So… it is spring, but it didn’t feel like it this morning when I stepped out into the 30 degree air. The farm looks like spring, though. The blackberries are getting pretty leafed out, the pomegranate trees are greening up, and there are lots of flowers everywhere with bees buzzing around them.

We are in the middle of the spring planting season; yesterday we transplanted our plum tomato seedlings into larger pots and we will be doing that with the chiles and peppers later today. Early next week the Colorado Rose seed potatoes go into the ground. We will also soon be planting green bean, squash, cucumber, jicama and many other types of seeds.

Another harbinger of spring on the farm is the round-tailed ground squirrels; they are out of hibernation and darting from burrow to burrow. So far none have been seen in the field, although they will likely be getting in soon. We maintain a cleared 10-foot no-squirrel zone around the field. There is also a chickenwire fence around the field and a 3-foot-deep rock-filled trench. No squirrels have tunneled under the fence. They get in by scaling the fence. We have had help with the squirrel problem lately by a pair of roadrunners who are amazing rodent predators. We have a little agroecosystem going out here and it seems to be working. As soon as the snakes are active, they also help with the rodent control.

This week we will start the sign-up for the late spring/summer CSA. It will consist of 16 weeks of deliveries to the markets starting the third week of May and continuing into September. The cost will be $250. We will have the signup forms at our farm stands and available online. Please let us know if you’d like to reserve a spot.