Fresh Produce Arriving from Canterbury Shaker Village

Stacey delivering Valentine radishes to the Concord store.
Find them in the fresh produce display and take some home!

Here is the latest update from Co-op Organic Garden Manager Stacey Cooper...

We have 95% of the rows planted at this point with a few open for lettuce/ pac choi and herbs and fresh bean successions.

I had to improvise and revise our crop map this week as the nut sedge has germinated in full force. I will be leaving some areas fallow and utilizing successive tilling to keep the tops down. From what I've read, we can aim for 80% eradication if we can keep it below the soil surface for one year. Only one portion of the plant can overwinter and it develops in the late summer into fall. By keeping the plants cut down/ tilled in all season, they hopefully won't have enough reserved energy to form new tubers and overwinter. Unfortunately the only way to accomplish this is to not plant anything, including cover crops.

We still have enough room in the smaller plots for a good diversity of crops. I have seeded some broom corn and ornamental corn in the non irrigated plot for fall décor.

Eric is excited to use fresh produce from the
Co-op's Organic Garden at Canterbury Shaker Village.

All of our pumpkins, winter squash and first waves of cukes and summer squash are in. Tomatoes, peppers, dry beans, shell beans are in. I still need to pick up our eggplant from Dave Trumbell of Good Earth Farm.

Ray, Alberta and Richard continue to help me out in the garden, usually on Thursday. (If you would like to volunteer in the garden send a message to outreach@concordfoodcoop.coop, Stacey is looking for reliable people who can commit to one day a week)

I've set up a sprinkler in the hoop house, which is helping to cut down on watering time for me each morning.

We have kale and chard almost ready to harvest and some of the beets are sizing up.

Best,
Stacey Cooper

Organic Certification Progress at Canterbury Shaker Village

Co-op Organic Garden Manager Stacey Cooper has been busy these past few weeks tilling the fields, transplanting seedlings and getting an irrigation system set up at Canterbury Shaker Village. Among other things she has been going through all the steps to have the fields pass their organic certification.
While Stacey is already using organic practices on the land to nurture her plants, there are a few tests that need to take place before the USDA give her the ok to use their organic brand on the label of the produce she will be providing us.
Watch the video below...


Some of the produce Stacey has been able to pick so far that you can find at the Concord Food Co-op is mizuna, radish's, beet greens, spinach, and arugula. Look for it in the fresh produce displays.
Stacey also planted potatoes last week along with parsnip and green beans. Looking toward the future she also planted for this fall pie pumpkins and squash.
If you have any questions for Stacey, leave her a comment below.