAuTW-JL2MRP9fhIlJI9XKieLd2AWjGM7rxaZmfXPucwTOgnAMC5EItd8bf/s1600/Seedbed+Roller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhHL53u30Dob1mqolUCVk-9pwNh1gtVO1hSSa_VdGPrxkmGM8Ml5exITnjE9wzzb5Gyiu5vNXiS8OejiHgyAuTW-JL2MRP9fhIlJI9XKieLd2AWjGM7rxaZmfXPucwTOgnAMC5EItd8bf/s1600/Seedbed+Roller.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is a product that was conceived by Eliot Coleman. When
he was on one of his trips to Europe, he saw this roller in a German hardware
store and bought it for smoothing his seedbeds prior to seeding. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRqhwMl4j5f8TN3ZUSe0-JY7FxktFaDC6b7MgwkVARG0N7zVu0iaAYrJlMqwBCIwASp5IBV_5Av4emDqGTSaO9lVe_PAYFHt5LEsZ63Y_1RfAJw7TtbrPaAx184Fow9pQfDsDnz5VzPzT/s1600/IMG_5410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRqhwMl4j5f8TN3ZUSe0-JY7FxktFaDC6b7MgwkVARG0N7zVu0iaAYrJlMqwBCIwASp5IBV_5Av4emDqGTSaO9lVe_PAYFHt5LEsZ63Y_1RfAJw7TtbrPaAx184Fow9pQfDsDnz5VzPzT/s1600/IMG_5410.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It worked
perfectly in concert with his other bed preparation tools including the <a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-6620-tilther.aspx" target="_blank">Tilther</a>
and <a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-5919-bed-preparation-rake.aspx" target="_blank">Bed Preparation Rake</a> and prepares the bed perfectly for the Four Row
Seeder, which needs a firm, level bed for traction and even sowing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At some point, Eliot had asked another one of our trusted
and cooperating vendors, Glaser Engineering in Switzerland, if they could
design one. They made the one pictured below. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnofMS_OLSr4-I5oVnU0VhrtPdTgllVBeULXBsRPJZdmlrO01N3NCGZTwMR7MSfIyawsXnkWJcTE7Lm62FgpOGdYRV7CLebTonYY5P_tmw57MFNZow9AbCCQs6faQma5eN_2AgJLIAgmS/s1600/72.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnofMS_OLSr4-I5oVnU0VhrtPdTgllVBeULXBsRPJZdmlrO01N3NCGZTwMR7MSfIyawsXnkWJcTE7Lm62FgpOGdYRV7CLebTonYY5P_tmw57MFNZow9AbCCQs6faQma5eN_2AgJLIAgmS/s1600/72.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eliot, who is on the board of advisors at the <a href="https://www.stonebarnscenter.org/" target="_blank">Stone BarnsCenter for Food and Agriculture</a>, sent this roller to Jack Algiere, who is farm
manager at Stone Barns. He has been using it ever since. The main difference
between them is that the German model had three rollers which allowed a limited
slip differential and minimized 'plowing' when turning sharply at the end of the
row. Eliot always felt very strongly about this product and advised us to
develop our own. We again asked our good friend Ike for help. His first
iteration looked like this. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5JGd8rCduBgsE7Tp1CDP8bPXTkFC7ylj8lJ6sHv-x6R-4aR5Z9PL7uEdlZA-t3e_DmM1D1ls82E4ohqmcux4Vho9cxXLK5-gkR7QXxGhPBsqKUGxMIm3zken5kZ5RuTQFMlTpl4NwSe6/s1600/1-27-12+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5JGd8rCduBgsE7Tp1CDP8bPXTkFC7ylj8lJ6sHv-x6R-4aR5Z9PL7uEdlZA-t3e_DmM1D1ls82E4ohqmcux4Vho9cxXLK5-gkR7QXxGhPBsqKUGxMIm3zken5kZ5RuTQFMlTpl4NwSe6/s1600/1-27-12+005.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It had expanded metal mesh, like the other two and three rollers
like the German model. We had also spoke about how this product would ideally
have detachable dibbles for marking and transplanting. I have seen many growers
make home-made rolling dibblers. This is just one example. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDP3z5x5vD_thoKl5lWXIrpggyv9-9WGL8YiYgjbyY-EH0aZf4q_x6gUw6bPprtc7vuXiwkwiXG-FKN3TUWq9OzWuwlOimXh79ezEAWw8vJLhVHE6zhqbYsMuWNL7tmeLaIVokwS0jWDV/s1600/73.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDP3z5x5vD_thoKl5lWXIrpggyv9-9WGL8YiYgjbyY-EH0aZf4q_x6gUw6bPprtc7vuXiwkwiXG-FKN3TUWq9OzWuwlOimXh79ezEAWw8vJLhVHE6zhqbYsMuWNL7tmeLaIVokwS0jWDV/s1600/73.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ike and I came up with the following design for those. I
asked him to make them out of pipes cut at an angle so that the soil would fall
out and he came up with the ring clamp arrangement for them. He even made them
in a couple different sizes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4i6yvSywTRf_9YaetbHUDs0Qwrx4tKTn_tXMFLHGUvM1vIlEtaYlfOM2-gN9LkeDwZzvlpqKyryyDqPQF2sTC3QJSBrjxvdWgFbZJAhPymu33bBXi6awJPgQyIJ8VwepBsfkH_LCntr2G/s1600/1-27-12+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4i6yvSywTRf_9YaetbHUDs0Qwrx4tKTn_tXMFLHGUvM1vIlEtaYlfOM2-gN9LkeDwZzvlpqKyryyDqPQF2sTC3QJSBrjxvdWgFbZJAhPymu33bBXi6awJPgQyIJ8VwepBsfkH_LCntr2G/s1600/1-27-12+007.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKT98Y4zBZn_rK02GabVmJC0SjxaR5udLWd-FEkOv8lCvZQwClbBnL29X9NYX8T6yQaW_xLjN5LmaLyEDHpWWyB6UBQXrW0UjyhJ8MWvnig6UmvjHaYpEHwNZjwMyR_n3Uo0wC2MBO3gU4/s1600/1-27-12+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKT98Y4zBZn_rK02GabVmJC0SjxaR5udLWd-FEkOv8lCvZQwClbBnL29X9NYX8T6yQaW_xLjN5LmaLyEDHpWWyB6UBQXrW0UjyhJ8MWvnig6UmvjHaYpEHwNZjwMyR_n3Uo0wC2MBO3gU4/s1600/1-27-12+016.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On 3/1/12, I tested the first roller prototype at
<a href="http://www.fourseasonfarm.com/" target="_blank">Four Season Farm</a> with Eliot. The roller worked fine, but the dibbles did not.
First, you needed a lot of weight to make them penetrate. I immediately noticed
that when you added weight, the roller wanted to be pulled, rather than be
pushed. And, it pulled very hard. It was very clunky, for lack of a better
word. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWqxAwqD1fhFFo8gIHXNTvOhXJ2n0Ep-qfMdn-AR3RRKgFVO_bRbIEoA4DETuEede56tdKwZo0wkmfcuCxX-kJW3mgH211jszdOFwv_MHBlwQsVpQEFoWy3YHAbd6ROFOGR473FlfkSAM/s1600/IMG00832-20120301-1518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWqxAwqD1fhFFo8gIHXNTvOhXJ2n0Ep-qfMdn-AR3RRKgFVO_bRbIEoA4DETuEede56tdKwZo0wkmfcuCxX-kJW3mgH211jszdOFwv_MHBlwQsVpQEFoWy3YHAbd6ROFOGR473FlfkSAM/s1600/IMG00832-20120301-1518.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cfOGIDK47CCX19tcLCB0T2ZmX0VZ3Z5nyE2w0z6XWUracYfRipVGTl5Kot50vRfOslFTWR6pFsKh48sF7PqBmbbLPMUGNjyOGFKrLSnWR2lwAdtodZtTucnf3IaoOXmy5o1nJHkhr43q/s1600/IMG00834-20120301-1539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cfOGIDK47CCX19tcLCB0T2ZmX0VZ3Z5nyE2w0z6XWUracYfRipVGTl5Kot50vRfOslFTWR6pFsKh48sF7PqBmbbLPMUGNjyOGFKrLSnWR2lwAdtodZtTucnf3IaoOXmy5o1nJHkhr43q/s1600/IMG00834-20120301-1539.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So...back to the drawing board. How do we tackle this detachable
dibble issue? Meanwhile, Ike had the uncanny idea to make a roller with lobster
trap wire and he just showed up one day with one and asked us to try it. It was
a triple roller with 24" width and 36" circumference. From a firming
and seedbed prep standpoint, the 1" trap wire mesh worked even better than
the expanded metal did. It was wide enough to let wetter clumps of soil and
clay fall out, but fine enough to firm the bed sufficiently for the needs of the
seeders. This is an image of a training session at the farm in the summer of
2012, where we did a seeder workshop and talked about the roller we were
developing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WSGE2xc0USnbsiR_4kV5RS1WprG0jPLhdlBBjaUwHz5dilaqQ8PmE4JX7tBMACjXyGyCufiivDFvHBa60KmEoL8fDeDRVh7r5lkxsYQVKPmyjebzSB5g3oNrmcyTQI5qZXv275PzGNrF/s1600/9.4.12+Crop+Walk+JSS+Farm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WSGE2xc0USnbsiR_4kV5RS1WprG0jPLhdlBBjaUwHz5dilaqQ8PmE4JX7tBMACjXyGyCufiivDFvHBa60KmEoL8fDeDRVh7r5lkxsYQVKPmyjebzSB5g3oNrmcyTQI5qZXv275PzGNrF/s1600/9.4.12+Crop+Walk+JSS+Farm.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One added benefit that we didn't expect was that when used
after seeding for best seed-to-soil contact and maximum germ, the trap wire
mesh also creates a pattern of uniformly spaced mini-furrows that help retain
essential moisture and resist erosion from wind, rain, and irrigation - unlike
turf rollers, which create a completely smooth surface that is easily eroded. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TEtylrgjHP-tdklyAcyD2EmgZLzLDDq9LB29aFMq0Igl936SzUerKbDHPjaTFS0U08lChDVttMtOYky_pbq0vDNENaImXCpdv_1rODC0LPL65XEUV8hK3w-d5MGwvRs4F2cB9EO8ssPJ/s1600/DSC_6520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TEtylrgjHP-tdklyAcyD2EmgZLzLDDq9LB29aFMq0Igl936SzUerKbDHPjaTFS0U08lChDVttMtOYky_pbq0vDNENaImXCpdv_1rODC0LPL65XEUV8hK3w-d5MGwvRs4F2cB9EO8ssPJ/s1600/DSC_6520.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We knew we on the right track, but I wasn't sure about
width. I expected 30" would be a good width, but what about other bed
widths? I posted a question on the Vermont Veg & Berry List Serv and asked
the growers there what bed widths they used primarily both in the field and in
the greenhouse. Most responses were around 30" bed widths, but some of the
larger growers had 36" beds, 48" beds and some, even bigger. I asked
Ike to make several different sizes so I could send them out to a focus group.
We have several of them in the field still, of varying widths from 18 to
48", that we are gathering performance data on. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQc3lD3D1S9FLD2OOOTeiwuhr2aEnqV_TDH4Zx3y81TImfqbuXNVi4kuTJVZ5121eJmoq9IPcoV21XmSW73kgpsZCcEK1EPJFQeqEGaDnPpN9_KRWhwTRIC9iHDTkB0q5Sju_4zBaQV6e/s1600/IMG_0134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQc3lD3D1S9FLD2OOOTeiwuhr2aEnqV_TDH4Zx3y81TImfqbuXNVi4kuTJVZ5121eJmoq9IPcoV21XmSW73kgpsZCcEK1EPJFQeqEGaDnPpN9_KRWhwTRIC9iHDTkB0q5Sju_4zBaQV6e/s1600/IMG_0134.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Fleet", along with a flame weeder prototype.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Below is an example of a
48" roller that we sent to Ben Flanner at Brooklyn Grange, a rooftop farm
in Brooklyn. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOP2dDebWjBLNP4fvqkZ29MxVYlFNAfBGc8EHL50KgZ5i2YGXT1ptp0xqh5OgiiJ1ygnfgJeOB92bz5zB8SrmsFptGXg_IpXNi-gzK4tsUk6hH7J-f7N8FgIWDBjLDRJzwMmDMgtLZKYi/s1600/Brooklyn+Grange_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOP2dDebWjBLNP4fvqkZ29MxVYlFNAfBGc8EHL50KgZ5i2YGXT1ptp0xqh5OgiiJ1ygnfgJeOB92bz5zB8SrmsFptGXg_IpXNi-gzK4tsUk6hH7J-f7N8FgIWDBjLDRJzwMmDMgtLZKYi/s1600/Brooklyn+Grange_2.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We knew that a 30" model was definite, and with the
catalog deadline looming, Ike and I decided to launch just the 30" Seedbed
Roller for the 2014 catalog, and that is what we did. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFLPUvtgpyfbfrN918Ym622GkQjjbgChM6FET0C_cIzTktHn_cr0Wd9M0w-wcUx2KifcUDUvzWvOHc60gDFuRZSQikTmr3C3AeBIF4s9XarLCoamZQTdZqTzBOr5kuScSY7ry__uO9luQ/s1600/DSC_5020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFLPUvtgpyfbfrN918Ym622GkQjjbgChM6FET0C_cIzTktHn_cr0Wd9M0w-wcUx2KifcUDUvzWvOHc60gDFuRZSQikTmr3C3AeBIF4s9XarLCoamZQTdZqTzBOr5kuScSY7ry__uO9luQ/s1600/DSC_5020.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack Algiere, presents a Seedbed Roller at the 2012 Young Farmer's Conference at the Stone Barns Center</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We included a 'ganging'
rod to tie the three roller cages together so that any models we sell now or in
the future may be used for dibbling, which would require three roller cages to
turn in unison for consistent spacing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjva0Zxxew10CmJHzewHdgfL7FNFKEQTu-nE6U08nuE7U_HljbwiCCwlyRwQUfrkY_uQcijfFgNzqci6Aa4bSf2Olq8PMI8luxc0ROOaZLd-IlyBSo0jzcK_GS848dm2fMzIUvzoE7cvicm/s1600/DSC_6917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjva0Zxxew10CmJHzewHdgfL7FNFKEQTu-nE6U08nuE7U_HljbwiCCwlyRwQUfrkY_uQcijfFgNzqci6Aa4bSf2Olq8PMI8luxc0ROOaZLd-IlyBSo0jzcK_GS848dm2fMzIUvzoE7cvicm/s1600/DSC_6917.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We also had a bit of logistics with
respect to packaging in order to keep the additional shipping down. With its
existing girth (L+W+H), the product would need to be shipped on a pallet by
truck. We wanted to avoid that, so we adapted it with a 'some assembly required'
handle to make the shipping affordable. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLa4U8tg4nSehG1JExR64-MH3h6v7zGZWGJApkRB-b-Adgv5uxQcbjXplPMvkb7mbNgVObaf9Opolo5LmzCtOSHlm3Mp9Lx5C_gYxcJGb-c9M4j2djlFG-TcOOKEtlk1rE6G3EeFFs4hEa/s1600/DSC_6920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLa4U8tg4nSehG1JExR64-MH3h6v7zGZWGJApkRB-b-Adgv5uxQcbjXplPMvkb7mbNgVObaf9Opolo5LmzCtOSHlm3Mp9Lx5C_gYxcJGb-c9M4j2djlFG-TcOOKEtlk1rE6G3EeFFs4hEa/s1600/DSC_6920.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I also had to write a completely new
instruction <a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/Assets/Information/7219_Seedbed_Roller_Instructions.pdf" target="_blank">manual</a> for it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPz2KlgUWCE0t7UFjj-GtHEAGL907Vb5qoWFGQiKOmJvdbMLb685LKtwvYWa4iLyLvsNYxw-yKQojNMO31Zo2zvlzB4X3Hop7zrDnD-HxUoLCGEWYZwyqT7NhRlYmCDcj-hcuYHo_l1Sq/s1600/Pages+from+7219_seedbed_roller_instructions.jpg" height="400" width="308" /></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The product was launched in our 2014 catalog, which
mailed in November, 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39I1Fhuoz5e8M9zp68BSVD9FEG1iTq_L2QSvUJCP9MqY0p9roCHFmuy-z2nY4iPshqDKO6aAwEm7qh8my8znuBIXKjr7ix9HCd_GGTaGs3tByCaX3PSFY_9mA7aaj7nzYKSff_6Vto14D/s1600/Pages+from+p196-225_Jss2014_TOOLS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39I1Fhuoz5e8M9zp68BSVD9FEG1iTq_L2QSvUJCP9MqY0p9roCHFmuy-z2nY4iPshqDKO6aAwEm7qh8my8znuBIXKjr7ix9HCd_GGTaGs3tByCaX3PSFY_9mA7aaj7nzYKSff_6Vto14D/s1600/Pages+from+p196-225_Jss2014_TOOLS.jpg" height="400" width="285" /></a></span></div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</h4>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Dibbles <o:p></o:p></h4>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the Spring of 2013, while Ike was working on roller
models, I was working on dibbles. I enlisted the help of a local engineer, Pete
Bailey at Machining Innovations, to help design them. I originally had conceived the dibbles being solid,
maybe plastic, and they needed to snap or turn into the mesh for quick on-off
operation. In my mind, we were no longer trying to scoop soil out the holes,
but to poke a hole into the ground, firming the soil around it like a water
wheel transplanter does. Pete wasn't familiar a water wheel, so I looked one up
in the Rain Flo catalog and that is when we saw this pic of their detachable
dibble model. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZIjf6CU_gdvPbpkUIYwW9TXuVre1SM-2quT-_FeCmuwr9l_5cdsElG9v2CMeYwxXF7Tl-9t53akJsPJLtcQ74gRgCPaIyzx81u3DS7tNvE7TRbKGX0ri-DnX09pF3qEACPUnX-eeSdHH/s1600/Spike+Idea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZIjf6CU_gdvPbpkUIYwW9TXuVre1SM-2quT-_FeCmuwr9l_5cdsElG9v2CMeYwxXF7Tl-9t53akJsPJLtcQ74gRgCPaIyzx81u3DS7tNvE7TRbKGX0ri-DnX09pF3qEACPUnX-eeSdHH/s1600/Spike+Idea.jpg" height="291" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The light came on. I ordered a bunch of their dibbles on the
spot. After they came in, we went over them and decided what we needed to do to
adapt them to the trap wire mesh. Pete came up with some initial drawings. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmsll_aM5EmNwDBpUSqD3O6LX1V0-8eK7ocPEIngjjMUe0CRdyiyR38fZXjg3tXKc2aObSr1T8bRVQGfTBzRcNn4oNEMg5tUfsqJhO7yy-ucpD-AFlNQGu2w74881k2Qv7n5D7l3Ttt1a/s1600/Small+Dibble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmsll_aM5EmNwDBpUSqD3O6LX1V0-8eK7ocPEIngjjMUe0CRdyiyR38fZXjg3tXKc2aObSr1T8bRVQGfTBzRcNn4oNEMg5tUfsqJhO7yy-ucpD-AFlNQGu2w74881k2Qv7n5D7l3Ttt1a/s1600/Small+Dibble.jpg" height="258" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We
used our Hatfield Transplanters as a size model in that, the dibbles would be
sized for transplanting up to 1.5", 2.0", or 2.5" plugs. It was
a place to start at least and seemed logical to me. When the drawings were
finished, we discussed who to send them to for prototyping. Pete suggested Rain
Flo. Who better? They were already making something very simple. So, I called
them I spoke with Norman Zimmerman and explained to him what we were doing and
that we had adopted their design in order to do it. He was happy to make the dibbles
for us. So I ordered them. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While we were waiting for shipment, I got to work on possible
dibble configurations. Ike had purposely made the rollers with a 1" mesh
and 36" circumference for a reason - to make the math simple when attaching
dibbles. Below are just a few of the probable spacing configurations I came up
with. I also used these to calculate forecasts and quotation quantities for the
dibbles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2xVbMt-k-zcIIhzXzC8thiwTx1brWODw5lFUXiP0LzXdJETl6InHVtrWaxPfY1Dq3XrcTjaxYbnM7WPzIqnILQRmhYybNXC8sXuHK0To_ISNyonyGnS5XU6-7T17HYkXWWRxMIQXLhqj/s1600/2+rows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2xVbMt-k-zcIIhzXzC8thiwTx1brWODw5lFUXiP0LzXdJETl6InHVtrWaxPfY1Dq3XrcTjaxYbnM7WPzIqnILQRmhYybNXC8sXuHK0To_ISNyonyGnS5XU6-7T17HYkXWWRxMIQXLhqj/s1600/2+rows.jpg" height="306" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYM_67GghChM5GeluGAZ-azY-_WE2zcWp1rrUE0uynCDJxY1K908RDqQOvos5z1sDaWk2L-DUdObuVYbWOF5ubOAe36SMU-081KDcK7Jxa_HKkM4eDV4zG-2dkcY5JyKwpbVXsNdjZG8Wo/s1600/3+rows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYM_67GghChM5GeluGAZ-azY-_WE2zcWp1rrUE0uynCDJxY1K908RDqQOvos5z1sDaWk2L-DUdObuVYbWOF5ubOAe36SMU-081KDcK7Jxa_HKkM4eDV4zG-2dkcY5JyKwpbVXsNdjZG8Wo/s1600/3+rows.jpg" height="308" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJeOp1B6Z4WG90NQHfa9S6k8sXHtCjTVooeXMsZvMNlzFqWEVwZjFOdb8SFMraixvBVvVFG_EHcxjHg0u3rR-uWPvBINwo7APXZagNGZ0AC-_Kl_T9ok3IAK7ReYYkYcO6P4K1Sz-vz87/s1600/4+rows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJeOp1B6Z4WG90NQHfa9S6k8sXHtCjTVooeXMsZvMNlzFqWEVwZjFOdb8SFMraixvBVvVFG_EHcxjHg0u3rR-uWPvBINwo7APXZagNGZ0AC-_Kl_T9ok3IAK7ReYYkYcO6P4K1Sz-vz87/s1600/4+rows.jpg" height="308" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We got the dibble prototypes in September of 2013, and Paul
Gallione and I field tested them. The design for them called for the dibbles to
be cut, bent, hardened, and then plated. They were very hard, and we had some
difficulty squeezing then into the mesh, especially the smaller ones. We even
had to use water pump pliers to install them, but I think that also helped keep
them securely in place, so I wasn't adverse to that aspect entirely. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mvczYJZBQateiQzA75u_VcUx2KnFUf3LPwhSlXIgx-bon_PMJpEfhaJIKj3QgaMQ1NZC_ZvgOEh0RJgksSwtq1AF7nUaZBnD5SAL4tWBEzq5lSC24zz9C2pEKotqseljIDo8lWh0rpce/s1600/DSC_6132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mvczYJZBQateiQzA75u_VcUx2KnFUf3LPwhSlXIgx-bon_PMJpEfhaJIKj3QgaMQ1NZC_ZvgOEh0RJgksSwtq1AF7nUaZBnD5SAL4tWBEzq5lSC24zz9C2pEKotqseljIDo8lWh0rpce/s1600/DSC_6132.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKORBU9yBZoZtWw07vDDtlECvc0jQmUBOG-XsLMqXafxbmofEyChZ9irWQJD0muZYJ-GZ2ize5q0ZaikQmEAtm_RBV5PWuXJk6zf8qZiNAWzx9cG0HcdnQTwMP2W5I7yvTXMCWmFl2S9E/s1600/DSC_6139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKORBU9yBZoZtWw07vDDtlECvc0jQmUBOG-XsLMqXafxbmofEyChZ9irWQJD0muZYJ-GZ2ize5q0ZaikQmEAtm_RBV5PWuXJk6zf8qZiNAWzx9cG0HcdnQTwMP2W5I7yvTXMCWmFl2S9E/s1600/DSC_6139.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some of the
small ones actually suffered brittle fracture and broke during installation.
None broke during operation, though. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DZBgi9OgMAn-mZpUaI0ZYcjIZSi6GD4CFHUiK2FcASW9l2cOdk0VUFRF3zsdjecp05YcUPkBlvb9Yup0hRbw4qGslZ8ZtyDymr4C8l1yeU_dI-CxQd0hUXMclroUvbXh_Rut__P-M5sa/s1600/DSC_6270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DZBgi9OgMAn-mZpUaI0ZYcjIZSi6GD4CFHUiK2FcASW9l2cOdk0VUFRF3zsdjecp05YcUPkBlvb9Yup0hRbw4qGslZ8ZtyDymr4C8l1yeU_dI-CxQd0hUXMclroUvbXh_Rut__P-M5sa/s1600/DSC_6270.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We tested it in very dry soil conditions
inside a high tunnel that had been fallow all season. The dibbles had
difficulty penetrating in this conditions. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4e58jarHmxvcQa1uJMPKW4xgUio-uioyd3RzrtqfUdg5KCr0NGXP6iJ0LvdzhglR-yjaIoXZxGq-8hvWP8ERq20c4slEuCubFxUsn-f3-9mo7PG7c96KSptS1P8fogaAHw2-FWqCGCKp/s1600/DSC_6241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4e58jarHmxvcQa1uJMPKW4xgUio-uioyd3RzrtqfUdg5KCr0NGXP6iJ0LvdzhglR-yjaIoXZxGq-8hvWP8ERq20c4slEuCubFxUsn-f3-9mo7PG7c96KSptS1P8fogaAHw2-FWqCGCKp/s1600/DSC_6241.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We tested it in open soil in the
field on a bed that had been prepared months earlier and had good penetration
there. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFd1RQdzB4K39ehSg5eU3BZi5hXniZKXeJeyFYzzb5E1ksqNjnydvuSlbaLGB2pDBixuR8mmQQ0AgtxREvn7uO1slFe0G2bAD3FztwrgXHAVbqX9z8HH_UqAxj9hF-NFRALvRzQ6pyfBM8/s1600/DSC_6384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFd1RQdzB4K39ehSg5eU3BZi5hXniZKXeJeyFYzzb5E1ksqNjnydvuSlbaLGB2pDBixuR8mmQQ0AgtxREvn7uO1slFe0G2bAD3FztwrgXHAVbqX9z8HH_UqAxj9hF-NFRALvRzQ6pyfBM8/s1600/DSC_6384.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then, we tried it on some unplanted portions of plastic mulch that had
been laid at the beginning of the season. It worked very, very well through the
mulch and into the most soil beneath. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYNbIoC6EgzMwMP7ZUuZkFkojcassQOKJwuh61dZ4R19gr_zzVRa4_C3TPjMKNhxjEww3Ue1sGMDm6uHGSyblovmGt5Kna0l0M45OSvexLKBZyCoX_PNATd4bAb9YU9knEHIDaGspQU14/s1600/DSC_6344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYNbIoC6EgzMwMP7ZUuZkFkojcassQOKJwuh61dZ4R19gr_zzVRa4_C3TPjMKNhxjEww3Ue1sGMDm6uHGSyblovmGt5Kna0l0M45OSvexLKBZyCoX_PNATd4bAb9YU9knEHIDaGspQU14/s1600/DSC_6344.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0rE9qaikOqbiNU61oaECwYlTpiYZslPu61utOfijy-BGoCaWWC_JJtKEjsTgyL9QtjwfGMdvp6-tym24Lyi_f1W6qtGAAFEHjYHNJX0_pZoem5w5b1SFWMtO1oXOtI0r3fKwcSvSPyj7/s1600/DSC_6368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0rE9qaikOqbiNU61oaECwYlTpiYZslPu61utOfijy-BGoCaWWC_JJtKEjsTgyL9QtjwfGMdvp6-tym24Lyi_f1W6qtGAAFEHjYHNJX0_pZoem5w5b1SFWMtO1oXOtI0r3fKwcSvSPyj7/s1600/DSC_6368.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In all three cases, we had to add some
weight and were better served pulling the roller. We decided that we had a
solid design, but we needed to clear two hurdles before we could go further -
we needed to address the brittle fracture issue, and we needed to find a way to
take some cost out of them because at their current cost, our price to the
customer would likely be prohibitive. I contacted Pete Bailey again and we
revised the design for smaller dibbles, and I again asked Rain Flo to make more
prototypes. Norman assured me that he would dial back the hardening process somewhat
so that we would not have that problem again. That is where we stand now,
awaiting shipment from them for further testing. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So far, the 30" roller has been very well received. We
hope to launch a line of dibbles and possibly a couple more roller sizes in the
coming season. Please stay tuned.</span></div>
<br />
Thanks!
<br />
<br />
Adam.
<br />
<br />
Adam Lemieux <br />
Tools & Supplies Manager <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" target="0"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvXRxYUDILenehvqGLpWnfNS5Uy11E1WWWqUCPLhL08r0LMTsinwH6f7OZ5pFtqCMUphZ8cNJFWFla6RKp9rowpgvA1svMncebwDmP2vjzTC3wY0OmpOMjIyAg_O3C_MjHmDPEpv-p-yO/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" height="62" r6="true" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 3pt; text-align: right;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;">Copyright </span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">© </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt;">2014 Johnny’s Selected Seeds. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-58790182480122191192013-09-05T10:11:00.000-04:002014-03-04T10:12:14.126-05:00Just another day at Four Season Farm<span style="font-size: small; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="fbPhotoCaptionText"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">On
9/4/13, I went to Four Season Farm to meet with Eliot Coleman and get a
first-hand look at what he had planned for his presentation at the Common
Ground Country Fair at MOFGA. His daughter Clara Coleman was also on hand as
she was to be assisting him at the fair. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="fbPhotoCaptionText"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
subject will be modular moveable high tunnels, done in sections, that four
people can easily pick up and move around to protect different crops as needed
and to provide greater options for growers using protected cover. They were
also planning to repeat the presentation at the Young Farmers Conference, being
held at the Stone Barns Center for Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, NY, December
4th through 6th.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="fbPhotoCaptionText"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
took a brief walk around the farm before lunch. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSjkIZsVsvZuTXaQN1oF0f1brmUy6B8yPufoWcaziraX0jj91LzdJA2vQ5aGaBIcw2Fm1ePtnONXvt4lEkm4FTeK2kBhLl3778ZqMVdzycD1KPI3_ait8XqfOw9wgDjEOOlXiQKHBPWPv/s1600/DSC_5458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSjkIZsVsvZuTXaQN1oF0f1brmUy6B8yPufoWcaziraX0jj91LzdJA2vQ5aGaBIcw2Fm1ePtnONXvt4lEkm4FTeK2kBhLl3778ZqMVdzycD1KPI3_ait8XqfOw9wgDjEOOlXiQKHBPWPv/s1600/DSC_5458.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTw6CIsrxPoQeotv1ftPiUxIV2HAeb6ImWaIfORtRKq08EyVh-b_NYF7H6SSeVfTPJY1lx2ehrEI29UtrXgtDf64kix8hRASDUaBvxLM5cBXLTvtmgai0sliz6xyp9u3B6_NMG7wwsiHJ/s1600/DSC_5802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTw6CIsrxPoQeotv1ftPiUxIV2HAeb6ImWaIfORtRKq08EyVh-b_NYF7H6SSeVfTPJY1lx2ehrEI29UtrXgtDf64kix8hRASDUaBvxLM5cBXLTvtmgai0sliz6xyp9u3B6_NMG7wwsiHJ/s1600/DSC_5802.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3X1i6Mbm6vQozGauDk8ND3zs37P8ih3WGwDgGpbi-kFTZIUYhv5ALsyBtRQMbWIZZAN3U08VrMu5_ukTmcrx7m9EffdYIlNvnBUTXG-QHY1Rndo-h-2UNEYXcy-Yd0JXIdHioJ_mFaFW/s1600/DSC_5492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3X1i6Mbm6vQozGauDk8ND3zs37P8ih3WGwDgGpbi-kFTZIUYhv5ALsyBtRQMbWIZZAN3U08VrMu5_ukTmcrx7m9EffdYIlNvnBUTXG-QHY1Rndo-h-2UNEYXcy-Yd0JXIdHioJ_mFaFW/s1600/DSC_5492.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ufNxlrnw3wdttwkcTUjKndzod8-qSucpSaZPp26dAJFMFyu0ZERobQPnqDOw-rv3NUgiFHw6MWbd2UOcvEvq2yZhNn7HRv5IVdtF-u05EZArGSPCgd9sehdnltbiABXi_Im1Ca2wkWo6/s1600/DSC_5483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ufNxlrnw3wdttwkcTUjKndzod8-qSucpSaZPp26dAJFMFyu0ZERobQPnqDOw-rv3NUgiFHw6MWbd2UOcvEvq2yZhNn7HRv5IVdtF-u05EZArGSPCgd9sehdnltbiABXi_Im1Ca2wkWo6/s1600/DSC_5483.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then
we got to work, bending and framing.</span></span></div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4e7bsedciDtEXiJTBjWOmu5J6fo8C6aOwCger-9y5bueZE0z57rafknWkrIrWsSX3GJdbUSCNMdpMKYWbueqkKxIF62S5iu3WmSUiIBgaeOLO2tFkHg5h6AHl6Aml9COvZu42wgQRovgX/s1600/DSC_5632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4e7bsedciDtEXiJTBjWOmu5J6fo8C6aOwCger-9y5bueZE0z57rafknWkrIrWsSX3GJdbUSCNMdpMKYWbueqkKxIF62S5iu3WmSUiIBgaeOLO2tFkHg5h6AHl6Aml9COvZu42wgQRovgX/s1600/DSC_5632.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzjSWIQSGSd-OQKe4q0h_oE2yyslTLzKpsRAPwqQ_cFztjXbN_KWLaiBr6cSUVJTmZRLkVOl6TkQSQHtkfye4jWRvXQozUzdHUapg7tyLpAuHazChamm7gzi0mTWjf0qTyc_cNP9BfsCt/s1600/DSC_5578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzjSWIQSGSd-OQKe4q0h_oE2yyslTLzKpsRAPwqQ_cFztjXbN_KWLaiBr6cSUVJTmZRLkVOl6TkQSQHtkfye4jWRvXQozUzdHUapg7tyLpAuHazChamm7gzi0mTWjf0qTyc_cNP9BfsCt/s1600/DSC_5578.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplEZv25VwsHe37zEdJXw1ieoSwxPqRhNwEKxEbMFzN3raQpWSfG6qRA6yFw1pZjLc86Yvw8i9MGBN_HpOGdRWOQRpKsrBv3XLQXLy2uk-CIi6ZThU7DM4nFZAFodUKj9RFRwKv2RF4bKW/s1600/DSC_5794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplEZv25VwsHe37zEdJXw1ieoSwxPqRhNwEKxEbMFzN3raQpWSfG6qRA6yFw1pZjLc86Yvw8i9MGBN_HpOGdRWOQRpKsrBv3XLQXLy2uk-CIi6ZThU7DM4nFZAFodUKj9RFRwKv2RF4bKW/s1600/DSC_5794.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMux6sowdW9JJ_kz5WIjPcixhl2LC-FOc_Eje5_Mmfe9ostpnd0kMpEdifCx6tOapV84mN0VB1LRJxd-LYodgL6VIzyV3kqVwrRAvxcbLr46ahTiJtRzw7-OpPGdHXcPgtRO7c0Wrmo5s/s1600/DSC_5856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMux6sowdW9JJ_kz5WIjPcixhl2LC-FOc_Eje5_Mmfe9ostpnd0kMpEdifCx6tOapV84mN0VB1LRJxd-LYodgL6VIzyV3kqVwrRAvxcbLr46ahTiJtRzw7-OpPGdHXcPgtRO7c0Wrmo5s/s1600/DSC_5856.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A
complete gallery of my walk around the farm and of the framing stage of this
project is shown here (click on "Show info" in the upper right to
view the captions that I've added for clarity).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629941627983%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629941627983%2F&set_id=72157629040234915&jump_to=">
</param>
<param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649">
</param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">
</param>
<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157641858010174%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157641858010174%2F&set_id=72157641858010174&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thanks! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Adam. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Adam Lemieux <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>Tools & Supplies Product Manager</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p></o:p> </div>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" target="0"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvXRxYUDILenehvqGLpWnfNS5Uy11E1WWWqUCPLhL08r0LMTsinwH6f7OZ5pFtqCMUphZ8cNJFWFla6RKp9rowpgvA1svMncebwDmP2vjzTC3wY0OmpOMjIyAg_O3C_MjHmDPEpv-p-yO/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" height="62" r6="true" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<h2 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</h2>
Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-70618581932124476552012-06-07T08:04:00.000-04:002013-01-10T08:06:39.631-05:00Trip to Wegman's Organic Farm, Harris Seeds, and Worm Power<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In March of this year, Clara Coleman had asked me to build a 48 ft Moveable Caterpillar Tunnel for Wegman’s Organic Farm. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Both Eliot and Clara had both been consulting for Wegman’s and Clara thought it would be a good addition to all the other work they were doing there to have one of our moveable tunnels on site to present to their organic partner farms. So, we built one in the shop at our trial farm in Albion, ME. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5CVKug2ldE1a3w77gN0mMDjxUn0wVYCcq65jhZhVDCD1W6jfZPVWflqhPgQ8FmBaPENP7yCTzr4eorBKxi2LlOa0_zfg0lY0JXYzKEz4ZjpaE-eSphumKiezwEgyQLuxnfrDXma2ijVX/s1600/IMG00852-20120308-1430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5CVKug2ldE1a3w77gN0mMDjxUn0wVYCcq65jhZhVDCD1W6jfZPVWflqhPgQ8FmBaPENP7yCTzr4eorBKxi2LlOa0_zfg0lY0JXYzKEz4ZjpaE-eSphumKiezwEgyQLuxnfrDXma2ijVX/s400/IMG00852-20120308-1430.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And then we shipped it to them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDijsmaG6SNlRxLs0bzkQENn0GAB0cm0Rp3bk8JsvwyfuDLO9WMzYYTmHf7mq28j5Nrs6_j53c_aMDo0GE5sE0kfFveQgUcoseb-xI64aPE9pxAbs1EQSqfZP48O4ATyyI05G_SY6QEqxU/s1600/IMG00860-20120309-1327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDijsmaG6SNlRxLs0bzkQENn0GAB0cm0Rp3bk8JsvwyfuDLO9WMzYYTmHf7mq28j5Nrs6_j53c_aMDo0GE5sE0kfFveQgUcoseb-xI64aPE9pxAbs1EQSqfZP48O4ATyyI05G_SY6QEqxU/s400/IMG00860-20120309-1327.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">They used a portion of it in a demonstration at the Rochester Home and Garden Show and another local trade show, then sent it on to their farm. We had to include some pretty specific instructions for the covering to be used at the trade shows (which was very different from what it would be like in the field), including some line drawings. This is what one of their presentations looked like.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjcRM2eV-mTbzfj_e74q3kv10dzYwAulCq9fzpEvD3L6OLY9jBS9qn2NEunbooQMnOX3nk7n-VU4KrVxru2T5khkf0BKr_uejBwiaI7z6AVX3ZkeZzr1MEfv-6RAOCmm_p_AfXmR-m1H0/s1600/Hoop+House+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjcRM2eV-mTbzfj_e74q3kv10dzYwAulCq9fzpEvD3L6OLY9jBS9qn2NEunbooQMnOX3nk7n-VU4KrVxru2T5khkf0BKr_uejBwiaI7z6AVX3ZkeZzr1MEfv-6RAOCmm_p_AfXmR-m1H0/s400/Hoop+House+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On June 7<sup>th</sup>, 2012, NY Territory Sales Rep Amber Flint and I traveled to the Finger Lakes region of NY with the main goal of visiting Wegman’s Organic Farm because there had been an interest in a partnership with Johnny’s and Wegman’s and because I was interested in how they were making out with the tunnel and how else we could help them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We decided to make a few other stops while we were in the area. Our first visit after we arrived was at the Bejo Seeds Trial Farm in Geneva. We met with farm manager Dennis Ferlito, our former sales rep Jan van der Heide, and our new sales rep Tom Gordon. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYryEr3iqaon-c4HF3OboC1p0FCwQG92Y3oWah3LZBwVoQWoohZ34GAVPqW8VGaVtynsWyWlDpWCYp_WZsNFatHcGp3WM9CyeS_Vjp06U_1BtZKhSyVDiiTqP4eycxBneAzWc6Fqa_gBgG/s1600/DSC_3432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYryEr3iqaon-c4HF3OboC1p0FCwQG92Y3oWah3LZBwVoQWoohZ34GAVPqW8VGaVtynsWyWlDpWCYp_WZsNFatHcGp3WM9CyeS_Vjp06U_1BtZKhSyVDiiTqP4eycxBneAzWc6Fqa_gBgG/s400/DSC_3432.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a brief stay at the farm, they from Bejo were nice enough to take us to dinner in town at the Red Dove. Great place. Great company. Jan was nice enough to download onto a thumb drive some images of some multi-row seeders that he had taken when in Europe. Thanks, Jan!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next day, we went to the Wegman’s grocery store in Geneva, with the hopes of getting some pictures of the store before we went to the farm. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kvqZXcMeA34tuuT_nAXq0TzldxXtUlb6trmwPX-VWa7mEoqdIRPfMmlxt8VBPzkmo1knrHIY1xmC4vNvHXc7MEKBu2n9KFU-vVJppv_spPn5SiH3xpdEO0xe9hZIGQPdwnCNW0T20ZAN/s1600/DSC_3435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kvqZXcMeA34tuuT_nAXq0TzldxXtUlb6trmwPX-VWa7mEoqdIRPfMmlxt8VBPzkmo1knrHIY1xmC4vNvHXc7MEKBu2n9KFU-vVJppv_spPn5SiH3xpdEO0xe9hZIGQPdwnCNW0T20ZAN/s400/DSC_3435.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The manager there was a little leery of that, so we left and headed for their farm in Canandaigua. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mFdqfydOG-VfnTQJhlndjCLyYaVnoJdk8jtRZdiRlNVzpEMGozl6xMSeUv6AzSBoRL4O1VRmgC1UTDKF5HFb7wiaeVXI4HQgqmxn80735b40ccHcSTJkEZiRX9c_kZx2wKswHG-WtFso/s1600/DSC_3445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mFdqfydOG-VfnTQJhlndjCLyYaVnoJdk8jtRZdiRlNVzpEMGozl6xMSeUv6AzSBoRL4O1VRmgC1UTDKF5HFb7wiaeVXI4HQgqmxn80735b40ccHcSTJkEZiRX9c_kZx2wKswHG-WtFso/s400/DSC_3445.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first thing we saw when we arrived was the tunnel – front and center. Pretty cool.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90z1bySjF9RPxFK6JMA_xneOtBiesECbz4DEk_CrxUJmF_X-9r8JpLhwvVKPATwiAhLc3eBHcj2p-ezZvuNSiAukoMhnMuUoMo0hyrJgQwYVl3h_hbKxln3CZUeiSgHzRxgcbdf9-6yQA/s1600/DSC_3441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90z1bySjF9RPxFK6JMA_xneOtBiesECbz4DEk_CrxUJmF_X-9r8JpLhwvVKPATwiAhLc3eBHcj2p-ezZvuNSiAukoMhnMuUoMo0hyrJgQwYVl3h_hbKxln3CZUeiSgHzRxgcbdf9-6yQA/s400/DSC_3441.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We stopped at the “barn”, where we met up with their farm manager, Jamie Robinson, who was nice enough to give is a tour. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYzb_FzgMmV-vB1Wcb4d1Ukz99o_go0H5vuiFRLj084MLXcuPzi2WGyMEpELLPk2zXtDXHEK1c1J5ADJIVGV_bAh6ng9RmatvFBAgUiaXhSqcNWc6LZ0aakjPwN9pnzwNpkCSdcCJ4T3Q/s1600/DSC_3452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYzb_FzgMmV-vB1Wcb4d1Ukz99o_go0H5vuiFRLj084MLXcuPzi2WGyMEpELLPk2zXtDXHEK1c1J5ADJIVGV_bAh6ng9RmatvFBAgUiaXhSqcNWc6LZ0aakjPwN9pnzwNpkCSdcCJ4T3Q/s400/DSC_3452.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some of the crew were washing lettuce and spinach in the washroom, which was inside the barn. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6Wr-z043wjRUhzVzH1laWVqGXvwGdI5MN5A-R4HL3TM8x0VcXFIgsITzf495LexqwZrU6lIIZwJOzz7obY7TtbvdGExyPNGh7pf8gwKMm-OLw_X4A5VcOh5FvTiTP7SwZdmdMfGokzoq/s1600/DSC_3456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6Wr-z043wjRUhzVzH1laWVqGXvwGdI5MN5A-R4HL3TM8x0VcXFIgsITzf495LexqwZrU6lIIZwJOzz7obY7TtbvdGExyPNGh7pf8gwKMm-OLw_X4A5VcOh5FvTiTP7SwZdmdMfGokzoq/s400/DSC_3456.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We then walked up the steep hill and toured some of their fixed tunnels, which he said were mostly Ledgewood models. Wegman’s Organic Farm is located on owner Danny Wegman’s property, along the shore of Seneca Lake. It is on a pretty steep slope, which Jamie indicated was a constant challenge. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk43xR94fm2IKR-kPpXWvmLFALXK3i4-J2pCWYBbBitW5zpWKA6SgaXdeTvNXJnw5fyF2mvHpAiwAtxoTPES5Yr9OshzmuPt9PISeHwUs3lG3L9WJwPdp9iOKpt8-6xdpmF30xMGTOmmeP/s1600/DSC_3485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk43xR94fm2IKR-kPpXWvmLFALXK3i4-J2pCWYBbBitW5zpWKA6SgaXdeTvNXJnw5fyF2mvHpAiwAtxoTPES5Yr9OshzmuPt9PISeHwUs3lG3L9WJwPdp9iOKpt8-6xdpmF30xMGTOmmeP/s400/DSC_3485.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then, took a close look at the two moveable tunnels that were built and installed by Four Season Tools. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2ep7P4hHepc2U-qxN2K_KmQgoHEbVKQNIkFKzOX_RYTw0v89JDMlxtGT4zQVIKMt0Yu3XjkmzErEM3smylxk5UjCpOtGjMJJdS7Ciyf1HWSQP0YelXrxKIqRRJg6mi9Fl5RHRdG-C6jK/s1600/DSC_3484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2ep7P4hHepc2U-qxN2K_KmQgoHEbVKQNIkFKzOX_RYTw0v89JDMlxtGT4zQVIKMt0Yu3XjkmzErEM3smylxk5UjCpOtGjMJJdS7Ciyf1HWSQP0YelXrxKIqRRJg6mi9Fl5RHRdG-C6jK/s400/DSC_3484.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After that, we headed down across the field crops to where the Moveable Caterpillar was located. They did a great job putting it up. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5OeRvLn-TsXNaculOmJUbHtyjpYWu__r57rlt4xIKzlCQJVQ396jbbk2Woye9gUEakDPwv7n5WIb6OBucuXhhvq5hYXFVFZ3YNzhwPBnO3dW8u2Cfv3xCXF4BN__hXLobmUOYMdpcdDv/s1600/DSC_3523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5OeRvLn-TsXNaculOmJUbHtyjpYWu__r57rlt4xIKzlCQJVQ396jbbk2Woye9gUEakDPwv7n5WIb6OBucuXhhvq5hYXFVFZ3YNzhwPBnO3dW8u2Cfv3xCXF4BN__hXLobmUOYMdpcdDv/s400/DSC_3523.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCs9neasvj7mBs6zyGD6HlSdX4vDHnDXnPunTMJBmZPLDGsy8cKMOJrYG5B7XSOZ7hCDp1nKZ7PNAzTSPscv2UR1mfvuE-rfgWKZ4wbgKn1UWzSRPGikURFf-tiTmE6sHQUGPn9ISt96O/s1600/DSC_3530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCs9neasvj7mBs6zyGD6HlSdX4vDHnDXnPunTMJBmZPLDGsy8cKMOJrYG5B7XSOZ7hCDp1nKZ7PNAzTSPscv2UR1mfvuE-rfgWKZ4wbgKn1UWzSRPGikURFf-tiTmE6sHQUGPn9ISt96O/s400/DSC_3530.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Next, we visited Wegman’s flagship store in Pittsford, NY (near Rochester). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9NDY7iTe2pMSRLSiE2v2OGIKJTDg-e5HqO37xKKKmgV117UY6cmiPIQoiU73Jr-11NgrGmVacHh6GraKdghLsb88NcjfIQ4vPaOIIycuTl6tU_bfRPfrCR3wU_0ftOI4FSPdj-spMnBM/s1600/DSC_3536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9NDY7iTe2pMSRLSiE2v2OGIKJTDg-e5HqO37xKKKmgV117UY6cmiPIQoiU73Jr-11NgrGmVacHh6GraKdghLsb88NcjfIQ4vPaOIIycuTl6tU_bfRPfrCR3wU_0ftOI4FSPdj-spMnBM/s400/DSC_3536.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We were given permission to take a few photos. Their store is like a nicer version of Whole Foods Market. Pretty awesome, really. It's like sensory overload, especially if you arrive hungry. We noticed some great displays and recognized some of our customers’ names on the produce. That was cool.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iL2YJqH-Kq8vnhufBnbuZIkwMckGsH6_1e9scKcYkF_ApE2uHPgVNj-S8zEUYZm5aKzGzR2ZGHvXjCN2_qif5holx8luLlZo5IMO-rCoSsuVA8BR_bUkL4N52XXIM5UQwMekYJJHMCxs/s1600/DSC_3538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iL2YJqH-Kq8vnhufBnbuZIkwMckGsH6_1e9scKcYkF_ApE2uHPgVNj-S8zEUYZm5aKzGzR2ZGHvXjCN2_qif5holx8luLlZo5IMO-rCoSsuVA8BR_bUkL4N52XXIM5UQwMekYJJHMCxs/s400/DSC_3538.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTp9tNtCa9bSjKtMXHtRus8kZDBf9SPTqBltV4gIxhObFVFYjTG44_x9Xrq2K5ETMVKJBjHo8ZRBf-0ytkcyxEEwro3ah_K4onP3IYiWR7ahX1zVHDkgNB3vIaxVy47GCX8o47rn62cknh/s1600/DSC_3544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTp9tNtCa9bSjKtMXHtRus8kZDBf9SPTqBltV4gIxhObFVFYjTG44_x9Xrq2K5ETMVKJBjHo8ZRBf-0ytkcyxEEwro3ah_K4onP3IYiWR7ahX1zVHDkgNB3vIaxVy47GCX8o47rn62cknh/s400/DSC_3544.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiee0Rtef0hyphenhyphenS6gHcyUh8w7jYRbljP-sJZmTcB1bErDjtcAJFZXzeQoSeXphuB9JPYIxgMhwYiEt5ako9UIYdwGstl6kmvb5peKXe-k38dNT4gGGxH9qnglgBUU1SGMtlfrR1I2o_PUXXp4/s1600/DSC_3545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiee0Rtef0hyphenhyphenS6gHcyUh8w7jYRbljP-sJZmTcB1bErDjtcAJFZXzeQoSeXphuB9JPYIxgMhwYiEt5ako9UIYdwGstl6kmvb5peKXe-k38dNT4gGGxH9qnglgBUU1SGMtlfrR1I2o_PUXXp4/s400/DSC_3545.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After that, we stopped at Harris Seeds to meet with Mark Greene, who is their hardgoods manager. He is also the product manager for Ken Bar products, which include mulches and heat mats. Harris bought Ken Bar last year and I was there to speak with Mark about the products that we distribute in that product line, which include the red mulch and paper’s paper mulch and just out of plain curiosity about their operation. Mark gave us a great tour, but I have just one photo of the outside.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxHrGC5sv1HjI6HZuZIozSVbn1YlZgjqyqERm_7Au6kROS5xNfnzXbvIr4vPLSwWNH52hvsVOqd3X-zwNcQBg-6hH59Ph0pCpVTBs6VmehzCYf9bPzpRg4xAWEl6fO2M4AEsaC6KFSoBv/s1600/DSC_3559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxHrGC5sv1HjI6HZuZIozSVbn1YlZgjqyqERm_7Au6kROS5xNfnzXbvIr4vPLSwWNH52hvsVOqd3X-zwNcQBg-6hH59Ph0pCpVTBs6VmehzCYf9bPzpRg4xAWEl6fO2M4AEsaC6KFSoBv/s400/DSC_3559.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mark suggested that since we were in town, we should go visit the worm farm that supplies their Worm Power product. So, we headed off to Avon, NY, which was about a half hour away. We met their facility manager there, who also gave us a tour. He did not allow us to take photos, but Harris had all the photos I would have taken available to the public right on their website, so I downloaded a few of them that were very representative of what we saw. It was a fascinating operation. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVtIp72NRlFO31bRUNguJyFzLnXtClmvyrt_soQwREkbt4bB00OTGuSnjDeEIiTizqblE_sDx3gh_o_UiHBK2VM7fgi8ZYTAzkKmYh1rx9I2k9FpOIll8RLLYLH2GnquuhiM4C19NdnbG/s1600/WormPower1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVtIp72NRlFO31bRUNguJyFzLnXtClmvyrt_soQwREkbt4bB00OTGuSnjDeEIiTizqblE_sDx3gh_o_UiHBK2VM7fgi8ZYTAzkKmYh1rx9I2k9FpOIll8RLLYLH2GnquuhiM4C19NdnbG/s400/WormPower1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBCrg5H3Pjx_7Qy-xVdYsE8QSlll2mS2N39_2kv8Lz_K0rycRTf9GhhPhvSLe16uhPsYzobtm5DlUcVUQtXSXQ0R0mvi3WQt_SSaFi1JEJSpR1CeoZVwLNqQ36XDDAf9dGfX2t4njrW5X/s1600/WormPower5.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBCrg5H3Pjx_7Qy-xVdYsE8QSlll2mS2N39_2kv8Lz_K0rycRTf9GhhPhvSLe16uhPsYzobtm5DlUcVUQtXSXQ0R0mvi3WQt_SSaFi1JEJSpR1CeoZVwLNqQ36XDDAf9dGfX2t4njrW5X/s400/WormPower5.1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcHIZ0K91uhOaNi2W_zz_W5mOc7mYkw6lbjM8P1ub_-d6LhDUHe92bAc-6XVM5I86PUwmqCEUGgmjfSdkezYLWMulJ2M1nimrpwD1iLO7e6uqbGsAPcyccThZJFiPuEQr6ZMEJLu7n0bX/s1600/WormPower8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcHIZ0K91uhOaNi2W_zz_W5mOc7mYkw6lbjM8P1ub_-d6LhDUHe92bAc-6XVM5I86PUwmqCEUGgmjfSdkezYLWMulJ2M1nimrpwD1iLO7e6uqbGsAPcyccThZJFiPuEQr6ZMEJLu7n0bX/s400/WormPower8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR32pCuAtzAWSNej5CWkjK7UeizDrdoCvHEX_KmUJESk8w4S6B5Vgn4ooGND6VbhxTvHjMDbsK5ecQT1nWBU0UUMgDPzHR91ZCLnPwGMh2eRXCMXnjG7r9-lGJTd_BfDpQ7SKM3-VbZLDp/s1600/WormPower9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR32pCuAtzAWSNej5CWkjK7UeizDrdoCvHEX_KmUJESk8w4S6B5Vgn4ooGND6VbhxTvHjMDbsK5ecQT1nWBU0UUMgDPzHR91ZCLnPwGMh2eRXCMXnjG7r9-lGJTd_BfDpQ7SKM3-VbZLDp/s400/WormPower9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A complete gallery of our entire trip is shown here (click on "Show info" in the upper right to view the captions that I've added for clarity).:</span><br />
<br />
<object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157630192387580%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157630192387580%2F&set_id=72157630192387580
&jump_to="></param>
<param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157630192387580%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157630192387580%2F&set_id=72157630192387580&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks! <br />
<br />
Adam. <br />
<br />
Adam Lemieux <br />
Tools & Supplies Manager <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" target="0"><img border="0" height="62" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvXRxYUDILenehvqGLpWnfNS5Uy11E1WWWqUCPLhL08r0LMTsinwH6f7OZ5pFtqCMUphZ8cNJFWFla6RKp9rowpgvA1svMncebwDmP2vjzTC3wY0OmpOMjIyAg_O3C_MjHmDPEpv-p-yO/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-67966297425279655262012-05-17T13:46:00.006-04:002012-05-21T08:02:20.806-04:00Small Equipment Demos at Tuckaway Farm<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On May 15<sup>th</sup>, NH territory sales rep Chris Hillier and I travelled to <a href="http://www.newhampshirefarms.net/farm-profiles/strafford-county/tuckaway-farm-lee-nh.html" target="_blank">Tuckaway Farm</a> in Lee, NH (Seacoast area) to do a presentation organized by NOFA NH called ‘Small Equipment Demonstrations for Vegetable Farmers - Part II’. We were not involved in Part I, which was centered around larger equipment. When we first got there around 12:30, we met owner Chuck Cox, who showed us to the plot where we would be building a demo tunnel. We got to work right away setting up a 12' x 28' caterpillar. By 3:30, we had it ready to show. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99rGSXpmRkh3v9PXiP_4QA2FcOyi_E2S4M9YceelaqLzsIOqLS5y8liFvHZJkW7ZIcmMbszatDVETklpSh-Qyrnhy6gSkeiXc6S5sLGR8-fdk_Ti83HNgrD82xrxwvZbX2o2ceYbDkliX/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99rGSXpmRkh3v9PXiP_4QA2FcOyi_E2S4M9YceelaqLzsIOqLS5y8liFvHZJkW7ZIcmMbszatDVETklpSh-Qyrnhy6gSkeiXc6S5sLGR8-fdk_Ti83HNgrD82xrxwvZbX2o2ceYbDkliX/s400/14.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We then set up the bender demo area with a picnic table we had brought from Maine. Since the weather was iffy, we assembled the hand tools and seeders on a hay wagon, so that we could quickly bring them in the barn in the case of a torrential downpour. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHuCpvGAVZDVxJ-nTpEUwPKEo94jSlWRdHO_ASo5S_6Vwxa1cWoPa15JKQExOh_W2GRuOgl4ey6MVzSSigLCu68QjUvirNf-w1M0PnPyQKSf0NWrP-RrLssUC0yKs2VHqgIswODY73MDP/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHuCpvGAVZDVxJ-nTpEUwPKEo94jSlWRdHO_ASo5S_6Vwxa1cWoPa15JKQExOh_W2GRuOgl4ey6MVzSSigLCu68QjUvirNf-w1M0PnPyQKSf0NWrP-RrLssUC0yKs2VHqgIswODY73MDP/s400/16.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Around 4:30, people started showing up. There were probably around 35-40 diehard attendees with and without umbrellas. As they made their way in, we had kind of a free-for-all with the hand tools, as they got to try them out in a weedy patch of the field and express which were their personal favorites and why. A little after 5:00 <a href="http://www.nofanh.org/bfscholarship" target="_blank">Ray Conner, the Beginner Organic Farmer Program Director from NOFA NH</a> welcomed everyone, and got the show started. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chris went first, giving a brief overview of all the hand tools and seeders, with a promise to answer any specific questions after. This was great because she gave a very quick, comprehensive overview of the lines, what is available, and what the products’ individual strengths are. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then Chuck gave his presentation, which started with some of his favorite hand tools, including a stirrup hoe, an old auto-feed jab planter, and a Planet Jr. seeder. He then moved on to some of his innovations, like his fencing cart, his row markers, garlic dibble, and his low cost solution for homemade Hotkaps. He finished up by demonstrating a horse-drawn spring tine weeder, which is used to remove small weeds in established crops. As he says, “Just don’t look back.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6MQIHhTyOOoDWA-INfqfrZREX5_OhgqLOg-AhAo7WNI1AHQDgI5EO2CmJQ0B_dslO76apI5zaklQa69E-oWpVwk5c334_qbfrRs-edbiVdewswZqsuidJico5DWEMwjZZ4ITo3v-Kp4J/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6MQIHhTyOOoDWA-INfqfrZREX5_OhgqLOg-AhAo7WNI1AHQDgI5EO2CmJQ0B_dslO76apI5zaklQa69E-oWpVwk5c334_qbfrRs-edbiVdewswZqsuidJico5DWEMwjZZ4ITo3v-Kp4J/s640/18.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After that, everyone assembled on the hill for the caterpillar tunnel demo. I started by bending a 6 ft hoop for low tunnels, then a hoop used to make high tunnels. We then moved over to the tunnel plot. I spoke about what we had done this afternoon to get the tunnel to the state that it was in. I enlisted some help from the crowd to insert and connect the last bow, cut the protruding ridge pole off, and then skin and lace the tunnel. </span></div> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQZY8GV0GxW9_38ClutdN0jfyKt1Sd2ic3k_rjnWwj7LOLrkzsFRi0MTZooFzJm6yF-0t5_IDrFLy1jUJ6CHqhyphenhyphenYJkEF9wfPVCmHEmtBaQe_2BaLuMLxAuHJm8dDHsP7t9turZX05gzN0/s1600/32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQZY8GV0GxW9_38ClutdN0jfyKt1Sd2ic3k_rjnWwj7LOLrkzsFRi0MTZooFzJm6yF-0t5_IDrFLy1jUJ6CHqhyphenhyphenYJkEF9wfPVCmHEmtBaQe_2BaLuMLxAuHJm8dDHsP7t9turZX05gzN0/s400/32.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All the while, what started out as drizzle got more and more steady. By the end of the talk, we were pretty soggy. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCRniJCBO33_13vPdCixbaKeJ44IPZBbLZITjqOFMsSCLLtkh8ByTWKop0uUXRmVwU62YcCaDfVYWFJyq709CFfaQss5HIhto6iv-reGcwuqH4PN4eexRGEuJgtfCk9sMzuoBODcmzx07/s1600/35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCRniJCBO33_13vPdCixbaKeJ44IPZBbLZITjqOFMsSCLLtkh8ByTWKop0uUXRmVwU62YcCaDfVYWFJyq709CFfaQss5HIhto6iv-reGcwuqH4PN4eexRGEuJgtfCk9sMzuoBODcmzx07/s400/35.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ray Conner from NOFA NH provides a little shelter. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After that Dorn Cox, who is a boardmember for the <a href="http://www.youngfarmers.org/" target="_blank">National Young Farmers Coalition</a>, gave a brief invitation for everyone to check out their affiliated site, <a href="http://www.youngfarmers.org/practical/farm-hack/" target="_blank">Farmhack.net</a> for innovations in tool designs. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finally, we invited everyone inside the tunnel and drew names for the raffle. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhby6FgY6fayexgtFyJdq9RehGJt6UfHiTpC6a72U9M8NO6FKWaZEUGP-F0cgs9-y43c-5CM2aqcWt3DfjZPL3q7Ri35-Wa0yT-bM68R_bhuXu5w4yOxAVuSNva8YL1S82QN5DO_R1q-KZL/s1600/37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhby6FgY6fayexgtFyJdq9RehGJt6UfHiTpC6a72U9M8NO6FKWaZEUGP-F0cgs9-y43c-5CM2aqcWt3DfjZPL3q7Ri35-Wa0yT-bM68R_bhuXu5w4yOxAVuSNva8YL1S82QN5DO_R1q-KZL/s400/37.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A complete gallery of our set up and talk is shown here (click on "Show info" in the upper right to view the captions that I've added for clarity).:</span><br />
<br />
<object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629770506992%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629770506992%2F&set_id=72157629770506992&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629770506992%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629770506992%2F&set_id=72157629770506992&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We intend to repeat this same talk on August 1<sup>st</sup> at <a href="http://alchemygardensvt.com/" target="_blank">Alchemy Gardens</a> in Shrewsbury, VT. The talk will tentatively be held from 4:00 to 6:00 and will be presented through a collaboration of <a href="http://nofavt.org/" target="_blank">NOFA VT</a> and <a href="http://www.rutlandfarmandfood.org/" target="_blank">RAFFL (Rutland Area Farm and Food Link)</a>. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hope to see you there!</span></div><br />
Adam. <br />
<br />
Adam Lemieux <br />
Tools & Supplies Manager <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" target="0"><img border="0" height="62" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvXRxYUDILenehvqGLpWnfNS5Uy11E1WWWqUCPLhL08r0LMTsinwH6f7OZ5pFtqCMUphZ8cNJFWFla6RKp9rowpgvA1svMncebwDmP2vjzTC3wY0OmpOMjIyAg_O3C_MjHmDPEpv-p-yO/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-70978676766387978662012-05-01T13:24:00.005-04:002012-05-02T08:16:12.558-04:00The Broadturn Farm Project<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I first met John Bliss and Stacy Brenner when I was researching the viability of the <a href="http://www.smallfarmworks.com/" target="_blank">Paperpot Transplanter</a>. While this product did not make it into our line (for logistical reasons), they are big proponents of it and have integrated its use throughout their overall planting strategy. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhPfnfw_avHkf0FrEN6RElunqFiPGqHIDRfVUipr6G1cwbWHQnlISxFczntOPTIhPP_7tD_bst52Vpwn1lW-WPRavjgFsUlCVDwCmBONJd-XH2l4Y5gNK5zjtXWixXPPZLgkYWim0KOUT/s1600/DSC_3183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhPfnfw_avHkf0FrEN6RElunqFiPGqHIDRfVUipr6G1cwbWHQnlISxFczntOPTIhPP_7tD_bst52Vpwn1lW-WPRavjgFsUlCVDwCmBONJd-XH2l4Y5gNK5zjtXWixXPPZLgkYWim0KOUT/s400/DSC_3183.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Their farm is heavily into agritourism and is just a little bit of everything. Quoted from their <a href="http://broadturnfarm.com/" target="_blank">website</a>: <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Broadturn Farm is a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm located 10 miles from Portland, Maine that raises organic vegetables, cut flowers,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>strawberries, a small amount of poultry, and turkey, as well as natural lamb and pork. We host weddings and events. The property is in agricultural conservation with the Scarborough Land Conservation Trust. Formerly called the Keith Meserve Farm, the land is one of the largest farm properties in the Greater Portland area. It has 100 acres of open land and about 330 wooded acres.”</span></em> Along with the CSA and weddings, they also run a farm stand called Flora Bliss, wedding flowers and cut flower design for events, and have a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.347895695249224.76427.347892535249540&type=3&__att=iframe#!/longbarneducation" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">farm camp</span></a> in summer. Am I missing anything? Probably. They’ve got a lot going on.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gMOJ-Za0IX0qJV2_eG9PJLzZGJ2rBnOGzLog6F-8Ka4FwAa4ruj3Cy7dA-ftmYjIkh3xK9yVqR0gcLeaTJ-eMux17IglaFvph4i9B7nzrgHT_kuGpBl9sRKM3xJyYm1tfnAFH4V4Cz6k/s1600/DSC_3168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gMOJ-Za0IX0qJV2_eG9PJLzZGJ2rBnOGzLog6F-8Ka4FwAa4ruj3Cy7dA-ftmYjIkh3xK9yVqR0gcLeaTJ-eMux17IglaFvph4i9B7nzrgHT_kuGpBl9sRKM3xJyYm1tfnAFH4V4Cz6k/s400/DSC_3168.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The construction of caterpillar tunnels at Broadturn Farm was initiated due to a partnership involving offsite trialing of flower varieties for Johnny's Selected Seeds. I was asked to support by managing the construction of a caterpillar tunnel on their farm. I saw this as a unique opportunity to develop instructional videos for our Quick Hoops™ Bender line, so we decided to build one of each type –a <a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-8417-quick-hoops-high-tunnel-bender.aspx" target="_blank">fixed</a> tunnel and a <a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-8732-quick-hoops-moveable-caterpillar-tunnel-bender.aspx" target="_blank">moveable</a>, with the end goal of making these videos available for free download on our website. We still have some minor filming and a bunch of editing to do, but we hope to get these videos out to the public soon. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnSFyf37wPHIXmakpHwcVf3-sonO4PGzTlAqPWHIE1AJPNCzUw2mUHkmcuXwCfyF3YDYkf60RP7cWXFDeIHs_327aaQH9gDVwaEGSax0ACd8bMsD_pFFVmVCtOZAVZTeXcXe7d5wlppTj/s1600/DSC_3140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnSFyf37wPHIXmakpHwcVf3-sonO4PGzTlAqPWHIE1AJPNCzUw2mUHkmcuXwCfyF3YDYkf60RP7cWXFDeIHs_327aaQH9gDVwaEGSax0ACd8bMsD_pFFVmVCtOZAVZTeXcXe7d5wlppTj/s400/DSC_3140.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNGOBLFAOYqdt4vo_uKI4RgN4r9giBgIeCCBR7IohG1rEHyT2VEtf8YQqJpmWgYXsgXZ17R2dSjuhziqbQyYNiwFgWqco7T4asHor7bXBiuN6chnNyBShLviF_PsDDvyOXMCmP09BHYjH2/s1600/DSC_3224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNGOBLFAOYqdt4vo_uKI4RgN4r9giBgIeCCBR7IohG1rEHyT2VEtf8YQqJpmWgYXsgXZ17R2dSjuhziqbQyYNiwFgWqco7T4asHor7bXBiuN6chnNyBShLviF_PsDDvyOXMCmP09BHYjH2/s400/DSC_3224.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This was every bit a trial as any of our projects have been, as these tunnels were both much longer than those we had previously built. Extra length brought with it some unique challenges, including the need for more secure T-posts at the ends of the tunnels and a need for more hands to hold down the plastic when skinning the tunnel. I also took this opportunity to try out some design modifications, which included building the fixed tunnel on taller ground posts. This really changed the structure substantially in size, feel, and thermal performance, and instantly made it accessible with a small tractor. This was (as always) a great learning experience, and we were able to accomplish this with two days of pre-fabrication in the Johnny's trial farm shop, followed by three separate days of onsite construction. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiS1VOQwfo9ZAkMblUDFKSVFbLKujj7M_0h_dQ4uL9MEZBJGGoq-TAzKHVDFkpNCIbYTLYB4-b9id5dmqXRRC6asgj9FVtG2xUBbqM9lHkqQuKmLrn2rgXsb6ZWn-oB5B9OUB0vbrXqXM/s1600/IMG01044-20120430-1140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiS1VOQwfo9ZAkMblUDFKSVFbLKujj7M_0h_dQ4uL9MEZBJGGoq-TAzKHVDFkpNCIbYTLYB4-b9id5dmqXRRC6asgj9FVtG2xUBbqM9lHkqQuKmLrn2rgXsb6ZWn-oB5B9OUB0vbrXqXM/s400/IMG01044-20120430-1140.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Special thanks to the Broadturn Farm Crew, including owners Stacy Brenner, John Bliss, Emma, and Flora, and their great crew, Andrea, Maggie, Clint and Nick. Thanks to Johnny’s employees Jeff Young, Matt Giroux, Russel Prime, and Hillary Alger for their hard work in the construction of the tunnels. Thanks also to Angela DiMillo for her work behind the lens, and to Patti Lennon and Christina Hillier for their support on this project as well.</span></span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1x01IF9vvd69mYnD6BAMZ800pqllH887VsL56OI8FP4EaSQk1w8Nd11B8FR0JkhjA_cRj8LZi5iTQ1I6XjqxwnDmYOo_GcUOWG8_1TzXHS8TpjiMjGUwREdk1TCAdNMMgK-e4l_dcAQ_I/s1600/IMG01053-20120430-1549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1x01IF9vvd69mYnD6BAMZ800pqllH887VsL56OI8FP4EaSQk1w8Nd11B8FR0JkhjA_cRj8LZi5iTQ1I6XjqxwnDmYOo_GcUOWG8_1TzXHS8TpjiMjGUwREdk1TCAdNMMgK-e4l_dcAQ_I/s400/IMG01053-20120430-1549.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A complete gallery of our project is shown here (click on "Show info" in the upper right to view the captions that I've added for clarity).:</span><br />
<br />
<object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629941627983%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629941627983%2F&set_id=72157629040234915&jump_to=">
</param>
<param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649">
</param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">
</param>
<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629941627983%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629941627983%2F&set_id=72157629941627983&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Thanks! <br />
<br />
Adam. <br />
<br />
Adam Lemieux <br />
Tools & Supplies Manager <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" target="0"><img border="0" height="62" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvXRxYUDILenehvqGLpWnfNS5Uy11E1WWWqUCPLhL08r0LMTsinwH6f7OZ5pFtqCMUphZ8cNJFWFla6RKp9rowpgvA1svMncebwDmP2vjzTC3wY0OmpOMjIyAg_O3C_MjHmDPEpv-p-yO/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<h2 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</h2>Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-18154195999248090192012-04-11T11:00:00.000-04:002012-05-09T11:38:05.885-04:00New! Online Tools & Supplies Catalog<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">Check it out! The 44 page online Tools & Supplies catalog recently uploaded to our site:</span><br />
<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseedsonlinecatalog.com/WebProject.asp?CodeId=7.4.3.8&BookCode=too12flx&from=2" target="_blank"><img border="0" dba="true" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXXmLrJQY-m4SaN51QmSGUArSuIHDMmKlGgQF1o0XPrh_S7_iwxVsszfltHlHQe3FSFDGhUVU4o35clY869DCLMHXE-W7ZZ5w_wmxeg2Ujtx_T5DwOfbuWGiU94lnx27obV30mJ7tYk6Q/s400/T&S+Catalog.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
Thanks! <br />
<br />
Adam. <br />
<br />
Adam Lemieux <br />
Tools & Supplies Manager <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" target="0"><img border="0" height="62" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvXRxYUDILenehvqGLpWnfNS5Uy11E1WWWqUCPLhL08r0LMTsinwH6f7OZ5pFtqCMUphZ8cNJFWFla6RKp9rowpgvA1svMncebwDmP2vjzTC3wY0OmpOMjIyAg_O3C_MjHmDPEpv-p-yO/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-86747119249332038602012-01-28T06:49:00.000-05:002012-01-28T06:49:36.955-05:002012 NOFA NY Winter Conference<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">January 19th - 21st, Johnny's Selected Seeds attended, exhibited, sponsored, and presented at the 2012 NOFA NY Winter Conference. There was quite a turnout - over 1,400 farmers in attendance. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNQDHcgz0hGC9rGVNaoxmNgETkEFsmmYVaD8VGXKEMZ0bmuELDfmnIFB9USxT70MIuGc7fnTu5uB9MNPIGXQwK-WV8ehEhDweMAJBXamcGFubGOiGiFS6mF8M8Racjioa8SJdid6Jj9GQ/s1600/DSC_2603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNQDHcgz0hGC9rGVNaoxmNgETkEFsmmYVaD8VGXKEMZ0bmuELDfmnIFB9USxT70MIuGc7fnTu5uB9MNPIGXQwK-WV8ehEhDweMAJBXamcGFubGOiGiFS6mF8M8Racjioa8SJdid6Jj9GQ/s400/DSC_2603.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqVUeHvG38Jb4iR-kiGoBmsv35Fdraa64nzK2UCum52z2eWgSFUbS661QXbMepe-_m-HogMcLXrmz0RwiZUtoroJiHF3dmMMMOdj9TT_w6QMQsGbFnh4L9gYnlbPiAn-ebfy4xs0vNn4u/s1600/DSC_2618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqVUeHvG38Jb4iR-kiGoBmsv35Fdraa64nzK2UCum52z2eWgSFUbS661QXbMepe-_m-HogMcLXrmz0RwiZUtoroJiHF3dmMMMOdj9TT_w6QMQsGbFnh4L9gYnlbPiAn-ebfy4xs0vNn4u/s400/DSC_2618.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I co-presented with Anton Burkett of <a href="http://earlymorningfarm.com/index.html" target="_blank">Early Morning Farm</a> and Niechelle Wade of <a href="http://sunhfarm.net/index.html" target="_blank">Sunny Hill Farm</a> in an all-day intensive workshop entitled, "<strong>SEASON EXTENSION: Tunnels of All Shapes and Sizes</strong>".</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNQDHcgz0hGC9rGVNaoxmNgETkEFsmmYVaD8VGXKEMZ0bmuELDfmnIFB9USxT70MIuGc7fnTu5uB9MNPIGXQwK-WV8ehEhDweMAJBXamcGFubGOiGiFS6mF8M8Racjioa8SJdid6Jj9GQ/s1600/DSC_2603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZoaC23PO8trqe13VYIpkiMqbRot7sK3RJujiegsX2xc-NRIBHU3E_3hEkC-hG6cQpS8Q6-nzsXvL3G1tZNKusKpxfcKbXxY42NSApxaiZdtvIVEeQFhA3iyhQlFWSHCt_Ka8iSLXTTKb/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZoaC23PO8trqe13VYIpkiMqbRot7sK3RJujiegsX2xc-NRIBHU3E_3hEkC-hG6cQpS8Q6-nzsXvL3G1tZNKusKpxfcKbXxY42NSApxaiZdtvIVEeQFhA3iyhQlFWSHCt_Ka8iSLXTTKb/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" /></a> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Times;">My slide show was broken up into three parts, illustrating our trials, success, failures, and product launches associated with low tunnels, small high tunnels, and moveable tunnels (i.e.: the Quick Hoops Bender line and the supplies to support it), and it took almost three hours to present. <span style="font-family: Times;">I also did a hoopbending demonstration in one corner of the cafeteria. </span></span></div> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2QQPfGRcQzNSa86XsNT9JMmp8oTLlzFt3qnLZN6l-9Z2rayk4dWCkbowez9UFlvSHtJuSUfm7CZHhGJjwAsCmETTIEHuvtgeIzKfGHuoHfR5dfxsAs4NMpXLX3oXOSE_yx60isxW9RY-/s1600/NOFA-NY+2012+(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2QQPfGRcQzNSa86XsNT9JMmp8oTLlzFt3qnLZN6l-9Z2rayk4dWCkbowez9UFlvSHtJuSUfm7CZHhGJjwAsCmETTIEHuvtgeIzKfGHuoHfR5dfxsAs4NMpXLX3oXOSE_yx60isxW9RY-/s400/NOFA-NY+2012+(4).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slide show presentation in one of the ballrooms.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSb9SqXaMuKWYxP3AwVq26PYygwO5U0SgzGToFSV9SKFXucUXniiZtdSH2hvqYKCdqyYucnuMipqL-awffBOCpEu8JBJrHFcf53ogWe60KcPEjyIQrHu48PjsSbbRQp9EmqsgrdcKpT5d/s1600/DSC_2602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSb9SqXaMuKWYxP3AwVq26PYygwO5U0SgzGToFSV9SKFXucUXniiZtdSH2hvqYKCdqyYucnuMipqL-awffBOCpEu8JBJrHFcf53ogWe60KcPEjyIQrHu48PjsSbbRQp9EmqsgrdcKpT5d/s400/DSC_2602.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our demo set up. A low tunnel bender on one end and a high tunnel bender on the other.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUHpDWMNgi-SzrESEbIxsIYfb8LyO_77uYfrIUQPz-DvU5CuZd2xGhgZJJimvLhqFtNRZCSSPWLp1jALzA86tdASRQ5nT7n4smSUfHk0H25GlyljJBfhZT5srYuokz0RvK1RWpvQRZgxF/s1600/NOFA-NY+2012+(8).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUHpDWMNgi-SzrESEbIxsIYfb8LyO_77uYfrIUQPz-DvU5CuZd2xGhgZJJimvLhqFtNRZCSSPWLp1jALzA86tdASRQ5nT7n4smSUfHk0H25GlyljJBfhZT5srYuokz0RvK1RWpvQRZgxF/s400/NOFA-NY+2012+(8).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wanted this to be an interactive experience and people got right into it. <br />
NY sales rep, Amber Flint, helps hold the table.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQcxtT9ZajC79w83EGTS9U8rhJKdAje-lB8vmhT_qIbFfmwvn3buk1-w4xRTq8xzkSuvjv9zXKrmrmDXaGTShemZV6INnc_NCa7H4w_Ew9loI7hBEHD1bDEoO9mPqzQrTaPAiES3LBf2q/s1600/NOFA-NY+2012+(9).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQcxtT9ZajC79w83EGTS9U8rhJKdAje-lB8vmhT_qIbFfmwvn3buk1-w4xRTq8xzkSuvjv9zXKrmrmDXaGTShemZV6INnc_NCa7H4w_Ew9loI7hBEHD1bDEoO9mPqzQrTaPAiES3LBf2q/s400/NOFA-NY+2012+(9).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beth Spaugh of Rehoboth Homestead in Peru, NY stepped up and said, "I want to see if I can do this." <br />
She could, and the crowd applauded her efforts after she completed a hoop.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
I wanted to be able to convey that information, because it was a lot to put together, so here are links to all the slides I used and their corresponding notes. Each bullet in the notes (for the most part) will correspond with and individual slide, and the slides are all in order. Following along should be pretty easy, except for the tunnel construction photos, which were mostly ad libbed.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;">Part 1 - Low Tunnels - <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnnystooldude/sets/72157629065815115/" target="_blank">Click here for notes</a>.<br />
<br />
<object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629040013811%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629040013811%2F&set_id=72157629040013811&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629040013811%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629040013811%2F&set_id=72157629040013811&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Part 2 - Small High Tunnels - <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnnystooldude/sets/72157629065837585/" target="_blank">Click here for notes</a>.<br />
<br />
<object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629040234915%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629040234915%2F&set_id=72157629040234915&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629040234915%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629040234915%2F&set_id=72157629040234915&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Part 3 - Moveable Tunnels - <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnnystooldude/sets/72157629065843079/" target="_blank">Click here for notes</a>.<br />
<br />
<object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629041221781%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629041221781%2F&set_id=72157626280913165&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629041221781%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629041221781%2F&set_id=72157629041221781&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;">I hope all this is helpful. Your comments are most welcome, either way. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Thanks! </span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Adam. </span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Adam Lemieux </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Tools & Supplies Manager </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" target="0"><img border="0" height="62" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvXRxYUDILenehvqGLpWnfNS5Uy11E1WWWqUCPLhL08r0LMTsinwH6f7OZ5pFtqCMUphZ8cNJFWFla6RKp9rowpgvA1svMncebwDmP2vjzTC3wY0OmpOMjIyAg_O3C_MjHmDPEpv-p-yO/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div align="center"></div><br />
</div>Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-31355170410989157652012-01-19T14:00:00.007-05:002012-01-25T16:25:25.763-05:00A Year Round Diversified CSA at Jericho Settlers' Farm<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">On January 18<sup>th</sup>, 2012 we visited Jericho Settlers Farm in Jericho Center, VT (near Burlington) – a year-round diversified CSA farm. Mark Fasching and Christa Alexander were in the process of building a new high tunnel right next to their farm stand when we arrived. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioF4q4s9TcnjuELWn4qD_K9IOqmIPhT3rbIs0ITXmb0MP4KwsyAwoxA-HI67qq0lXTs0i15dNGFGcZV8tbftUqqC2dSoPeMCVekXD430Qo5Y5DBu_pEX2SJEQqT9J9drvV3nP3ZQJwxxGQ/s1600/DSC_2592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioF4q4s9TcnjuELWn4qD_K9IOqmIPhT3rbIs0ITXmb0MP4KwsyAwoxA-HI67qq0lXTs0i15dNGFGcZV8tbftUqqC2dSoPeMCVekXD430Qo5Y5DBu_pEX2SJEQqT9J9drvV3nP3ZQJwxxGQ/s400/DSC_2592.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6c0wnL_L412ZKJP0RH7fqZ9-lojDxybgImmIJi5Vkz0zrTCIGkR51TPaCsLkXi8ukZizhA7itJyS2HuG1ojmgKerTuCKLgohR6of9gNN0imwYL0Rmc9t9XMvOF5jPqhRJLU0ZkeSWlsxp/s1600/DSC_2476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6c0wnL_L412ZKJP0RH7fqZ9-lojDxybgImmIJi5Vkz0zrTCIGkR51TPaCsLkXi8ukZizhA7itJyS2HuG1ojmgKerTuCKLgohR6of9gNN0imwYL0Rmc9t9XMvOF5jPqhRJLU0ZkeSWlsxp/s400/DSC_2476.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">This would be in addition to the seven that they already had standing and in production. Outside one of them, they had a couple rows of 4 ft Quick Hoops low tunnels that had smaller tunnels within them covering some overwintering scallions and kale. The inner cover was perforated plastic. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuv69xlPRJZt7rH99VG9_37zp3723aKnLG4EviK8M7SrNzRH__8ZAgKX_mSnckqckhfM4p7xuABgFIvnuIctS1kKFxU-LrtTYbWECeuaheDyNZxA1RJEdm7sIKbcT_4el4OIPcH8-sxGP/s1600/DSC_2480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuv69xlPRJZt7rH99VG9_37zp3723aKnLG4EviK8M7SrNzRH__8ZAgKX_mSnckqckhfM4p7xuABgFIvnuIctS1kKFxU-LrtTYbWECeuaheDyNZxA1RJEdm7sIKbcT_4el4OIPcH8-sxGP/s400/DSC_2480.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">They took us in the first high tunnel that was in production, where they had Raccoon spinach and mesclun mix under two layers of Covertan row cover they had acquired from Rain Flo. They said they could get two cuts of the mesclun over the winter and that the germ was erratic because of moisture inconsistency when they irrigated. Usually the fall germ is good. Chris asked about the Bloomsdale (because it’s an open-pollinated variety) , and they said they were getting very high germ results with it both outside in the fields as well as in the tunnels and that it was a better germinator than hybrid varieties in similar situations. They said they always got a thick, consistent stand with Bloomsdale. They also mentioned that all their lettuce and greens were seeded with a Sutton Jr. seeder. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikN86DMBzXgzPUQh6XJGIgmCwQS0JIwC8kZgV5z2kqlDj00zb4pKQUGHvr4YMsFCqp4NYrBVT3hykDOiZgOGvpZ96FSvpmTPJ8n9ZYH9zypoAPRErGLfX2Pe1q7bwVzBZ8IC2-bv9oop1N/s1600/DSC_2488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikN86DMBzXgzPUQh6XJGIgmCwQS0JIwC8kZgV5z2kqlDj00zb4pKQUGHvr4YMsFCqp4NYrBVT3hykDOiZgOGvpZ96FSvpmTPJ8n9ZYH9zypoAPRErGLfX2Pe1q7bwVzBZ8IC2-bv9oop1N/s400/DSC_2488.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The second high tunnel – a 30 x 140 ft Ledgewood, had 1500 laying hens in it. They all ran to our end of the tunnel when we entered. Mark said that egg cleaning was their bottleneck and that they were only able to reach that number by the use of an automatic egg washing machine. Once they had that, it was game on. They rotate the hens around to a different high tunnel each season. In summer, they are pastured and roost in these mobile chicken coops. They then scrape out most of the litter and spread it for field crops. They “follow” the chickens with tomatoes, because they have a 90 day window for the manure to cure. By the time the fruits are maturing, they are past that window. He said the birds can easily pay for a house. We noticed the orange twine hanging from above. Mark said they use the smaller size orange bailing twine because it costs less than tomato twine to trellis their tomatoes. The twine that was there had been in use for three years already.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgI5bm6_iTo2Nkvh9JLkmdQUWm3V2UAaN0v3-0a1PuJOmZ9gVESE3sNQOl3y1KKUdwaxLzbeR6MntebbMHZE7YCNk__EAHzg_Hfjpj2Vr4LA4u1Y43H4NZcuWPzrOeFRNabOcd5uR5zqN/s1600/DSC_2494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgI5bm6_iTo2Nkvh9JLkmdQUWm3V2UAaN0v3-0a1PuJOmZ9gVESE3sNQOl3y1KKUdwaxLzbeR6MntebbMHZE7YCNk__EAHzg_Hfjpj2Vr4LA4u1Y43H4NZcuWPzrOeFRNabOcd5uR5zqN/s400/DSC_2494.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The third high tunnel had garlic overwintering that they were going to harvest in spring for bunching. They will also be trialing onion sets that will be planted in February for a spring crop. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAjcTlqIJwCZPQWOOk3nlyXqYKYpYCg07ob00SFxBAyjHPHClWQD-J9tXfv8wEoP16FWJxZZ0ke19j98kpkdkpndLeKFg090-KHvfitJqhzQMTwEzPC0Bi_PjgmJzNQP7zH_puC_VxrrH/s1600/DSC_2503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAjcTlqIJwCZPQWOOk3nlyXqYKYpYCg07ob00SFxBAyjHPHClWQD-J9tXfv8wEoP16FWJxZZ0ke19j98kpkdkpndLeKFg090-KHvfitJqhzQMTwEzPC0Bi_PjgmJzNQP7zH_puC_VxrrH/s400/DSC_2503.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The fourth high tunnel had a self-driven commercial greens harvester in it. There is a great video of it being used </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1211019345&ref=tn_tnmn#!/video/video.php?v=2040997393671"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">. They bought this second hand from some farmers that were selling off all their equipment. It was originally sold by Bernard Parker Marketing Limited, a UK company which now seems to be out of business. I believe the original manufacturer is the Italian company Ortomec, based on the looks of the product, which is a few years old now, but I am not certain.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHW1f-lkVOdNegnwGu98iGIC7ApIKqi76H_RVNx3YNHLRZAzgOHyXXgkopIdFXFyDI5jN3WQIkXIcjdOvrK_OR9SnXjYdPl39usBy5wRmubjqVDjkTiMWJxdUCfuG6Brm7ZmHOOgNn2evy/s1600/DSC_2516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHW1f-lkVOdNegnwGu98iGIC7ApIKqi76H_RVNx3YNHLRZAzgOHyXXgkopIdFXFyDI5jN3WQIkXIcjdOvrK_OR9SnXjYdPl39usBy5wRmubjqVDjkTiMWJxdUCfuG6Brm7ZmHOOgNn2evy/s400/DSC_2516.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Outside, there were numerous Quick Hoops stacked up against one of the other high tunnel’s end walls. They obviously have embraced low tunnel use in the Spring and/or Fall. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYksDKoT6eZSML04dOkEQ1dQ73t78VB0AwWpF27tP3I5N0RTzaQtPAVm5MDdneZmzrYDKt1HGoldbDtUFL7z823rGiY9Ra019PR6nVDs-bua2SOgTRs5PDyRZiCe_XXP0y3aJ1aZ298J0p/s1600/DSC_2508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYksDKoT6eZSML04dOkEQ1dQ73t78VB0AwWpF27tP3I5N0RTzaQtPAVm5MDdneZmzrYDKt1HGoldbDtUFL7z823rGiY9Ra019PR6nVDs-bua2SOgTRs5PDyRZiCe_XXP0y3aJ1aZ298J0p/s400/DSC_2508.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The fifth high tunnel had Bordeaux spinach, Tyee spinach, Bright Lights that were forced, scallions, beet greens, arugula, and mesclun.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52ECu2mRzKQki95s7Zc_C0O00UubezVipsB5ZxBfL0R5ReD_v045pZCFeBaW7is_52zCKOEJKy-YPKqUTkU9bhI_iwPbGPzbIoNMkmQs5Zc3O5wUox4QsxzF34S_gNwNETZr_Iyl7XCwf/s1600/DSC_2525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52ECu2mRzKQki95s7Zc_C0O00UubezVipsB5ZxBfL0R5ReD_v045pZCFeBaW7is_52zCKOEJKy-YPKqUTkU9bhI_iwPbGPzbIoNMkmQs5Zc3O5wUox4QsxzF34S_gNwNETZr_Iyl7XCwf/s400/DSC_2525.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The sixth that we entered was a 20 ft Quonset style (round) that had been converted to move on skids. Inside they had Tyee spinach overwintering under row cover. Their anchors for the tunnel were also inside the tunnel and consisted of earth augers and come-alongs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBjQte7KW6VawEuu0mDmwwvxBWNncAzYKcnPM1QjAFmQgZ48m7Qg1a8HGvo6Bb8hoPTxWaCFlAGt14NxXl8-J8TWs5TOUlIWEmM7tTMJYjxvriTMBbxgdNi-BkX6tP2M7V2fy_GOLQjhM/s1600/DSC_2533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBjQte7KW6VawEuu0mDmwwvxBWNncAzYKcnPM1QjAFmQgZ48m7Qg1a8HGvo6Bb8hoPTxWaCFlAGt14NxXl8-J8TWs5TOUlIWEmM7tTMJYjxvriTMBbxgdNi-BkX6tP2M7V2fy_GOLQjhM/s400/DSC_2533.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We peaked briefly in the seventh tunnel and moved on to the barn.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We stopped in the tool room, where we discussed some operational difficulties they had with our four row seeder. I noted that the four row was a little finicky and liked a nicely prepared bed. I told them that a bed roller was in the works. We also discussed how to sharpen the Johnny’s Greens Harvesters. They said that it would work well at first, but it would get dull quickly. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fiMCq-hK4pDlvgCoa_W4EL0BCZvAxa5udcDEcLWMEtG1uF7tpry4diQO1bPQGr-hQUT_4eNVsdU7dsjYrcNHzTZCXHmzpXJxBqiHWg5tZAl2mgLAn5jF_8tnka6cXeE9kz3DUm3-Ah2I/s1600/DSC_2564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fiMCq-hK4pDlvgCoa_W4EL0BCZvAxa5udcDEcLWMEtG1uF7tpry4diQO1bPQGr-hQUT_4eNVsdU7dsjYrcNHzTZCXHmzpXJxBqiHWg5tZAl2mgLAn5jF_8tnka6cXeE9kz3DUm3-Ah2I/s400/DSC_2564.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">They took us into the egg cleaning room and fired up the egg washer for us. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDrAtK2KpAWTXzTRWDRxF9Xh9-SqOpOVjcYk2reixCSkw7rPm8SZr3cf7nDYiYXo4iZ5dNkiGiY6or4tb8SkFH_d-Jaw2yvPgtbYc6dSHMd5qziPvPnhjuqJ5ea_TK0HfN7-eMCSD2zIB/s1600/DSC_2558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDrAtK2KpAWTXzTRWDRxF9Xh9-SqOpOVjcYk2reixCSkw7rPm8SZr3cf7nDYiYXo4iZ5dNkiGiY6or4tb8SkFH_d-Jaw2yvPgtbYc6dSHMd5qziPvPnhjuqJ5ea_TK0HfN7-eMCSD2zIB/s400/DSC_2558.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">This just cracked me up.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1iMZjE052R2299YqPJ949VYBL12U3xuEHwjZu296gDUQNdO6XaEXgxjTdYq4FeVJvn2QbdBb5lrOB2pLHA2bbVSt0OAJSg45jiUAx9izNn0doY2ta5v_B2B4xqHChOC0ALUOrVrHVWY2/s1600/DSC_2573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1iMZjE052R2299YqPJ949VYBL12U3xuEHwjZu296gDUQNdO6XaEXgxjTdYq4FeVJvn2QbdBb5lrOB2pLHA2bbVSt0OAJSg45jiUAx9izNn0doY2ta5v_B2B4xqHChOC0ALUOrVrHVWY2/s400/DSC_2573.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Behind that room was their original cold storage room with an air conditioner and Coolbot. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVux8TPhwkq0_FnrwPo9NndOR7c94TNTXyGUGUtkNB1PXAjgEpiY9i8oIur6tV4OcVyF2Fb8cFppf8MKi9ZbAx8VP-C5e5crS-6GxLO5x-kdSL0gDls3ssXQ-9GA6pFdABOoqV6-N_LDIo/s1600/DSC_2571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVux8TPhwkq0_FnrwPo9NndOR7c94TNTXyGUGUtkNB1PXAjgEpiY9i8oIur6tV4OcVyF2Fb8cFppf8MKi9ZbAx8VP-C5e5crS-6GxLO5x-kdSL0gDls3ssXQ-9GA6pFdABOoqV6-N_LDIo/s400/DSC_2571.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Next was the washroom, which was being used when we visited. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Having outgrown the Coolbot room, they had recently added a commercial walk in cooler and loading dock. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihEwRCkeQB3EvmlRh3Zsr1z5looBXfQACVsENLwp1wK5O0RXWJZeqKhKuFpfAIWI1lJ1bph62oeqsvYJO5AU_1CLdeX7WxJ90juPFtGQcqYzp5MZ4dsKXWOdGXjYr6gMDnI5EOuWSApd1R/s1600/DSC_2575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihEwRCkeQB3EvmlRh3Zsr1z5looBXfQACVsENLwp1wK5O0RXWJZeqKhKuFpfAIWI1lJ1bph62oeqsvYJO5AU_1CLdeX7WxJ90juPFtGQcqYzp5MZ4dsKXWOdGXjYr6gMDnI5EOuWSApd1R/s400/DSC_2575.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">They were especially proud of that space. They had everything set up on wheels to roll out from the washroom, into the cooler, and then into the delivery truck. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Even their Grindstone Farm root washer was set up to roll wherever it was needed, which was accomplished by mounting it on a scaffolding base with casters.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times;"></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmeZiyZp8foLzo4-X_UHmyUeoadNYWA1juQXa6hqkTAFwhN_SgjRk4st1GiY9kPXN__M85PssZTZKvNT23DAmexN6lfpjdI6GUyY-PcDCsJWFel7Xm04MQ_GC4QM1sKOCQ_-QsqqAQ8QA/s1600/DSC_2584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmeZiyZp8foLzo4-X_UHmyUeoadNYWA1juQXa6hqkTAFwhN_SgjRk4st1GiY9kPXN__M85PssZTZKvNT23DAmexN6lfpjdI6GUyY-PcDCsJWFel7Xm04MQ_GC4QM1sKOCQ_-QsqqAQ8QA/s400/DSC_2584.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZWqZlOdw2_TdWfhbUG1mjyD5VnsDIGi7Krl-Qf7W-FV6Expw-oBKX0kIipPHdpXmWpzHRTFg6T9EyxYsqp3VVINIkFv7w8rUqZ3KZhrle5bPMdvQK7W0k7aTagW1Dw3TqBQjmo8boC5Q/s1600/DSC_2576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZWqZlOdw2_TdWfhbUG1mjyD5VnsDIGi7Krl-Qf7W-FV6Expw-oBKX0kIipPHdpXmWpzHRTFg6T9EyxYsqp3VVINIkFv7w8rUqZ3KZhrle5bPMdvQK7W0k7aTagW1Dw3TqBQjmo8boC5Q/s400/DSC_2576.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGYzYMsRx683xOII8QGFVuqExZ66OkqcaWlsfQkk8NwIfLETaybny-8a6DpZA4659V_MJrH5hw5IpCg30lwOG3p7neyacUvvYravyhwwD6U1S-GqAtRWBsoz6R_YzoA_RDMu9i-JPa7s7/s1600/DSC_2582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGYzYMsRx683xOII8QGFVuqExZ66OkqcaWlsfQkk8NwIfLETaybny-8a6DpZA4659V_MJrH5hw5IpCg30lwOG3p7neyacUvvYravyhwwD6U1S-GqAtRWBsoz6R_YzoA_RDMu9i-JPa7s7/s400/DSC_2582.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Finally, we got a tour of the art gallery. As many farmers are doing these days, they’d added another point of interest at their farm, to serve as a second income source while increasing foot traffic for the farm stand. They would also sometimes distribute CSA shares inside the gallery, which would increase foot traffic for it. Clever.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYyD2yAGsCG6yxybbdD2OnRKzcHgCgxDpNqXIMTwn5J50B5EpJuwp8dEsnQEKjwwyCxBYMz3QwK3eQ5S6nUq3uVcjJ2SGOU8yvd69Fa4v-vpY-2d1mf5U1OyIGe2wYX91hsMNi_9MIBgV/s1600/DSC_2599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYyD2yAGsCG6yxybbdD2OnRKzcHgCgxDpNqXIMTwn5J50B5EpJuwp8dEsnQEKjwwyCxBYMz3QwK3eQ5S6nUq3uVcjJ2SGOU8yvd69Fa4v-vpY-2d1mf5U1OyIGe2wYX91hsMNi_9MIBgV/s400/DSC_2599.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Mark and Christa very graciously donated their time to show us around and we thank them for it. The complete slide show follows.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629029918233%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157628307225431%2F&set_id=72157629029918233&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629029918233%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157629029918233%2F&set_id=72157629029918233&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span> </div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Thanks! </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Adam. </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Adam Lemieux </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Tools & Supplies Manager </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" target="0"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="62" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvXRxYUDILenehvqGLpWnfNS5Uy11E1WWWqUCPLhL08r0LMTsinwH6f7OZ5pFtqCMUphZ8cNJFWFla6RKp9rowpgvA1svMncebwDmP2vjzTC3wY0OmpOMjIyAg_O3C_MjHmDPEpv-p-yO/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihEwRCkeQB3EvmlRh3Zsr1z5looBXfQACVsENLwp1wK5O0RXWJZeqKhKuFpfAIWI1lJ1bph62oeqsvYJO5AU_1CLdeX7WxJ90juPFtGQcqYzp5MZ4dsKXWOdGXjYr6gMDnI5EOuWSApd1R/s320/DSC_2575.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 378px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 4328px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" /></span>Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-64328150494817412542011-12-07T12:21:00.010-05:002012-01-25T16:18:53.577-05:002011 Young Farmers Conference and Slow Tools SummitOn November 28th, I drove out to Tarrytown, NY to attend and present at one of the best conferences I have been privileged enough to be involved in - the Young Farmers Conference at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, NY. They define 'Young Farmers' as people who have been farming professionally for 1-10 years. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnmLWjPY3tn1zumPhFuoVtWd47y3iJdC0naW3fMU8qhmvTaBQ7CG0Q39bkV0MHkr1D1VkK_sbGVDW-GFw_hrKNCjaXJr7bXOr5lP9ISiU8FZrH1zHHQrfaGrkimdz11reiJPSbq0WXDHJ/s1600/1.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnmLWjPY3tn1zumPhFuoVtWd47y3iJdC0naW3fMU8qhmvTaBQ7CG0Q39bkV0MHkr1D1VkK_sbGVDW-GFw_hrKNCjaXJr7bXOr5lP9ISiU8FZrH1zHHQrfaGrkimdz11reiJPSbq0WXDHJ/s400/1.0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<em>The mission of Stone Barns Center is to create a healthy and sustainable food system that benefits us all. Located 25 miles north of Manhattan, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture is a 501(c)3 nonprofit institution. We operate an 80-acre four-season farm and work to:</em><br />
<ul><li><em>Increase public awareness of healthy, seasonal and sustainable food.</em></li>
<li><em>Train farmers in resilient, restorative farming techniques.</em></li>
<li><em>Educate children about the sources of their food, and prepare them to steward the land that provides it.</em></li>
</ul>I was scheduled to present at this event, and arrived a couple days ahead of time to set up a moveable caterpillar tunnel made with our new bender for my workshop. Jack Algiere, who is the Four Season Farm Manager for the Barns, was kind enough to provide me with the help of Zach Wolf, Stone Barns field foreman, and Josiah Venter, field apprentice. Together we got the job done over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqzHsr_C5fuHqp_SU-t51hatBEGJnii7TFTHI0QVDUJN2eQH57w46cpqnyh6dgLSoksCdP27Hsd33WpXaGQVnsKs1zt8bfgmQWFOYXdMixezg9tVvJRx0WNGkYXeMfRMI8L7TfsKAehQm/s1600/33.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqzHsr_C5fuHqp_SU-t51hatBEGJnii7TFTHI0QVDUJN2eQH57w46cpqnyh6dgLSoksCdP27Hsd33WpXaGQVnsKs1zt8bfgmQWFOYXdMixezg9tVvJRx0WNGkYXeMfRMI8L7TfsKAehQm/s400/33.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The conference ran Thursday and Friday. Our marketing manager, Patti Lennon and our commercial sales rep for NY, Amber Flint also came out on Wednesday to attend the conference. The first day, I went to a few seminars, like this one Jack did on greenhouse management and like a nervous mother, kept adding finishing touches at the tunnel. I was also asked to do a filmed interview, presumably for the "Voices of the Young Farmers Conference" clip that Stone Barns usually posts on their website. Mine was to be a single-question interview: "What are the top 3-5 season extension methods for young farmers to know about?" That was also nerve wracking, but I got through it. :)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqmvEzeLRL9rc2fDuKyaXYjYIM77zL3hgfiBWSeMdtS9zUd7yjKCMc0L6B6QVzijtjkg2Met4Ar1ZH-UPnkNVHvsCV42zQtPJVKquUj6Wdb8M76jXG3HlWFQ9yygEcPyv6RXqgZY9U7NSO/s1600/49.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqmvEzeLRL9rc2fDuKyaXYjYIM77zL3hgfiBWSeMdtS9zUd7yjKCMc0L6B6QVzijtjkg2Met4Ar1ZH-UPnkNVHvsCV42zQtPJVKquUj6Wdb8M76jXG3HlWFQ9yygEcPyv6RXqgZY9U7NSO/s400/49.0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
On the second day, Eliot Coleman and I had a roundtable discussion just after breakfast with anyone who wanted to attend (we got about 50-60 takers) around Innovations in Tools. Eliot had a 30 minute slide show where he presented some of the ideas he has had over the years, including some that Johnny's has brought to market. I then petitioned the audience for suggestions as to what products we could bring to market that would help them do their job? We got several suggestions, that were mostly related to projects we were already working on, which just confirmed our own suspicions of those projects' viability. Each time someone would suggest something, we'd start grinning at each other before they were finished. Too funny.<br />
<br />
Eliot's daughter, Clara Coleman (Divide Creek Farm), also attended. It was great to finally meet her and have a chance to talk. She is one of the nicest people I have ever met.<br />
<br />
Later that morning, I attended a presentation by Ben Shute, who is involved with the National Coalition of Young Farmers and Farm Hack.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahMtzq1AwCPUDpGcqqndQLIejpf2xNAiQCz22xAI0imsuH_sCAToPDczvvociI91l8mhVAW1K2D0qzPV_wNrVKAO1qL7SuDsDx_WeDJ1ZuwkmQUyCCybC5jQ6029X5n0hxpvlA5zf701X/s1600/NYFC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="65" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahMtzq1AwCPUDpGcqqndQLIejpf2xNAiQCz22xAI0imsuH_sCAToPDczvvociI91l8mhVAW1K2D0qzPV_wNrVKAO1qL7SuDsDx_WeDJ1ZuwkmQUyCCybC5jQ6029X5n0hxpvlA5zf701X/s400/NYFC.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLnqGxlw0kf41wj5rqwcQgrH8dyZGdLesM7TKh6lygMxCC_fMgypUNZJUhZle2mY7E58xKBkPcjtsrvOThaTd7LFpKdgnj3T_TotJM6fAOQszK5QCdkB4kGmKOEzSCSt2yXBQi9UgBuXg/s1600/Farm+Hack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLnqGxlw0kf41wj5rqwcQgrH8dyZGdLesM7TKh6lygMxCC_fMgypUNZJUhZle2mY7E58xKBkPcjtsrvOThaTd7LFpKdgnj3T_TotJM6fAOQszK5QCdkB4kGmKOEzSCSt2yXBQi9UgBuXg/s200/Farm+Hack.jpg" width="193" /></a></div>Ben spoke a little about his organizations and had us break into groups to brainstorm ideas around specific aspects of farming to come up with ideas for ways to improve the way they are done. This was a fun exercise. He also spoke about the launch of a new Farm Hack website which will be complete with forum software to categorize participants ideas and serve as a central depository for them as well as a resource for the future. This, I think, is a tremendous idea and I am very excited about it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6HuKQI7oj6VTF2rcjJp8iirthUgNDC0kmSE9CapNYKEkNvO6EvamXEbzc193diLQBX_2xdV-QLKzc-xgyIti-UKldnzKVHX4GoKSywY6fsjPkVZvpuFbBDn6sn6hYrwqAsb_IH6vQicM/s1600/50.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6HuKQI7oj6VTF2rcjJp8iirthUgNDC0kmSE9CapNYKEkNvO6EvamXEbzc193diLQBX_2xdV-QLKzc-xgyIti-UKldnzKVHX4GoKSywY6fsjPkVZvpuFbBDn6sn6hYrwqAsb_IH6vQicM/s400/50.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
In the afternoon, it was time for my Caterpillar Tunnel Workshop, which Amber was nice enough to help me with. A group of about 30 attendees followed me out to the North field, where I spoke first about low tunnels, then small hoophouses and caterpillar tunnels, and then on to moveable tunnels. We bent some pipes on the bender I had mounted on a picnic table and went over just about every square inch of the tunnel, talking about its construction and operation and how it differed from a fixed tunnel. People were invited to come inside and at the end, we removed the clamps, released the plastic, and moved the tunnel up and down the rails. There was a lot of participation by the group and they had many questions. Overall, I think it went very well. <br />
<br />
Prior to the conference, Eliot and I had organized a meeting scheduled for the Saturday after YFC at Stone Barns with several industry professionals to do something similar to what Ben Shute had in mind - get together and brainstorm new tool innovations. Eliot had been working with Barry Griffin, a mechanical engineering professor from Harvard on a project they call "Slow Tools". Stone Barns has even agreed to fund one of their projects - a simple battery powered light cultivating tractor. Eliot's agenda for the meeting read like this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHe1NUQJIQj0M1q-GQdrE1QGhqUTG7eJWe7bGTFdbMq7XcsCOQ0fGucNq9H9JEpXZUZ59S7VU9ybCIi5hqWmvbydkzrVeiqwmu8DTFiIo7aUAsX2YNTIgbjSUMrKKKLri-i4-bbHtlP8Sv/s640/53.5.jpg" width="491" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGu_SWHQX7Esqg2vws01_irE9WG40lPV5u_Z1IxUzT5GAhMPg3GB5SW7X3npvgP7plyCoTG-KlQGEuVOJf0bmLICLZcsygB6rjPJ0-EsoJFRekx_NwXv4soR8lQTUkfh7WnaJ9vYZWYtO/s1600/Pages+from+SLOW_TOOLS_Summit_Agenda%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGu_SWHQX7Esqg2vws01_irE9WG40lPV5u_Z1IxUzT5GAhMPg3GB5SW7X3npvgP7plyCoTG-KlQGEuVOJf0bmLICLZcsygB6rjPJ0-EsoJFRekx_NwXv4soR8lQTUkfh7WnaJ9vYZWYtO/s640/Pages+from+SLOW_TOOLS_Summit_Agenda%255B1%255D.jpg" width="494" /></a></div>Ben Shute and some others were also invited, but were unfortunately unable to attend. Friday evening, we got together over dinner with a few folks who were already there, got to know each other better and of course, discussed tools. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhz5vePAiA_RFEbFxzmYJaQZxvooPf74XsK97RUGwdEuHzkOqQXA3-v6SG1Qq572ojmnxsAIH7HZRxJFJNzsAZJ1nAPKRCsrG8jxMihyphenhyphenreTUSb08ZMWArG3q2NIADZPHURlOzlxJlHJx5/s1600/60.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhz5vePAiA_RFEbFxzmYJaQZxvooPf74XsK97RUGwdEuHzkOqQXA3-v6SG1Qq572ojmnxsAIH7HZRxJFJNzsAZJ1nAPKRCsrG8jxMihyphenhyphenreTUSb08ZMWArG3q2NIADZPHURlOzlxJlHJx5/s400/60.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">On Saturday morning, we assembled at the Barns and started right in by introducing ourselves and suggesting two or three ideas of interest. We then began to talk about some of those ideas and eventually settled and spent a lot of time on the tractor project. Around noon, the Barns graciously set us up in a private dining room for lunch. We then got back together and stayed until after 5:00, talking about how to get these things done. One recurring them was the notion that often times ideas become public and then die right there. We all vowed to keep this thing going. To that end, Josh and Barry offered to set up a listserv to allow the group to stay on the same page and communicate efficiently. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCmBMmuMPJkCu2UwbWpPvopji5S7sHPS38cFLer_RhU36Cg9PUE8NIy4d1epJprOXC76xrAg1swxNM0fO_-YGU14GZsXe_DfGUQnp_T4fYFhSZ3-jCrV3Q8Mj9tXa0wtZh2T7ZN83XcRF/s1600/75.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCmBMmuMPJkCu2UwbWpPvopji5S7sHPS38cFLer_RhU36Cg9PUE8NIy4d1epJprOXC76xrAg1swxNM0fO_-YGU14GZsXe_DfGUQnp_T4fYFhSZ3-jCrV3Q8Mj9tXa0wtZh2T7ZN83XcRF/s400/75.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Inaugural Slow Tools Summit, 2011</td></tr>
</tbody></table>That evening, we again went to dinner. Afterward, I ended up with the guys from Four Season Tools until after midnight, going over what they had accomplished over the past couple years and reviewing photos on Greg's laptop. They had a lot of savvy suggestions for me and I want to thank them for that.<br />
<br />
I would like to thank the Stone Barns staff, particularly Fred Kirschenmann, Jill Eisenbarger, Erica Helms, Nena Johnson, Jack Algiere, Dan Barber, Zach Wolf and Josiah for their participation and cooperation in making the YFC and STS a success for us. Special thanks also to the Slow Tools Summit attendees that had to travel and make time in their busy schedules in order to make that a reality. I'm very excited about the direction this is all going and I am very much looking forward to our next meeting. <br />
<br />
It was a long, groggy ride home on Sunday, but wow. What a week! <br />
<br />
Here's the complete gallery:<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157628307225431%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157628307225431%2F&set_id=72157626408607610&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157628307225431%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157628307225431%2F&set_id=72157628307225431&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><br />
Thanks! <br />
<br />
Adam. <br />
<br />
Adam Lemieux <br />
Tools & Supplies Manager <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" target="0"><img border="0" height="62" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvXRxYUDILenehvqGLpWnfNS5Uy11E1WWWqUCPLhL08r0LMTsinwH6f7OZ5pFtqCMUphZ8cNJFWFla6RKp9rowpgvA1svMncebwDmP2vjzTC3wY0OmpOMjIyAg_O3C_MjHmDPEpv-p-yO/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-47176649494328978122011-04-06T11:37:00.011-04:002012-01-25T16:17:01.902-05:00Twilight Meeting at Tangerini Farm<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Last night, we attended a twilight meeting, s<span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Bold; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Bold;">ponsored by UMass Extension Vegetable Program</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;">, hosted by Laura and Charlie Tangerini at their farm in Millis, Massachusetts. commercial sales rep for Massachussets, Ken Fine and visual assets coordinator, John Dillon came along as well. Laura and Charlie have a great operation and a devout CSA following. They are just beginning to offer late winter CSA shares, enabled by some of these season extension and storage techniques and they already have customers signing up.</span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPc7t6jxkpLz8G3Z3729dc69o3hJtPq4R6TMvZ9TkgiAQFW9yRQlZjKK-A6tm6NFrrRT77CF9icejAXl-7pa9s6cYeFZr0nC_nPiCmA4GDBGfeiLC5AFFtd-LwRgPtB_ALnTXTdJdDPzYY/s1600/DSC_0840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPc7t6jxkpLz8G3Z3729dc69o3hJtPq4R6TMvZ9TkgiAQFW9yRQlZjKK-A6tm6NFrrRT77CF9icejAXl-7pa9s6cYeFZr0nC_nPiCmA4GDBGfeiLC5AFFtd-LwRgPtB_ALnTXTdJdDPzYY/s400/DSC_0840.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laura and Charlie Tangerini (speaking), with Ruth Hazzard (seated) looking on.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">*************************************** </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;"><strong><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Info Taken from the flyer</u>:</span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;">Tangerini </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;">Spring Street Farm is a 67 acre working family farm that was established in 1995 on land that has been in </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;">agriculture since the early 1800’s. The farm’s diverse operations include growing a variety of fresh fruits and </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;">vegetables, cut flowers, perennials, hanging baskets, and annuals that are sold through the on-site farm stand and </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;">through spring, main season and winter CSA, as well as at farmers markets (main season and winter). In 2010 </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;">the Tangerini’s built a custom-designed, half underground storage facility for winter vegetables that has three </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;">bays with separate T and RH controls. They are experimenting with low tunnels with the use of various covers </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">for season extension. </span></em></span><em><br />
</em><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Bold; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Bold;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>The full program will include:</em></span></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Bold; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Bold;">Storage of Vegetable Crops. </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;">Start planning now for next winter! Hear about the process the </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tangerini’s went through in determining what storage facility was needed to fit their farm needs. A </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">representative from Cranney Home Services of Danvers MA will join us to discuss the design and </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">installation of their new three bay storage facility and cooling systems.</span></span></em><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8VvDF38HfoqN6Sshw4CCBPIQSBuB43rFLF2FFE6919QWqRoCS9lmPm5BP_iMI_gkuuqAyfgiylYb1CNJ44y96JuS5ews_CHkuDERw_six-sdHV3bIimigenq3HIZReQ6WURUA_974rVY/s1600/DSC_0844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8VvDF38HfoqN6Sshw4CCBPIQSBuB43rFLF2FFE6919QWqRoCS9lmPm5BP_iMI_gkuuqAyfgiylYb1CNJ44y96JuS5ews_CHkuDERw_six-sdHV3bIimigenq3HIZReQ6WURUA_974rVY/s400/DSC_0844.JPG" width="400" /></em></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Bold; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Bold;">Using Low tunnels. </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;">In the fall of 2010 three low tunnels with three different covering were erected at </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;">the farm. The Tangerinis will talk about the process of installation, winter stability and their thoughts on </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;">the differences between the covers. Come see the difference between the kale outside of the tunnels </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;">verses inside. UMass and UNH will have information on temperature and light differences from low </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;">tunnel trials at research stations. We will discuss benefits of low vs. high tunnels.</span></em></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBsPZikyq_aoGdQPWLREJeHyw1Co-Ur0pkPMDgY56SM0iFDD8Jz_22hliEuoiscIypTwPQ_S8wVtPUpctdrZCDg7f7CwNAH46wJtJ0MkbBYmYo2-56MpRsyEmJNZg1Dkuo4LNxCOLn6P_/s1600/DSC_0872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBsPZikyq_aoGdQPWLREJeHyw1Co-Ur0pkPMDgY56SM0iFDD8Jz_22hliEuoiscIypTwPQ_S8wVtPUpctdrZCDg7f7CwNAH46wJtJ0MkbBYmYo2-56MpRsyEmJNZg1Dkuo4LNxCOLn6P_/s400/DSC_0872.JPG" width="400" /></em></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><em><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Bold; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Bold;">Winter Marketing. </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;">Open discussion about the various types of winter markets – CSA, farmers </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;">markets, wholesale. What does it take to establish a winter CSA? How can you identify a reliable </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;">“back-up” winter market? Winter farmer markets – how did they do in 2010/2011 season and where are </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; mso-bidi-font-family: Times-Roman;">they going?</span> </span></em></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">*************************************** </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ruth Hazzard and Amanda Brown from UMass Extension were also present. This was a great meeting. Growers had a lot of information to exchange and I hope to be comparing Johnny's trial results with Ruth, Amanda, and eventually Becky Sideman, as we all have done a great deal of work in this area. </span><br />
<br />
Here's the complete gallery:<br />
<br />
<object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626441726496%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626441726496%2F&set_id=72157626441726496&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626441726496%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626441726496%2F&set_id=72157626441726496&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks! </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Adam. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Adam Lemieux </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tools & Supplies Manager </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" target="0"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="62" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvXRxYUDILenehvqGLpWnfNS5Uy11E1WWWqUCPLhL08r0LMTsinwH6f7OZ5pFtqCMUphZ8cNJFWFla6RKp9rowpgvA1svMncebwDmP2vjzTC3wY0OmpOMjIyAg_O3C_MjHmDPEpv-p-yO/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-2726470266149205732011-03-30T14:00:00.006-04:002012-01-25T16:15:42.493-05:00High Tunnel Manufacturing at Ledgewood FarmWhile I was visiting Hank Letarte at White Gates Farm, Hank asked me if I wanted to go see Ledgewood Farm, which was only 20 minutes away. I had always intended to stop by there, but never got the chance. This was just too convenient. Hank even drove. Thanks, Hank!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZCYYBLFnsLoTUrw5o62_egXFPiTTfCMkc9jjCSVdrc0vdPz5uFTobTkWkwguxdhdxJ4ZnueKaMVAws9ArXjWB6NCV4ylJvyZ4GQ-2NP7MpIAASIaS7apEDy8KZDUZoP_ermv_5A0mquZ6/s1600/DSC_0757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZCYYBLFnsLoTUrw5o62_egXFPiTTfCMkc9jjCSVdrc0vdPz5uFTobTkWkwguxdhdxJ4ZnueKaMVAws9ArXjWB6NCV4ylJvyZ4GQ-2NP7MpIAASIaS7apEDy8KZDUZoP_ermv_5A0mquZ6/s400/DSC_0757.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The scoop on Ledgewood, quoted from their website:<br />
<em>Ed Person owns and operates Ledgewood Farm a 22 acre retail vegetable operation in central New Hampshire. The farm also manufactures greenhouses and high tunnels for the commercial market. The farm has been in his family since 1947 and he has manufactured greenhouses since 1987. The business operates </em><em>with one year round employee and eight seasonal employees.</em><br />
<a href="http://www.ledgewoodfarm.com/">http://www.ledgewoodfarm.com/</a><br />
<br />
Ed was out. While there, I met Rob, who is with him full time and does on-site set up of the high tunnels for farmers chosing that option. After checking out the shop, he graciously gave us a tour. Thanks, Rob!<br />
<br />
<object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626408607610%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626408607610%2F&set_id=72157626408607610&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626408607610%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626408607610%2F&set_id=72157626408607610&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br />
<br />
This was a great visit and an unexpected bonus for me. Awesome.<br />
<br />
Thanks! <br />
<br />
Adam. <br />
<br />
Adam Lemieux <br />
Tools & Supplies Manager <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="0"><img border="0" height="62" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7e7O7h_ZyDo/TZxw9U30bsI/AAAAAAAAADw/qq6oc7UoAs8/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-89129896503820344662011-03-30T11:00:00.003-04:002012-01-25T16:14:54.447-05:00Johnny's Quick Hoops Hotbed Trial at White Gates Farm<div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">On</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;"> 12/6/10, we met with Hank </span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;">Letarte</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;">, a farmer/entrepreneur in Tamworth, NH. A renaissance man of sorts, Hank has been an engineer, power plant operator, landscaper, cattle farmer, and now a biodiesel manufacturer. He teaches classes on animal processing and lead safety, among others. With the help of the NRCS , he recently added two Ledgewood high tunnels to his property. He now sells vegetables, beef, poultry, and pork at his farm and a local farmers' market. There's more info in this blog entry on Hank and White Gates Farm:</span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://johnnystooldude.blogspot.com/2011/04/farm-visit-white-gates-farm-33011.html">Farm Visit - White Gates Farm 3.30.11</a></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;">He has a sand pit on his property and when the local tree service needed a place to dump wood chips, he decided to take them. </span><br />
<div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAerAx0zqqcV3LA1yLuV9pMgeE1qULSYGMkXpq-s96H-GvMT3nQUBTW7jriEVYw4C3G1v8ox8TReh5bjEyp5C59CgWvGGv_uCo0sLs9-GiXhOVTOiGYHtRPyiR7ZTunKClSTQKpr2gccMW/s1600/_Device+Memory_home_user_pictures_IMG00500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAerAx0zqqcV3LA1yLuV9pMgeE1qULSYGMkXpq-s96H-GvMT3nQUBTW7jriEVYw4C3G1v8ox8TReh5bjEyp5C59CgWvGGv_uCo0sLs9-GiXhOVTOiGYHtRPyiR7ZTunKClSTQKpr2gccMW/s400/_Device+Memory_home_user_pictures_IMG00500.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;">Noticing that they were composting and creating heat, he got an idea – why not harness that heat and use it to grow winter vegetables? He created a windrow 40 ft long by 8 ft wide on top. He then added six inches of loam on top. His thought was some type of hooped structure or tunnel on top to retain the heat. At that point, he enlisted our help. This is how it looked when we arrived. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEB5MHje90uq-ioxmJn4nfv-yoLJ1xf_meFQ6VC5-V7_xzvcuYwcvotKxJZ3Gw14i716BiM4ch67PBWOnbit6vLpJanc07E0R7zjRA9AA7WgRBLlsHs4HaCGIdQM6KpmCpnByiJKIoPIX2/s1600/_Device+Memory_home_user_pictures_IMG00484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEB5MHje90uq-ioxmJn4nfv-yoLJ1xf_meFQ6VC5-V7_xzvcuYwcvotKxJZ3Gw14i716BiM4ch67PBWOnbit6vLpJanc07E0R7zjRA9AA7WgRBLlsHs4HaCGIdQM6KpmCpnByiJKIoPIX2/s400/_Device+Memory_home_user_pictures_IMG00484.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div></div></div></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">This</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;"> thermometer, inserted just beneath the loam, read out at about 60 degrees F. When fully inserted into the middle of the pile, it settled around 140 degrees F! We were both impressed and intrigued. I decided that the best structure for this would be six ft wide Quick Hoops low tunnels, because the wood chips could support them. We offered to help him with materials and as the conversation progressed, it was evident that he would need more than just materials, so we offered to help him set it up and plant. We went back to the farmhouse and laid out some rough plans. </span></span></span></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWHduW4exzWFCbEg1wIPzqWZD3-ypgWhCaxvSK6BacwM32J-hjTzDKtaGLQdqhxFZ1yB6wzsfZ3E8RDP4SmVTHix83ttS7UIZVaGND1c9e9t8FQSYbtzNqh_QWAlxhbyDG6y43BrNGtXi/s1600/Picture3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtjnvyj_QOI99785H2o8Z-mpggmcE1sKmLbp9hBDX-ALajUGvd64t-_JoLfKI36YoHGXa2kXsiP4FWTq0RCn38asDeExF4NX6WWaoSFRAhzOA8773xYWidA_TxEnxbnO7ZNLeBA5d3ZJf/s1600/Picture2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtjnvyj_QOI99785H2o8Z-mpggmcE1sKmLbp9hBDX-ALajUGvd64t-_JoLfKI36YoHGXa2kXsiP4FWTq0RCn38asDeExF4NX6WWaoSFRAhzOA8773xYWidA_TxEnxbnO7ZNLeBA5d3ZJf/s400/Picture2.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;">Thinking that a certain size heap (or cross-sectional area in this case) would be needed in order for the chips to reach ‘critical mass’ for adequate composting, we asked him to create a second windrow, about half the height as the first, to see if it would generate the same heat. In other</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> words, how deep do they need to be for this to work? </span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWHduW4exzWFCbEg1wIPzqWZD3-ypgWhCaxvSK6BacwM32J-hjTzDKtaGLQdqhxFZ1yB6wzsfZ3E8RDP4SmVTHix83ttS7UIZVaGND1c9e9t8FQSYbtzNqh_QWAlxhbyDG6y43BrNGtXi/s1600/Picture3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWHduW4exzWFCbEg1wIPzqWZD3-ypgWhCaxvSK6BacwM32J-hjTzDKtaGLQdqhxFZ1yB6wzsfZ3E8RDP4SmVTHix83ttS7UIZVaGND1c9e9t8FQSYbtzNqh_QWAlxhbyDG6y43BrNGtXi/s400/Picture3.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div></div></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Th</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;">reading the needle between winter storms, Adam and Andrew Mefferd went back on 12/9/10 to plant and set up. It never got above 12F in the pit that day. </span></span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">We knew the loam wouldn't have sufficient</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;"> nutrients to sustain the trial, so we had a 2 yard sling bag of Compost Plus delivered from Vermont Compost. Unfortunately, the compost was frozen solid 3-4 inches in from the outside. So</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;">we had to hollow it out like a big pumpkin. </span></span></span></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqjX_rYr_O3vv4pwZtf67bdyVNI2Y2ddRWAra0nvYy4dALF7jUu_An57EIKZWxFYezkb23iaMiQN7KqZsWD2kE8Pn9BVUg4Op6rTmAdR6hHYYzVGyiB6HN7MPvCQOyL4jzfWrg14q2jN3/s1600/Picture4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqjX_rYr_O3vv4pwZtf67bdyVNI2Y2ddRWAra0nvYy4dALF7jUu_An57EIKZWxFYezkb23iaMiQN7KqZsWD2kE8Pn9BVUg4Op6rTmAdR6hHYYzVGyiB6HN7MPvCQOyL4jzfWrg14q2jN3/s400/Picture4.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">We spread a 2-3” layer of compost on top of the loam,</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;"> which itself was also frozen solid and attempted to work it in with the </span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;">Tilther</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;">. This worked in some spots and the </span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;">Tilther</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;"> just bounced around in others. So, for the most part, this was going to be just a heavy top-dressing. </span></span></span></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHb6h70n2tkR8011nXfiqo6q2-joOvkXEAtSev7lWr9slLQbFyKOFt7seZcD4BF9Qu7IxdbZSmmHyEiaNrpA2f_2dqooYECnbpdvfiMruoZrAC0UeK7FA0eIqQ0ml14sXJl0m3ZYmt0mW/s1600/Picture6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihna-BNLXppRp4Ex-dEEUlHG1o-HFA26pl9NSHBX5t24kWnnTAsJ8xy5pRKQ5d9k8l8eLC93cb7h-8XW5wh1zEkKc1myrbuq4M15eIAmgCn9ZYZmGrb2i3btzrriHdo61F8v_idldw7YWJ/s1600/Picture5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihna-BNLXppRp4Ex-dEEUlHG1o-HFA26pl9NSHBX5t24kWnnTAsJ8xy5pRKQ5d9k8l8eLC93cb7h-8XW5wh1zEkKc1myrbuq4M15eIAmgCn9ZYZmGrb2i3btzrriHdo61F8v_idldw7YWJ/s400/Picture5.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">After tilling</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;"> and raking, we used the bed prep rake with tubes attached to the tines to mark three rows.</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> </span></span></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvODnU4BOFNKa0IJKMLDoJsrJ5pu0cmHGMf5L9o7zJ2bHWZZBWetvgXdUozdx1_IHPOkbo__HH9b367L6K7CJcB4m8bDEPhvM3RjgnPQEaCF7DlgeIWICRzlcwe2bj4WNX_eM6Wp4ao_b5/s1600/Picture7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHb6h70n2tkR8011nXfiqo6q2-joOvkXEAtSev7lWr9slLQbFyKOFt7seZcD4BF9Qu7IxdbZSmmHyEiaNrpA2f_2dqooYECnbpdvfiMruoZrAC0UeK7FA0eIqQ0ml14sXJl0m3ZYmt0mW/s1600/Picture6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHb6h70n2tkR8011nXfiqo6q2-joOvkXEAtSev7lWr9slLQbFyKOFt7seZcD4BF9Qu7IxdbZSmmHyEiaNrpA2f_2dqooYECnbpdvfiMruoZrAC0UeK7FA0eIqQ0ml14sXJl0m3ZYmt0mW/s400/Picture6.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Then, we planted:</span></span></div></div></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Tytan</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> Parsley</span></span></div></div></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Vit</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> Mache</span></span></div></div></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Mei </span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Quing</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> Pac </span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Choi</span></span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Red Ace Beet</span></span></div></div></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Elegance </span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Brassica</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> Mix </span></span></div></div></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">5-Star Lettuce Mix </span></div></div></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Hakurei</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> Turnips</span></span></div></div></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Rover Radish</span></div></div></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Bright Lights Swiss Chard</span></div></div></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"></span></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Along with the seeds we brought, Hank also had three</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;"> trays of </span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">lettuce seedlings for us to plant.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvODnU4BOFNKa0IJKMLDoJsrJ5pu0cmHGMf5L9o7zJ2bHWZZBWetvgXdUozdx1_IHPOkbo__HH9b367L6K7CJcB4m8bDEPhvM3RjgnPQEaCF7DlgeIWICRzlcwe2bj4WNX_eM6Wp4ao_b5/s1600/Picture7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvODnU4BOFNKa0IJKMLDoJsrJ5pu0cmHGMf5L9o7zJ2bHWZZBWetvgXdUozdx1_IHPOkbo__HH9b367L6K7CJcB4m8bDEPhvM3RjgnPQEaCF7DlgeIWICRzlcwe2bj4WNX_eM6Wp4ao_b5/s400/Picture7.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div></div></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Erecting the hoops. </span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;">We drove t-bars in the ends as deeply as we could and used hand pegs to secure the </span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;">Agribon</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;"> and plastic. </span></span></div></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gaGEaLnkV81orzEx4BkkSWv2qq71r0J2OYxNDu-1xQtZlJGkyvNcPHZWSSm6OYdO-3sTlECYaDmc7oq_wpEw-4w6oXik6bLrmyrUPd5w184S8gntW-FCN6x57cOVyg3bWyAXO37aFmEB/s1600/Picture8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gaGEaLnkV81orzEx4BkkSWv2qq71r0J2OYxNDu-1xQtZlJGkyvNcPHZWSSm6OYdO-3sTlECYaDmc7oq_wpEw-4w6oXik6bLrmyrUPd5w184S8gntW-FCN6x57cOVyg3bWyAXO37aFmEB/s400/Picture8.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Both windrows had mirrored</span><span style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-text-raise: 0%; vertical-align: baseline;"> plantings for easy comparison. Hank was also going to add sand along the sides to make the tunnels extra secure. </span></span></div></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRwmC61IHj6-QiBCjtx5SLLIJhOlSEFx3MnpB6OXccUnG2u9KhygByNPMB81WnFGjoIwtFcwH7M8chsCKTGLAQqcYBZ12tNQzMwBbsucn_zkcqhMmu95Eg1H-RGJELY9M7vCTATJpw8ia/s1600/Picture9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRwmC61IHj6-QiBCjtx5SLLIJhOlSEFx3MnpB6OXccUnG2u9KhygByNPMB81WnFGjoIwtFcwH7M8chsCKTGLAQqcYBZ12tNQzMwBbsucn_zkcqhMmu95Eg1H-RGJELY9M7vCTATJpw8ia/s400/Picture9.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">*********************************************************************</span></div></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On January 20th, 2011, our QA manager, Bonita Nicolas and I stopped on our way to the NOFA NY Winter Conference, to check on the trial and install some temperature loggers. </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: center; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1HpXlM1NPH_mp7-dHWi9FoHE_5ZhJcXMcPIfG9iq_7Uwk2AGdNY6pD_vOgQR8_jIkGuJPDeC2I3adlm1PtYUxSsdQn9Qx1QH9YM8jTcx7gYTtk9VbqjubRoO3ZySMdnrcNr4bQvQLr6S/s1600/DSC_0085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1HpXlM1NPH_mp7-dHWi9FoHE_5ZhJcXMcPIfG9iq_7Uwk2AGdNY6pD_vOgQR8_jIkGuJPDeC2I3adlm1PtYUxSsdQn9Qx1QH9YM8jTcx7gYTtk9VbqjubRoO3ZySMdnrcNr4bQvQLr6S/s400/DSC_0085.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There already were signs of life in the big tunnel. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: center; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhopDMJp4EUHsUfzwH41uyPDYJ_VHnUYkFwIUqLCNPq8c-a_pN8TqvjnibCbSYkSLee9vhcKF8Q6B-uNMVaUSpLb13-ePImheI12zDEmixoPakcoHaEpTzrAXv4u2hHyc2uWiFCQaz28qrk/s1600/DSC_0084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhopDMJp4EUHsUfzwH41uyPDYJ_VHnUYkFwIUqLCNPq8c-a_pN8TqvjnibCbSYkSLee9vhcKF8Q6B-uNMVaUSpLb13-ePImheI12zDEmixoPakcoHaEpTzrAXv4u2hHyc2uWiFCQaz28qrk/s400/DSC_0084.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">*********************************************************************<br />
On January 24th, we stopped in the pit at 9:00 at night and picked up the loggers. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsdUX9NUN_ig-g9GItk0cfoY4c8d4L2vT_tmhocVE60vxEUGjPyME4lzulhjm1aDAOrHR0kEP1gRORLBUVus3mauaP0t1LKp-RuXs6hNeL_tvugbP1OH0vAqJEcxRppVyoZgupNhYHxqY/s1600/DSC_0125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsdUX9NUN_ig-g9GItk0cfoY4c8d4L2vT_tmhocVE60vxEUGjPyME4lzulhjm1aDAOrHR0kEP1gRORLBUVus3mauaP0t1LKp-RuXs6hNeL_tvugbP1OH0vAqJEcxRppVyoZgupNhYHxqY/s400/DSC_0125.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">*********************************************************************</span></div></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On March 30th, I returned again to check on the trial. </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: center; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipsGmXIZaDZ5afi_MEdTPKJPTSIoY25jmpzYqlLLuFxpOcZYxcuX9XTeHoOk8TYtvRQw2r7qrCR1rn20Si07agVDg5EkCbAc51jNOScubMHmLwcNVPA_5SjLgt0QFW-b7OrvXULUqprLaB/s1600/DSC_0727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipsGmXIZaDZ5afi_MEdTPKJPTSIoY25jmpzYqlLLuFxpOcZYxcuX9XTeHoOk8TYtvRQw2r7qrCR1rn20Si07agVDg5EkCbAc51jNOScubMHmLwcNVPA_5SjLgt0QFW-b7OrvXULUqprLaB/s400/DSC_0727.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Hank, removing the cover.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdp7KZxsg97TrFX8jItacbgJ0K3i5stOolqmqTs3S7efStSMihxFVirErqvQTG_xqgiKxWgdaNdUcLiX69NLEYAnJZgD64_rhmsIuVv4tXqpXr53xxFtzykrcpNxS9Xt85XvzT39E-DuY/s1600/DSC_0729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdp7KZxsg97TrFX8jItacbgJ0K3i5stOolqmqTs3S7efStSMihxFVirErqvQTG_xqgiKxWgdaNdUcLiX69NLEYAnJZgD64_rhmsIuVv4tXqpXr53xxFtzykrcpNxS9Xt85XvzT39E-DuY/s400/DSC_0729.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> In the tunnel on the big windrow:</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: center; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcz0ZlhoP2z_VDOQd9EflEXF0c5xAo0rd8BdBrQ2SLs4HbaQPizDeNfHEn2RMEyS93SlF3ZJwtprZbnjzOcJIFDG1sdSbWJ3OiI-oDHHrQ7UnPj_V9blBm8zTq4VCVq-uqO-iQ2GrNIIfA/s1600/DSC_0731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcz0ZlhoP2z_VDOQd9EflEXF0c5xAo0rd8BdBrQ2SLs4HbaQPizDeNfHEn2RMEyS93SlF3ZJwtprZbnjzOcJIFDG1sdSbWJ3OiI-oDHHrQ7UnPj_V9blBm8zTq4VCVq-uqO-iQ2GrNIIfA/s400/DSC_0731.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> In the tunnel on the smaller windrow:</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBKl9RZzQLD0iM57VGdxlWWPcpima-AyeQmNHA0Cs20f8SyITCloZK1WrX3L4yjisf6c0fkGMKKjisdv92XjUpN6CZIbG-4jLhDcv62de-zATMxyO0XnO4M-QgNNV43x92XYVyOHKgxRX/s1600/DSC_0740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBKl9RZzQLD0iM57VGdxlWWPcpima-AyeQmNHA0Cs20f8SyITCloZK1WrX3L4yjisf6c0fkGMKKjisdv92XjUpN6CZIbG-4jLhDcv62de-zATMxyO0XnO4M-QgNNV43x92XYVyOHKgxRX/s400/DSC_0740.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Summary and conclusion:</strong> There's really no new product as such that we were trying to develop here, just investigating the feasibility of a different method for season extension. The heaps definitely produced heat. The fact that anything was growing in January (after being planted in December) is pretty impressive in and of itself. However, the trial definitely had its challenges. The cover blew off several times, the thin layer of potting soil we added only had just so much nutrition to offer, the soil was quite dry when inspected in March having never been watered, and we were trying to grow vegetables during a period know as the 'dead zone' with very short day length. What I can conclude is that the heaps definitely produced heat, and the bigger one produced more than the shorter one. We saw anywhere from a 10 to 34 degree temperature differential between the inside and outside air. It also had better results than the shorter bed in the way of overall plant germination and growth, so the added heat promoted earlier growth. As for feasibility, I'm not quite sure. Hank plans to do more with hot beds, but that is just in the planning stages right now.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="308" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYAYEb5sUv52jKyLi0mft_igQji2mjlwTYKRcwa9LqVqwMb1SyknqLVWf3RjA8rY4LU0qqZvc_fWHlUG5rDuXj2TKfGQmUOYCfLBlDrRPalz8a7PWL8G1pIeb9EFHuvE6u3urxt22vVAD/s400/Big+Hotbed_1.21-1.24.11.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"></div><table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" style="width: 201px;"><tbody>
<tr><td height="19" width="33%"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Max</div></td><td height="19" width="33%"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Min </div></td><td height="19" width="33%"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Average</div></td></tr>
<tr><td height="19" width="33%"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">34.2</div></td><td height="19" width="33%"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">9.6</div></td><td height="19" width="33%"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">21.3</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
This was a fun project and Hank was great to work with. The entire gallery can be viewed here:<br />
<br />
<object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626280838795%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626280838795%2F&set_id=72157626280838795&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626280838795%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626280838795%2F&set_id=72157626280838795&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Thanks! <br />
<br />
Adam. <br />
<br />
Adam Lemieux <br />
Tools & Supplies Manager <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="0"><img border="0" height="62" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7e7O7h_ZyDo/TZxw9U30bsI/AAAAAAAAADw/qq6oc7UoAs8/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div></div></div></div>Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-48057174035837084722011-03-30T10:00:00.004-04:002012-01-25T16:10:34.713-05:00Agricultural Renaissance at White Gates Farm<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On 3/30/11, I visited Hank Letarte, a farmer/entrepreneur in Tamworth, NH to follow up on a trial we were doing there. A renaissance man of sorts, Hank has been an engineer, power plant operator, landscaper, cattle farmer, and now a biodiesel manufacturer. He teaches classes on animal processing and lead safety, among others. With the help of the NRCS , he recently added two Ledgewood high tunnels to his property. White Gates Farm is an interactive farm in Tamworth, NH. They raise grass fed beef, pasture raised chickens, pork, and produce. They also produce organic compost, maple syrup and biodiesel fuel and they welcome farm visits any time. Here is a brief gallery of photos I took while there, plus a few from their facebook page:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626280913165%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626280913165%2F&set_id=72157626280913165&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626280913165%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626280913165%2F&set_id=72157626280913165&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br />
<br />
</div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is a video produced by the Tamworth Lyceum:</span><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/20559583" width="400"></iframe><br />
<br />
Also:<br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/whitegatesfarm">http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/whitegatesfarm</a><br />
<br />
Thanks! <br />
<br />
Adam. <br />
<br />
Adam Lemieux <br />
Tools & Supplies Manager <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="0"><img border="0" height="62" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7e7O7h_ZyDo/TZxw9U30bsI/AAAAAAAAADw/qq6oc7UoAs8/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-59490782593189843042011-03-24T13:00:00.004-04:002012-01-25T15:54:52.943-05:00Early Spring at Fisher FarmWhile we were in Winterport, Chris Hillier and I decided to see if we could stop in at Fisher Farm. <br />
<a href="http://www.fisherfarmcsa.com/" target="0">http://www.fisherfarmcsa.com/</a><br />
<br />
Their farm stand, which was being renovated had a prominently displayed poster size copy of one of our catalog covers, featuring a shot of their display at the Common Ground Country Fair.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0udipAQZrUUYWw8IZAP1_A3V9F8_Gtm3E_lxEBY6lbl5WHTsoXiYAh6qw0eccpSla7gI_UxXzIUP8NDbM1XWp9KZsQ4vX5rPeRa_92m5V9H0b6L7Pk8RPdkDkSugzlY7LS_5H91lXeMYr/s1600/DSC_0665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0udipAQZrUUYWw8IZAP1_A3V9F8_Gtm3E_lxEBY6lbl5WHTsoXiYAh6qw0eccpSla7gI_UxXzIUP8NDbM1XWp9KZsQ4vX5rPeRa_92m5V9H0b6L7Pk8RPdkDkSugzlY7LS_5H91lXeMYr/s400/DSC_0665.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<u>Chris' notes sum it all up very well</u>:<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We didn’t have a scheduled tour at Fisher farm, but we decided to stop by anyway. Beth Haines' in-laws were there, so Rose Fisher showed us around. They have two greenhouses set up with seedlings started. They have chickens and sheep near their tool barn. Their 30x96 hoop-house was stocked full of chard, beets, tatsoi, arugula, kale and other greens. Most was ready to harvest. They also had thrown in a row of overwintered onions. They have a 50 family CSA and go to a few farmers markets. They have diversified vegetables and eggs and cut flowers. There wasn’t much happening today, but you can tell it’s a bustling place to be during the growing season. Beth and her husband live in an “off the grid” house with solar panels, water pumps outdoors next to the outhouse. Quaint and rustic – a beautiful farm.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItlh3iHoLRqQH3qOCK6tcgfPvRlcD55Axl9N2Sgm56jYvjpCOFYQl5gpD5WpNmZ-7RN47afIUSthXEFRKLK0Xif7qRLWYuWzQn034pxrgSEo5-UyjPHj6WzhAvK51i_GkkS8dWvItSgcQ/s1600/DSC_0676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItlh3iHoLRqQH3qOCK6tcgfPvRlcD55Axl9N2Sgm56jYvjpCOFYQl5gpD5WpNmZ-7RN47afIUSthXEFRKLK0Xif7qRLWYuWzQn034pxrgSEo5-UyjPHj6WzhAvK51i_GkkS8dWvItSgcQ/s400/DSC_0676.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Three farms today - all had chickens. I'm seeing a trend here. :)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5uHwswBs9s506xKRt92qm-SRLD_f8gPcSnXk84LYlpIjLQhqkNLmP8TII5m2e6fhaFwhT6adim2nY2qogLJtEYA9YiSjUL7Okwi7KRibshZ5GcKAIC9te-2NNr2VhrvlKe4Ym-SXhZzM/s1600/DSC_0694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5uHwswBs9s506xKRt92qm-SRLD_f8gPcSnXk84LYlpIjLQhqkNLmP8TII5m2e6fhaFwhT6adim2nY2qogLJtEYA9YiSjUL7Okwi7KRibshZ5GcKAIC9te-2NNr2VhrvlKe4Ym-SXhZzM/s400/DSC_0694.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: black;">You can view the complete gallery below.</span><br />
<br />
<object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626253500999%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626253500999%2F&set_id=72157626253500999&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626253500999%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626253500999%2F&set_id=72157626253500999&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Thanks! <br />
<br />
Adam. <br />
<br />
Adam Lemieux <br />
Tools & Supplies Manager <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="0"><img border="0" height="62" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7e7O7h_ZyDo/TZxw9U30bsI/AAAAAAAAADw/qq6oc7UoAs8/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div></div></div></div>Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-70821854393567754562011-03-24T11:00:00.008-04:002012-01-25T15:54:01.410-05:00Overwintered Quick Hoops at A Stone's Throw FarmChris Hillier and I also visited the farm of Paul and Christine Lipsky in Newburgh, ME last Thursday. They have been to our twilight walks at the research farm many times and since we were in town, we thought it would be great to see them and their farm. <br />
<a href="http://www.mofga.net/MyProfile/tabid/88/asuid/1488/showtab/products/Default.aspx" target="0">http://www.mofga.net/MyProfile/tabid/88/asuid/1488/showtab/products/Default.aspx</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2irp_4n0KFVTLBtQJNdTgs10Dkrh7jzinX_Yi2Xq9qWD_3v6PGYnuLbzBOwYQchQXuICn9hg2sIPBQVG5DMRLBZAub2J2dLLkTSkSCvQ17oKjzG-S0BV8DZ5fqReZ0GVvA_Sg8pp2gRk/s1600/DSC_0659.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2irp_4n0KFVTLBtQJNdTgs10Dkrh7jzinX_Yi2Xq9qWD_3v6PGYnuLbzBOwYQchQXuICn9hg2sIPBQVG5DMRLBZAub2J2dLLkTSkSCvQ17oKjzG-S0BV8DZ5fqReZ0GVvA_Sg8pp2gRk/s400/DSC_0659.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">They use Quick Hoops extensively on their farm that is literally carved out of the woods. Paul showed us around their property. He said that he removes snow from his low tunnels, so he doesn't really have to worry about collapse. He said he was challenged by voles though. For this, he had homemade boxes with Intruder mouse traps in them as recommended by the Winter Harvest Handbook by Eliot Coleman. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIc1jGjuKpYZXZ7TxOqJ-rf3q8mf5-VN7UCnPE-2HK868aP2ur15EvarYx9pX6JQM0f9BjnfUapRWob50mKjqPx8McmQAbQ7G4yOQbu_MIa58P28gYa-MC6cjXKH6rt3jPYLW4uYrOHIk8/s1600/DSC_0650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIc1jGjuKpYZXZ7TxOqJ-rf3q8mf5-VN7UCnPE-2HK868aP2ur15EvarYx9pX6JQM0f9BjnfUapRWob50mKjqPx8McmQAbQ7G4yOQbu_MIa58P28gYa-MC6cjXKH6rt3jPYLW4uYrOHIk8/s400/DSC_0650.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">These are Chris' notes from the trip:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Paul and Christine also have a backyard farm in Newburgh, ME. They had three garden plots plus a chicken house/plot. Two of the three gardens had quick hoops set up with overwintered onions (Bridger), spinach and Encore Salad mix. They also had some hoops set up to keep the ground warmer to plant early broccoli. That is one crop they have identified in their market that many will pay a lot for getting early to market with it. They are also looking to build some more soil up to put in some moveable hoop-houses. He probably has ½ acre tilled up. They sell at two farmers markets, Orono Buying Club, and two natural food stores. </div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1Wgv24smvkK5ZmCMp7Ip_ZLao4mIaUFM2yHq1h03zcvTHCM7QSitxENbcOluYq6HDs7PyBReNBJWoTK5gY0cNR7zrACRVTCiITQu8G5B-UAykBbb2vbrPdFHMtH7cZUaUyPHtLCTrZy6/s1600/DSC_0651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1Wgv24smvkK5ZmCMp7Ip_ZLao4mIaUFM2yHq1h03zcvTHCM7QSitxENbcOluYq6HDs7PyBReNBJWoTK5gY0cNR7zrACRVTCiITQu8G5B-UAykBbb2vbrPdFHMtH7cZUaUyPHtLCTrZy6/s400/DSC_0651.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="color: black;">You can view the complete gallery below.</span><br />
<br />
<object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626249151877%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626249151877%2F&set_id=72157626249151877&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626249151877%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626249151877%2F&set_id=72157626249151877&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br />
<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Thanks! <br />
<br />
Adam. <br />
<br />
Adam Lemieux <br />
Tools & Supplies Manager <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="0"><img border="0" height="62" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7e7O7h_ZyDo/TZxw9U30bsI/AAAAAAAAADw/qq6oc7UoAs8/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div></div>Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-80167730755905209072011-03-24T09:00:00.003-04:002012-01-25T15:53:13.864-05:00Quick Hoop issues at Living Land Farm<div style="text-align: left;">On Thursday of last week, I went with Chris Hillier, our commercial sales rep for Maine, to visit one of her customers, Mark Allen at Living Land Farm in Winterport, Maine.<br />
<a href="http://www.mofga.net/MyProfile/tabid/88/asuid/1792/Default.aspx" target="0">http://www.mofga.net/MyProfile/tabid/88/asuid/1792/Default.aspx</a><br />
<br />
Mark runs a commercial operation and CSA on just 1.75 acres with 3/4 of an acre in production. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzni8X-r4MfwGdmdwPrLd_K0zf3lESdBCOCgGdEEM3LEAixdGfm_kyduoRNAnoEAM9KIu4DRrUXQkfn1UJTcS5YI8Cfr3FW83pl0GRXUnc4ke1-ISL0N97d-BbP4x2Zj-A5Hnlb02CGnK/s1600/DSC_0566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzni8X-r4MfwGdmdwPrLd_K0zf3lESdBCOCgGdEEM3LEAixdGfm_kyduoRNAnoEAM9KIu4DRrUXQkfn1UJTcS5YI8Cfr3FW83pl0GRXUnc4ke1-ISL0N97d-BbP4x2Zj-A5Hnlb02CGnK/s400/DSC_0566.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I had spoken with Mark at the MOFGA Spring Growth Conference last Saturday and he told me that he had structural failure in his Quick Hoops. This was the first actual failure I had heard of, so I wanted to investigate what went wrong. Eliot Coleman's concept for the Quick Hoops Bender a few years ago was born out of the need for hoops that wouldn't bend under snow load like PVC hoops do. In our trials at the farm last winter, the 1/2" EMT hoops held up extremely well, but when the soil moistened up in spring, the hoops tended to lean and cut through the soil without bending. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin45cO82mFHPZkNlrZXcTyWTqZUkx7NeXFCNX4KXCldJjS-VlNqT7MmUi50mi4taILndx3CS6F8ewgpxYbwMYL0JAP8-fqwFs0GCII0KQlaGBMYxsku15iS9Dhf3c8KV3CXbtR1z9enAV-/s1600/DSC_0567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin45cO82mFHPZkNlrZXcTyWTqZUkx7NeXFCNX4KXCldJjS-VlNqT7MmUi50mi4taILndx3CS6F8ewgpxYbwMYL0JAP8-fqwFs0GCII0KQlaGBMYxsku15iS9Dhf3c8KV3CXbtR1z9enAV-/s400/DSC_0567.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This was the case at Mark Allen's farm, only worse. Due to the very wet conditions caused by drainage challenges at his farm, the hoops under snow load leaned over, then started to widen out as the bottoms of the hoops poked through the soil. Now much wider and with greatly reduced strength, the hoops then caved in. Also, once one hoop moved, the entire length of plastic was now loose and able to catch much more snow. The result was a domino effect. Mark had tied off some of his end wall hoops to the end stake, but since the hoop ends cut through soil, they were of little help. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsCDFvZnzPmoyNVKyOZJ6tfESQuk_yN2lBFiaJO2Kq-hhOtqzSK0E7tODO1V5PbE3q-AufZTDQA3i3O8Z-0tQtrWXhM2-Dq7ZVRjyzXFkSFgXLl18Sxmvj1zdtyCs5j_t05UVUfx4BmM-/s1600/DSC_0570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsCDFvZnzPmoyNVKyOZJ6tfESQuk_yN2lBFiaJO2Kq-hhOtqzSK0E7tODO1V5PbE3q-AufZTDQA3i3O8Z-0tQtrWXhM2-Dq7ZVRjyzXFkSFgXLl18Sxmvj1zdtyCs5j_t05UVUfx4BmM-/s400/DSC_0570.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Mark stated that he intends to do some work to aid in soil drainage. My recommendation for him for next season is to run a rope purlin the entire length of his tunnels, tying off to each hoop individually and to stakes on either end. I also suggested he use beefier stakes like T-posts driven deeply, as they will need to bear the weight of the entire tunnel's snow load. Hopefully, this will work for him.<br />
<br />
After analyzing his low tunnels, he gave us a tour. Eliot Coleman's influence can be seen in many of the methods employed on his farm, including soil blocking, wire wickets, and the use of Quick Hoops.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;">You can view the complete gallery below.</span></span><br />
<br />
<object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626371878952%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626371878952%2F&set_id=72157626371878952&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626371878952%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626371878952%2F&set_id=72157626371878952&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Thanks! <br />
<br />
Adam. <br />
<br />
Adam Lemieux <br />
Tools & Supplies Manager <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="0"><img border="0" height="62" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7e7O7h_ZyDo/TZxw9U30bsI/AAAAAAAAADw/qq6oc7UoAs8/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-80313042547034244022011-03-15T16:29:00.005-04:002012-01-25T15:52:31.508-05:00Johnny's Winter Caterpillar Tunnel Structural Trial<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Goal:</strong> To see if either caterpillar tunnel version (with, or without purlins) could withstand winter snowload.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Results:</strong> Were very interesting. We picked two of the four tunnels that were built in May, 2010, actually planted onions in them, and buttoned them up for the winter. Both tunnels were structurally the same, with a center ridge-pole made of chain link fence top-rail, but one of them also had purlins about three feet from either side of the ridge. These purlins in summer, were used to trellis vine crops, and carried that load quite well. They really stiffened up the whole structure. However, in summer, they tended to cause the plastic to collect rainwater. This made me think that the purlins would either make it so strong that it would better carry the snow load or they would catch more snow than the tunnel without purlins and cause a collapse. It looks like the latter is the case. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHQYK1RuDUazJB91-SjUxjykk_HruUXrJ7i9Y8sjXZ3EN7Sh5DRRV0ZsGuh3YgfGdKKq31WRxcOF07xzll9SUwWIj0O2Cf-H2lSa4zie0xZxKH8c23aRNTLIkOjKfgWzi74SPN2p_limI/s1600/_MAR7797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="212" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHQYK1RuDUazJB91-SjUxjykk_HruUXrJ7i9Y8sjXZ3EN7Sh5DRRV0ZsGuh3YgfGdKKq31WRxcOF07xzll9SUwWIj0O2Cf-H2lSa4zie0xZxKH8c23aRNTLIkOjKfgWzi74SPN2p_limI/s320/_MAR7797.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Summary and recommendations:</strong> It is important to note that we intentionally did not remove snow in this trial, as we were looking for structural failure in worst case conditions. Removal of snow even just next to the tunnel that failed probably would have prevented its failure, because the pressure bearing in on the sides (and therefore the plastic's weight felt on the top) would have been greatly reduced. If you intend to use a structure like this to overwinter crops in northern climates where snowfall is a concern, I would recommend a maximum of four foot bow spacing during construction, not using side purlins in winter tunnels because they catch snow, and of course the removal of snow whenever possible from the sides and top of the tunnel. It would also be prudent to shore up the bows internally with notched two-by-fours placed vertically under every other bow as a means of additional snowload insurance and peace of mind. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The 26-page illustrated manual for the bender used to make these tunnels and an MS Excel cost calculator spreadsheet may be downloaded on the bender's product page </span><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-8417-quick-hoops-high-tunnel-bender.aspx"><span style="font-family: inherit;">here</span></a>.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">You can view the complete gallery below.</span></span><br />
<br />
<object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626274258358%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626274258358%2F&set_id=72157626274258358&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626274258358%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626274258358%2F&set_id=72157626274258358&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
Thanks! <br />
<br />
Adam. <br />
<br />
Adam Lemieux <br />
Tools & Supplies Manager <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="0"><img border="0" height="62" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7e7O7h_ZyDo/TZxw9U30bsI/AAAAAAAAADw/qq6oc7UoAs8/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-26088892996095293872011-01-24T13:00:00.003-05:002012-01-25T15:50:59.098-05:00Winter High Tunnel Production at Pleasant Valley FarmOn January 24th, John Dillon and I stopped at Pleasant Valley Farm in Argyle, NY and visited with Paul and Sandy Arnold. We were given a tour of their beautiful farm and also graciously invited for lunch. Paul and Sandy are on the leading edge of farming technology and they regularly speak at conferences with venues such as NOFA NY, NOFA VT, and MOSES. They own three Rimol houses and they were recently featured on Rimol's site under their "Customer Spotlight" section. It is a very informative write up of their operation. You can view that article here:<br />
<a href="http://www.rimolgreenhouses.com/pleasantvalley.php" target="0">http://www.rimolgreenhouses.com/pleasantvalley.php</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovd-H8gZbF9DnpcG60R-s9tQL6lINt7BRzMfMMrRqlqHtqv4ACqBaPgwqp8ptG2tUEMFz34TCL5Yz3Fxq8XV9FhQikfn6ao_jvcEsTyg9BjwmOLqQ_r39H2tvmXQHdHUKAhDv_SiLoqQU/s1600/DSC_0296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovd-H8gZbF9DnpcG60R-s9tQL6lINt7BRzMfMMrRqlqHtqv4ACqBaPgwqp8ptG2tUEMFz34TCL5Yz3Fxq8XV9FhQikfn6ao_jvcEsTyg9BjwmOLqQ_r39H2tvmXQHdHUKAhDv_SiLoqQU/s400/DSC_0296.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">When we got there, Paul gave us a tour of their two completely unheated 144 foot long Nor'Easter high tunnels which they were currently doing a winter greens production in. They have a Davis weather station that they use to monitor the tunnel temperatures from their kitchen, so they can manage floating row cover removal and replacement for optimum light exposure. They were also doing a trial of nine different spinach varieties to determine the best performer for winter production. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaW4ETXTbGyP2l1JoPPmkdw03FzK0ryzfUcJYzLHUfPQgs5ayEqHNk1f8dBmnDWNwJzPeRj_GDA7gF-qhW7WNCZFPtLYn_81WUoevsji2InPTyT3RzkRjobF1wef75J4k2NrxjcrPtnHXL/s1600/DSC_0339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaW4ETXTbGyP2l1JoPPmkdw03FzK0ryzfUcJYzLHUfPQgs5ayEqHNk1f8dBmnDWNwJzPeRj_GDA7gF-qhW7WNCZFPtLYn_81WUoevsji2InPTyT3RzkRjobF1wef75J4k2NrxjcrPtnHXL/s400/DSC_0339.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>After lunch, they showed us the rest of the farm, which started with the packing shed. On one end of the shed, they have a spot for offloading their harvest cart right into a barrel washer. They evidently have the first production model barrel washer from Grindstone Farm. In their main washroom that is only used in summer, they have a washing tank with an air agitation system, powered by a jacuzzi air pump, and stainless packing tables on two sides. The barrel washer also feeds into this room. Nice setup. Other parts of the packing shed included a controlled cold storage area, a root cellar, a tool shed, and their winter washroom / packing area. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6FdzZueajbEwUY0ZqntVVq6bvMM7-BHFL2gpn56czODny1JbwR0TlWUWlJZtpugYO0PcfbJf5M0wha-09ND4FbHmsBTRuQlBqkbngcHFGp7xs2EGGE7dEwjrz4L6y3oe4BKbwr7UWvrm/s1600/DSC_0384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6FdzZueajbEwUY0ZqntVVq6bvMM7-BHFL2gpn56czODny1JbwR0TlWUWlJZtpugYO0PcfbJf5M0wha-09ND4FbHmsBTRuQlBqkbngcHFGp7xs2EGGE7dEwjrz4L6y3oe4BKbwr7UWvrm/s400/DSC_0384.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The packing shed led into their Rimol 30' x 60' Matterhorn seedstarting house. They were running preheated water through swimming pool solar panels as a radiant heat source for their seed starting benches and they were also using rigid Winstrip seedling trays extensively.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSemxM2l_f35cdpE20JAmrih7x96uw8W7ih5i39Ea2_4yS_240_HoC_x8rz_UAmnRL73ARhh3DFoPHu3YVPlYynGFCaaOYql8UIjmplItiaPt958as1bGb1cYsCzquaMAZG4jpCp5cC4R/s1600/DSC_0400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSemxM2l_f35cdpE20JAmrih7x96uw8W7ih5i39Ea2_4yS_240_HoC_x8rz_UAmnRL73ARhh3DFoPHu3YVPlYynGFCaaOYql8UIjmplItiaPt958as1bGb1cYsCzquaMAZG4jpCp5cC4R/s400/DSC_0400.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The last stop was their new pole barn at the lower end of the property. The had of course much of their farm equipment and tractors here, but also had one enclosed garage like area for extra cold storage.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZi6kr-NK3VzvSluJulpO2AS0OZ3fYmpGghlZoOxFDf1PpCOANWkVNNsbRuHbK5UhUsJTp-abynqrpygoIBM78CN9kHWDsdz1MIslbB2c_qQozlk95hnr9KJgorcvajhonjcMVKGlrcFp6/s1600/DSC_0414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZi6kr-NK3VzvSluJulpO2AS0OZ3fYmpGghlZoOxFDf1PpCOANWkVNNsbRuHbK5UhUsJTp-abynqrpygoIBM78CN9kHWDsdz1MIslbB2c_qQozlk95hnr9KJgorcvajhonjcMVKGlrcFp6/s400/DSC_0414.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
You can view the complete gallery here:<br />
<br />
<object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626286980801%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626286980801%2F&set_id=72157626286980801&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626286980801%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626286980801%2F&set_id=72157626286980801&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br />
<br />
There are also a great many photos of their operation on their facebook page.<br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pleasant-Valley-Farm/242214617771" target="0">http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pleasant-Valley-Farm/242214617771</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks! <br />
<br />
Adam. <br />
<br />
Adam Lemieux <br />
Tools & Supplies Manager <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="0"><img border="0" height="62" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7e7O7h_ZyDo/TZxw9U30bsI/AAAAAAAAADw/qq6oc7UoAs8/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-38339354226502574082011-01-24T09:00:00.003-05:002012-01-25T15:49:13.115-05:00Caterpillar Tunnels at Windflower FarmJanuary 24, 2011 - On the last day of our <a href="https://www.nofany.org/" target="0">NOFA NY</a> Winter Conference trip, John Dillon and I visited Jan & Ted Blomgren at Windlflower Farm in Valley Falls, NY – between the Hudson River and the Vermont border. They run a diversified farm that distributes produce and flowers through several CSAs in NY City. <br />
<a href="http://www.localharvest.org/windflower-farm-M10244" target="0">http://www.localharvest.org/windflower-farm-M10244</a><br />
<br />
My interest there was mainly their expertise in protected cropping systems, specifically the use of caterpillar tunnels. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTNGzjwZ5EJgq7cWSnXMglnF990Z2ymjKgo9nWR_JWYKqTJgAVdJtq82mzWIsz0CEztv-eASF8WZtJJ6zmalVRohmXV_zfO6mq60oTlFbP8RfXKWfpKAdjWPMK42ZHExc8vEXrlKvH6Ns/s1600/118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTNGzjwZ5EJgq7cWSnXMglnF990Z2ymjKgo9nWR_JWYKqTJgAVdJtq82mzWIsz0CEztv-eASF8WZtJJ6zmalVRohmXV_zfO6mq60oTlFbP8RfXKWfpKAdjWPMK42ZHExc8vEXrlKvH6Ns/s400/118.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
What's a caterpillar tunnel? It's a high tunnel, generally intermediate in size between a low tunnel and greenhouse that is constructed in such a way (usually with rope overlacing) as to create a segmented appearance similar to a caterpillar. They are also called walk-in tunnels, because with most designs, you can walk in at any point along the tunnel.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYMW7C6Hdz-sGBWyID5E8Ifii3nVNKlMlmSt0P2Bupmjh7h6vBHvte7SJlKtRFAwQjV4zf8tRd4mJu1YrCLPWVhIkJ0M3bjnWJ1m18tHGqZEaCUOQZ105hNPqdiYd-N-DlP_Hpt4SMCHy/s1600/DSC_0282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYMW7C6Hdz-sGBWyID5E8Ifii3nVNKlMlmSt0P2Bupmjh7h6vBHvte7SJlKtRFAwQjV4zf8tRd4mJu1YrCLPWVhIkJ0M3bjnWJ1m18tHGqZEaCUOQZ105hNPqdiYd-N-DlP_Hpt4SMCHy/s400/DSC_0282.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
A former advisor to Cornell Cooperative Extension, Ted co-authored the <a href="http://www.uvm.edu/sustainableagriculture/hightunnels.html" target="0">High Tunnels</a> manual, which I referred to extensively when planning the construction of caterpillar tunnels at our research farm in Albion, ME in June, 2010. They have done some amazing work at Windflower Farm. Ted took us for a tour of the caterpillar tunnels. It was sunny, but -15F and the snow was deep. Since Ted was going to be giving a talk at the MOSES conference that included a segment on low tunnels, we brought him one of each of our Quick Hoops Benders and went through the bending procedures inside one of his greenhouses. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9XtwSn-TtckLESR3JFfNSNdg-71UnEJ9q7hOwiPMY-tgUa1KoIqZZQ5NGPlxlk6Ka_EWs17Pi-tNkK0DyiLh7KrdRRCHfDLljoLQgy-oSNl6KanFPmn62i8FBdsTF5Nt6KAbSRg7rMU-/s1600/152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9XtwSn-TtckLESR3JFfNSNdg-71UnEJ9q7hOwiPMY-tgUa1KoIqZZQ5NGPlxlk6Ka_EWs17Pi-tNkK0DyiLh7KrdRRCHfDLljoLQgy-oSNl6KanFPmn62i8FBdsTF5Nt6KAbSRg7rMU-/s400/152.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Our hosts then invited us in for coffee and cake before we headed off for our next stop - Pleasant Valley Farm.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">You can view the complete gallery below.</span><br />
<br />
<object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626216798656%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626216798656%2F&set_id=72157626216798656&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626216798656%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626216798656%2F&set_id=72157626216798656&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Thanks! <br />
<br />
Adam. <br />
<br />
Adam Lemieux <br />
Tools & Supplies Manager <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="0"><img border="0" height="62" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7e7O7h_ZyDo/TZxw9U30bsI/AAAAAAAAADw/qq6oc7UoAs8/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825675216718414391.post-25859934494018510982011-01-22T13:00:00.007-05:002012-01-25T15:47:56.969-05:00Winter Production at Slack Hollow Farm<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">While at the NOFA NY Winter Conference, I attended an offsite session one winter high tunnel production held at Slack Hollow Farm in Argyle, NY. Slack Hollow Farm is a family run diversified vegetable farm, in business since 1985. Seth Jacobs, Martha Johnson and crew grow and market NOFA-NY Certified organic produce grown in the fertile upland hills of Washington County. </span><br />
<a href="http://www.slackhollowfarm.com/" target="0">http://www.slackhollowfarm.com/</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.slackhollowfarm.com/images/family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="http://www.slackhollowfarm.com/images/family.jpg" /></span></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Winter production: Slack Hollow Farm markets their produce year round. Through the use of two minimally heated hoop-houses that they recently added, they are able to offer a diversity of greens at several winter markets, including the Troy Farmers' Market, Saratoga Farmers' Market, Honest Weight Food Co-op, Gardenworks, and the Greenwich Local Market. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKyZynY4Uvva2hXYTxjbr0bu7LI8FvrU3yTWmP7OHuXfw4ob_fMs6J4OhiQp2GAwHlqAnw2F73PrVT5sGGMLBKDJJUEAtZgmtuNkGu3bBv6s4ShzFEIJOYCduBsnuYJWCz4oDkmReyIpH/s1600/309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKyZynY4Uvva2hXYTxjbr0bu7LI8FvrU3yTWmP7OHuXfw4ob_fMs6J4OhiQp2GAwHlqAnw2F73PrVT5sGGMLBKDJJUEAtZgmtuNkGu3bBv6s4ShzFEIJOYCduBsnuYJWCz4oDkmReyIpH/s400/309.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They grow arugula, baby spinach, basil, beans, beets, butternut squash, carrots, chard, cilantro, cucumbers, dill, fennel. Lettuce, kale, mesclun, mint, new potatoes, onions, oregano, parsley, purplette onions, scallions, shiitake mushrooms, and tomatoes. They also produce honey and granola.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwRkMHl58yhW6q0Ubp2YBmhCOz3NCZc6nZMDqr5yZ-q-r7DxVgK8ligVWtCjE34KrExn7uZt_fva6fREclVeiglZ895nLQNUkKzCQRrQeu13PoAPlB4GpjI4L8ZdXzrXtuS1TYGfGYoOc/s1600/DSC_0143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwRkMHl58yhW6q0Ubp2YBmhCOz3NCZc6nZMDqr5yZ-q-r7DxVgK8ligVWtCjE34KrExn7uZt_fva6fREclVeiglZ895nLQNUkKzCQRrQeu13PoAPlB4GpjI4L8ZdXzrXtuS1TYGfGYoOc/s400/DSC_0143.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Their high tunnels are Rimol Nor' Easters with buried radiant heat produced by oil furnaces. They try to strike a balance between the cost to provide this heat and keeping the soil just warm enough to allow plant growth. Beds are covered by three layers of row cover, suspended 1.5 ft above the crops by large horizontal EMT pipes, that is rolled up during the day to allow the crops to absorb sunlight and replaced in the evening for protection. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-oEFwTh_cVRwnkn1tdQTJOWuzhxzekbQxCFbzwsCrd50S5ayby2GJwPG5FsRM4MPEk7FWboEJ2rrIXKzHaTA7TVxt-Ag25oM1UTjxUlnFSkShlkeXsKazM19M4z9nC58n17kfBpjZ_vX/s1600/DSC_0167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-oEFwTh_cVRwnkn1tdQTJOWuzhxzekbQxCFbzwsCrd50S5ayby2GJwPG5FsRM4MPEk7FWboEJ2rrIXKzHaTA7TVxt-Ag25oM1UTjxUlnFSkShlkeXsKazM19M4z9nC58n17kfBpjZ_vX/s400/DSC_0167.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Or6AObvPvL3hF_vfex-_415UZ6RE1TOT7SmJRsxwyrBALAxwJsPBcrD-Ta_VLs9BxeR0FVMaU_iF2pSG8tba9AfSOtkW6qdgufe5fH0ALUBGK7ZSuUojYgEikRVWNQivyqOG3LfH86so/s1600/DSC_0170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Or6AObvPvL3hF_vfex-_415UZ6RE1TOT7SmJRsxwyrBALAxwJsPBcrD-Ta_VLs9BxeR0FVMaU_iF2pSG8tba9AfSOtkW6qdgufe5fH0ALUBGK7ZSuUojYgEikRVWNQivyqOG3LfH86so/s400/DSC_0170.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As a rule, Seth said they plant into 'stale' beds by leaving them fallow for acouple weeks, and flame weeding before planting. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCa61Kd7jQwHxbvVE0FKvVTYKdfsLYK12YAwaOZdm_7ON0z0K6jV9SE_pwgphB6RfAdkqfJg4D0jYk5JpWsFoHRC2u2yjUGPkbwy0e0PeXvrA8PvzQ8jwLbetKX2K_3OcfHaftd6W__XZ/s1600/366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCa61Kd7jQwHxbvVE0FKvVTYKdfsLYK12YAwaOZdm_7ON0z0K6jV9SE_pwgphB6RfAdkqfJg4D0jYk5JpWsFoHRC2u2yjUGPkbwy0e0PeXvrA8PvzQ8jwLbetKX2K_3OcfHaftd6W__XZ/s400/366.JPG" width="266" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Seth is a big fan of the Four-Row Pinpoint Seeder. They own two of them, marked A & B, and they never adjust the seed hole size. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcfYU3FL3xOhmJpoesB4fwJkJgl2WiBj2tAHZSdHTtfsFiXmyE-yI01vJHZFFqLbUSWPiEp3PMEwVPxskgu731aR-uPunb7h53NUMMyz89UAFu7QoFJamEEIBnJ96kD3dPlDSgmEp6rAr/s1600/365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcfYU3FL3xOhmJpoesB4fwJkJgl2WiBj2tAHZSdHTtfsFiXmyE-yI01vJHZFFqLbUSWPiEp3PMEwVPxskgu731aR-uPunb7h53NUMMyz89UAFu7QoFJamEEIBnJ96kD3dPlDSgmEp6rAr/s400/365.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are many other interesting things to see in the following gallery.</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><object height="300" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626286169569%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626286169569%2F&set_id=72157626286169569&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626286169569%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fjohnnystooldude%2Fsets%2F72157626286169569%2F&set_id=72157626286169569&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><br />
Thanks! <br />
<br />
Adam. <br />
<br />
Adam Lemieux <br />
Tools & Supplies Manager <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="62" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7e7O7h_ZyDo/TZxw9U30bsI/AAAAAAAAADw/qq6oc7UoAs8/s200/BESTjohnnyslogoWEB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Adam Lemieuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07694195079601945673noreply@blogger.com0