As the new year begins, it’s time to start up another year at the farm. We’ve been busy working on several projects and we are excited about the growing season this year!
As you may know, each year we remove the old crop of strawberries, reshape the growing beds, and plant a new crop of berry plants in October. These plants come from Prince Edward Island, Canada. After planting, our strawberry plants thrive in the mild winters we have here in eastern North Carolina. We will start fertilizing and protecting the crop with covers in March when they begin to bloom.
In addition to strawberries, we have begun work in the vegetable transplant greenhouse. Currently, we are seeding cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and beets in the greenhouse. The seedings are staged in two-week intervals to maximize a continuous harvest season of several weeks. We will start transferring these plants into the field in mid to late February and through a several-week period. Later in February, we will start seeding other plants like peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, eggplant, and melons for transplant into the field in March.
In our second greenhouse, we will move tomato plants into growing bags at the beginning of February. This is a much more involved process considering the watering, fertilization and pollination issues associated with growing vegetables in a greenhouse. In this climate-controlled environment, we normally have harvestable tomatoes beginning in April.
As far as field plantings go, we will plant red potatoes and sweet onions in February. These planting dates will also be staggered to lengthen the harvest season.
Another program that is ongoing is our Community Supported Agriculture program. In this program, people can sign up to receive a box of fresh produce from the farm each week for twelve weeks beginning in May. If you are interested in joining our CSA program, you can find more information and register online at https://strawberries-on-903.square.site/product/community-supported-agriculture-subscription/1.
Currently at the farm, we have farm fresh brown eggs, shelled pecans, fresh lettuce and sweet potatoes for sale this time of year. We encourage everyone to stop and say hello if you are in the area.
The past year continued to be very challenging with the the ongoing pandemic. The logistics of growing, harvesting and providing a safe environment for our staff and customers was a huge concern for us over the past 2 years. Thankfully, our customers were understanding and willing to adapt to the changes. The Strawberries on 903 staff would like to say thank you to everyone who visited the farm last year. We are still constantly adapting to whatever challenges we are faced with as we enter a new year and we will continue to provide a safe and healthy environment as we move into the next season at the farm.
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