Table of Contents
I was excited when I learned that there was a new co-op this year at Antioch College located in Champion, PA. It was started by Alum John Burstein. He had purchased land and was working with a local farmer to be able to start-up a local produce stand. The farm included over 100 acres of land, two houses, and a barn. It has a few cattle and we purchased chicks after I arrived to have egg laying chickens. My job was going to be working part-time as an office assistant and working part-time on the farm as a farm hand. I have been working 40-60 hours a week.
The name of the company that was started this year is called Ironwood Mountain Farm, LLC. The business’ mission statement is “To offer fresh, locally grown produce, fresh eggs, flowers, and landscaping materials to everybody from the home gardener to the professional landscaper.” The focus is on quality at an affordable price. Since I have arrived here, the farm has become one entity and the produce stand is run by the farmer as another entity, Larry Lint Produce, DBA.
I was excited for this opportunity because it would give me first hand experience that would be helpful towards my senior project. My project is focused on world hunger, the global food supply, and alternative farming techniques. I will be able to see how different types of soil affect plant growth and I will be able to test out compact farming techniques.
Website: https://www.ironwoodmtnfarm.com
One of the first assignments for our Co-op 390 class is to identify goals for the term. My goals are as follows:
Cognitive Goals
The cognitive goal I have integrates more than one of the goals categories. This spring I am working on a farm owned by John Burstein that is a start-up for a greenhouse and produce stand. My senior project is titled World Hunger and the Global Food Supply. One of the topics studied is being able to scale small farming techniques such as hydroponics and vertical farming for large scale production. One of the farming techniques used here is raised beds and container farming which I am interested in writing about for my final project.
One goal is to learn more about these techniques that can be used in urban farming.
My plan is to grow various types of specialty tomatoes and peppers in containers and raised beds.
Personal Goals
Where I am staying is about 1 hour from Pittsburgh.
One personal goal I have is to get to some of the museums in Pittsburgh. I am also about 17 miles from the Frank Lloyd Wright Falling Waters museum, so I would like to get there.
Another personal goal I have is to get to an NHL game or two and maybe a Pittsburgh Pirates MLB game.
Integrative Goals
My integrative goal is to be able to use what I have learned here to gain a better understanding of small scale farming techniques for my final project.
I am hoping to build a small hydroponics demonstration as part of my senior project. I am hoping what I have learned so far and will learn throughout my time here at Ironwood Mountain Farm will help me better understand plant nutrition for my project.
3/27
Fed the Cows and chickens this morning. Two fields got tilled. Bluberries were planted and mulched. I hooked up a printer and researched accounting software. I also completed additional office work.
3/28
Fed the cows and chickens. Finished mulching the blueberries. I put the seed orders in. I ordered chickens that produced brown and white eggs as well as broiler chickens, which are chickens produced for consumption.
Personal Goals: I am in Pittsburgh. Went ice skating yesterday at the Lemieux Sports Complex, bought hockey gear and went to stick time at Robert Morris University this morning. I went back in the evening for evening stick time.
3/29
Personal Goals: I went ice skating and went to stick time to practice hockey skills.
3/30
Personal Goals: I went to a Pittsburgh Penguins game. Penguins v Senators. The Penguins won 1-0 in OT, Crosby scored the winning goal.
3/31
I Fed animals. Purchased Quickbooks. Did office work.
4/1
Fed animals. Put in seed orders at Burpee. Became a soil supplier. Purchased a corn planter. Did research on solar. Did office work.
4/2
Fed animals. Picked up feed. Got new boots. Set up and purchased a new printer. Looked into getting a square for when the greenhouse is set up.
4/3
Fed animals. Organized barn, air in tractor tires up stairs. Checked on chicken orders. Learned to drive a tractor and skid steer.
4/4
Fed animals. Mailed in nursery dealer certification. Meetings. The chickens arrived and some were dead, had to call for a refund.
4/5
Fed animals, more meetings. Cleaned up barn.
4/6
Fed animals, went ice skating, finished the return for the chickens.
4/7
There was a meeting between John, myself, and Larry. I set up the iPad and I researched local markets and the USDA for current fruit and veggie prices. It was raining and cold so I did not work a full day.
4/8
It snowed and was 30 degrees so again, I did not work a full day. I swept the barn and attended the webinar "Exploring the Small Farm Dream". It was the introductory week and there were many topics covered. Some of the most important were:
1. The Land Transfer Tax Credit, the New Farmer Tax Credit
2. The PA Clean and Green program
3. The Penn state soil testing
4. The NRCS Websoil survey website
5. Risk mitigation strategies
6. Current trends in farming:
1. Organic, Grass Fed, Natural
2. Keto, Gluten free
3. Local Buying
4. Supporting Community and Neighbors
4/9
The first burpee seed order arrived, I worked on checking the packing list to make sure we got everything. I went to pick up 12 bags of feed. The Gowan Seed order was completed and paid for and we ordered specialty tomatoes and other specialty varieties as a special order to grow in the greenhouse.
4/10
The greenhouse was delivered. I got the login for the banking website, so the Quickbooks was set up. I had a meeting with the quickbooks live assistant to get information on what they do, I do not think it is important to purchase at the moment, right now we have the free trial until next month. It may be something the owner is interested in at a future time.
I called to pay the dumpster bill, and was on hold for a while. I researched plant spacing and how to maximize space in raised beds.
4/11
I successfully paid the republic bill. Larry had another email he asked me to organize and get rid of emails. I also purchased the subscriptions that Larry had asked for. I called the company we are going to use for the mums order to ask about when we should place our orders and to ask about current pricing, they sent a catalog and I went through that.
During these two weeks I attended classes for John on farming and farming management. I seeded many vegetables and flowers that will hopefully be ready in a few weeks. I also started putting in a strawberry patch. Onions, cabbage, and cauliflower got planted in the field. A trellis was put up in one of the rows for the beans and peas. There have been at least 1000 plants seeded and/or planted so far.
The seeds that have been started and the raised beds that have been planted have been coming in well. We are still waiting on the greenhouse to be completed to move the seed trays to a more suitable location.
I have completed my personal goal by going to 3 Penguins ice hockey games while I have been here and I have completed my cognitive goal this week by learning about planting under plastic mulch in the fields. I planted cabbage this way. Another way I have contributed to my cognitive goal is by planting in raised beds. This has improved my knowledge about non-traditional and small-scale farming methods that can be used in areas where the soil may be depleted or there is not much rain. I believe that the information learned by planting in raised beds and in different types of containers will help me reach my integrative goals.
I hope to have pictures for the next field book update
Journal Entries
Every morning and evening I feed the chickens and tend to the plants.
4/12
Barn cleaning, prepped for potting, researched buying garden wagons, met with John and Larry.
4/13
Personal Goal: I went ice skating after feeding the animals. I then decided to go to a Penguins game. Bruins won 4-1.
4/14
Had a meeting with John and Larry. Fed the chickens, went and got chicken feed. Planted raised beds with onions, flowers, strawberries, lettuce, and heirloom carrots.
I contacted the DOT about getting a sign for farm equipment entering and exiting the farm. I have not heard back yet.
4/15
So far today I have planted 2 additional beds with broccoli, cauliflower, yellow, purple, and green pole beans, and heirloom carrots.
Additionally, I planted 482 seeds. 254 various premium tomatoes, 36 tomatillo plants, and 192 peppers.
I will be attending the webinar on Small Farm Dreams by Penn State. The second in a series.
4/16
Cleaned office and organized files into the filing cabinet.
Brief conversation with you and Larry.
Meeting with Grace about the website.
Researched mums and selected the colors we wanted.
Called Porta John companies. Average price is $3320 for the season, which Larry thinks is too expensive.
Went out into the barn and planted seeds.
4/17
Ran into problems, new farmhand misunderstood how to plant flowers into cells and put multiple seeds in one cell and we do not have enough flowers now for resale.
I planted an herb garden today. I ended up twisting my ankle pretty badly, so I left early.
Personal Goal: I went to the finals Penguins hockey game of the season. The Penguins won 5-2.
4/18
I went to the casino to check it out and stick time, which is a time used for hockey skills practice.
4/19
I considered going to a baseball game, but it looked like it was going to rain. I went to the casino again to watch the hockey game.
4/20
I slept in until 4 pm and then went grocery shopping.
4/21
Today I Fed the chickens and tended the plants. I also seeded Basil, Lemon Balm, Spearmint, and Sage. I also planted some strawberry plants.
Larry started on planting the onions. He taught me how to plant underneath the plastic. We also sold some top soil, mulch, and compost. I wrote up invoices for that.
Tomorrow I am planning on planting the strawberry patch that is going in. I'm going to try and get as many planted as I can.
4/22
$290 is soil sales, $490 this week in sales so far.
Fed chickens and tended plants, seedlings have sprouted for some plants.
Washed last year's hanging baskets and planted strawberry plants in them for resale.
Attended the Pricing Proteins webinar (Sent notes in email).
Attended the Small Farm Dream webinar (Sent notes in email).
4/23
Tended plants and Fed chickens.
Checked emails and QuickBooks.
Posted an ad on Indeed for a Farmhand.
Started the strawberry patch. The 5 black raspberry plants were planted and about 50 strawberry plants were planted.
Started installing the irrigation system.
It has been a productive couple of days.
We are still waiting on greenhouse plastic installation.
The first round of chicks are looking like chickens and the second round are growing well.
Cognitive Goal: The raised beds have sprouted and many of the plants in the barn have started sprouting.
4/24
Watched videos on greenhouse plastic installation and attended a webinar on Business plans.
I have been back and forth with Esbenshade on mum's order. I am waiting on manager approval for a business account with them.
Working on the strawberry patch, a trellis for bean plants has been built.
Some broccoli and cauliflower have been planted. More onions added to the row of onions, more corn has been planted, and some peas have been planted.
More flowers have been seeded.
4/25
It was a short day due to the rain. More holes have been dug for the strawberries. Cabbage has been planted. All of the onion plants have been planted and the bulbs will be next.
I also seeded eggplant today as well as more tomatoes and peppers.
4/26
I fed the animals this morning and then went and stopped at the hockey card shop where I spent a significant amount of money on hockey cards.
4/27
Finished planting a row of strawberries and seeded trays of flowers.
Tended to the animals and plants all week.
04/28/2025
Cut the potato seeds.
Researched ways to be able to help berry plants grow better.
Started filling the large planters with compost.
Started planting melon plants.
04/29/2025
Planted more melons.
Pulled the plastic off of the corn plants which are growing well.
Mowed the lawn.
Attended the last webinar in the Small Farm dream series. The notes are will be in another email.
04/30/2025
Moved plants from the barn to the greenhouse.
Planted radishes.
Seeded pumpkins.
Red potatoes were planted.
Tried to get a car inspection.
05/01/2025
Picked up chicken feed and a heavy duty 100 foot hose for the greenhouse specifically.
Fixed the strawberry patch that was damaged in the storm.
Dug a trench to better bury the plastic for the strawberry patch.
Pulled more plastic off of the corn.
05/02/2025
Looked at planting and harvest dates to be sure everything is being planted on time.
Seeded purple, orange, yellow, and green starburst sunflowers
Seeded more marigolds and coleus plants.
Moved and hung the strawberry baskets in the greenhouse.
05/03/2025
Went down and Fed the animals, spoke with Larry. It was raining so I did not feel it would be as productive of a day if I stayed. Larry said he was going to plant onions.
05/04/2025
It was still raining and I already had 40 hours this week, so I took the day off.
It seems that Larry went and picked up a couple of the tables and was working on the greenhouse. I will go back down later to check it out.
This week I was asked to save some of my hours for this weekend. We went to the auction yesterday and we were open today and had about $1400 in sales.
Daily duties included watering plants and feeding the animals.
5/05
Finished filling large pots with compost.
Barn was cleaned.
Work was done in the greenhouse to set up for opening weekend.
05/06
Cut potato seed.
Transplanted melon plants.
Files files for John.
05/07
Wrapped wire to install quick fence to move the cattle.
Worked on barn and fencing.
05/08
The plastic for the strawberry garden was ripped up from the storms. I fixed that and buried the plastic to keep it from happening again.
05/09
Went to the greenhouse auction to purchase inventory for opening weekend.
Had to unload the trucks after the auction and move everything into the greenhouse.
05/10-5/16
Bought the square readers so Larry could set up credit cards.
Checked prices on produce.
Worked in the greenhouse and sold flowers.
About $1400 in sales on opening day.
This week has mostly been working in the greenhouse. I have also been working on transplanting plants that we started.
Sales for these days have totaled $4,270. There have been over $2700 for this sales week and we are on track to meet the sales goal of $500 per day.
Today we started tomatoes and green peppers in the fields.
Larry wanted to know about getting the dump truck insured.
We were also wondering if you were still interested in putting money towards the mums or if Larry should be purchasing them.
Finally, Larry was wondering about being able to get the rest of his stuff from the other greenhouse.
05/17/2025 - 05/24/2025
This week was focused on sales and transplanting plants for resale when possible. Tuesday was a half day and it rained almost every day this week. We were $303 short of our $3500 weekly goal.
Sales this week - $3197
Sunday - $587
Monday - $261
Tuesday - $221
Wednesday - $440
Thursday - $231
Friday - $270
Saturday - $1,187
13.3% were by card and the remainder were cash.
$910 was spent on labor and delivery - Expense
$40 on lunch one day -Expense
$190.80 was spent on a new tire for the skidsteer - Asset
$238.50 was spent on inventory - Asset
$950 in expenses
$429.30 in Assets
$3197 - $1379.30 = $1817.70
05/24/2025 - 05/30/2025 - DID NOT WRITE A REPORT DUE TO BEING BUSY
05/31/2025 - 06/06/2025
We did well this week considering we had two half days. We had sales of over $3000. We were unable to buy anything at the auction due to low supply and high prices.
I am in the process of planting mums. Al had placed an order we did not know about with the Amish so we got stuck with 800 mums. I am going to try and do 400 pots and baskets of various sizes. They should be planted by Tuesday. If they all grow well, they will have an average resale value of over $6000 and sales will start in August.
It was a $1000 material cost and 25 hours of labor. It will be hooked up to the drip system, so there will be no need for manual watering.
Periodically John asks me to attend webinars through Penn State Extension,
Notes from webinar “Exploring the Small Farm Dream” Week 1
It was the introductory week and there were many topics covered. Some of the most important were
1. The Land Transfer Tax Credit, the New Farmer Tax Credit
2. The PA Clean and Green program
3. The Penn state soil testing
4. The NRCS Websoil survey website
5. Risk mitigation strategies
6. Current trends in farming:
1. Organic, Grass Fed, Natural
2. Keto, Gluten free
3. Local Buying
4. Supporting Community and Neighbors
Notes from webinar “Exploring the Small Farm Dream” Week 2
I lost the notes
Notes from webinar “Exploring the Small Farm Dream” Week 3
This webinar was primarily based around risk. One of the biggest takeaways was the idea of purchasing crop insurance.
Other types of insurance discussed included:
Business interruption - Loss of income
Automobile insurance
Disability insurance
Key-Person insurance - The loss of a person whom the business cannot function without
Fidelity Bonds - Employee dishonesty
Risk Management Checklist - USDA Checklist
- Production
- Marketing
- Financial
- Legal
- Human
- General
- Food Safety
- Electronic
Always consider opportunity costs when planting fruits and vegetables.
Always be sure to make SMART goals rather than goals
Example:
Goal: By December 2025. save $18,000 to pay cash for a tractor
SMART Objective: By December 2025 the farm will grow two additional acres of a product and sell 12,000 lbs of product through direct-retail at farmers markets earning additional income. This income will go towards a new tractor.
Notes from the webinar “Pricing Your Proteins”
Add in the real cost for processing. Check the price sheet at butchering. Penn State has a calculator. The link is included in the attachment. Cornell also has a meat price calculator by cut.
If you Sell retail or wholesale you need a limited food establishment license to warehouse or store meats.
Insurance, energy cost, packaging, ingredients, and storage into cost.
Grocers mark up 20-40%. Consider what you or your customers would want to pay. Your price is 20-40% less. Wholesale prices to restaurants are similar, about 35% of the price.
Lower price on ground to make up for higher price of specialty cuts.
Most consumers look at price per lb, but the final price is more important. Try to avoid "Sticker Shock".
Notes from webinar “Exploring the Small Farm Dream: Marketing” Week 3
This week's webinar was a basic marketing webinar which talked about marketing channels such as Facebook and Instagram.
One of the steps mentioned is identifying what your target market is going to be. Is it local families looking for affordable, local options, are you going to sell produce at an auction, or will you be travelling to farmers markets?
Does the business want to offer e-commerce? E-commerce requires an online presence because you want clicks to your website. If you just want to be a local stand, sell at farmers markets, or visit auctions, the direct marketing channel would be a better option as it offers more flexibility.
One speaker was a woman who owns a horse farm that offers lessons. She got into horse farming in 2002. She also has lambs, grass fed cows, and pigs that she raises to sell.
She went over how she markets her business, she mostly uses an online presence on Facebook, but also has a website. She pointed out that using other small businesses in the community for marketing is a great way to save money.
Some ideas that I took away include adding a blog to the website that could be shared to the Facebook page, bags and other items for customers to be able to take with them that have your logo, and leaving business cards and flyers on local bulletin boards.
I think that her business structure is different because she does not just farm to sell a product, she also has another business embedded in it, the horseback riding lessons.
Another option would be offering a CSA. I have not seen many places in the area that offer a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture. I have been a member of a CSA before and think it would be a great idea. People pay $10-$30 a week on average for 5-7 lbs of vegetables, or about 8-12 items. They pay $400-$700, for a family of 2-4, up front for the season or on a payment plan. Some places do by the week.
If you are willing to consider the CSA route as the farm's main direction, I can get you more information on that. It is a great way to have steady income as it is more of a subscription type of business venture.
Another consideration for the future would be considering accepting EBT payments. EBT customers are also eligible for CSA's.
Notes on webinar “Building Your Best Business Plan”
This webinar goes over building a business plan.
They did give a list of websites as templates for a business plan, but I deleted the screenshot by accident. I will have to ask for the list again on Tuesday. One was through Cornell, which I am going to check out.
It includes basic information on a business plan. It talked about the 5 key parts including a SWOT Analysis.
If you have learned about business plans before, the class is probably not worth the time. The information on templates was informative.
Here is a link to a blog post on my experience on the Antioch Co-op page: (Not Yet Available)
Text:
Farming on a Small Startup: LaTawnya Edick ’26 at Ironwood Mountain Farm and Larry Lint Produce in Champion, PA
Introduction
I was excited when I learned that there was a new co-op this year at Antioch College located in Champion, PA. It was started by Alum John Burstein. He had purchased land and was working with a local farmer to be able to start-up a local produce stand. The farm included over 100 acres of land, two houses, and a barn. It has a few cattle and we purchased chicks after I arrived to have egg laying chickens. My job was going to be working part-time as an office assistant and working part-time on the farm as a farm hand. I have been working 40-60 hours a week.
The name of the company that was started this year is called Ironwood Mountain Farm, LLC. Here is a link to the website: https://www.ironwoodmtnfarm.com/. The business’ mission statement is “To offer fresh, locally grown produce, fresh eggs, flowers, and landscaping materials to everybody from the home gardener to the professional landscaper.” The focus is on quality at an affordable price. Since I have arrived here, the farm has become one entity and the produce stand is run by the farmer as another entity, Larry Lint Produce, DBA.
I was excited for this opportunity because it would give me first hand experience that would be helpful towards my senior project. My project is focused on world hunger, the global food supply, and alternative farming techniques. I will be able to see how different types of soil affect plant growth and I will be able to test out compact farming techniques.
Early Projects
It was the last week of April when I first arrived in Champion, PA. For the climate in the area, it is still too cool to be able to plant, so I spent more time in the office setting up Quickbooks and organizing files. I was also in charge of placing seed and material orders and pricing. When I was able to, I worked on seeding plants. I personally seeded over 1,000 cells. Unfortunately, many of the seeds did not make it because the green house was not put in yet and it was too cold in the barn. Around this time we also put in about 40 blueberry bushes, which have not started showing blueberries.
Below is a picture of seeded trays, the blueberry plants when they were first planted, and how the blueberry plants look now. One key takeaway from the early project of seeding is that starting plants is very difficult and key be costly if you do not have a way to heat the plants in cooler climates, such as on a mountain. Another takeaway is that when raised bed farming and container farming a significant amount of time needs to be spent on weeding the beds otherwise plants may take longer to grow.
Greenhouse
One of the big projects on the farm when I arrived was installing the greenhouse which would be used to start plants earlier in the year and for selling produce and flowers out of. As of right now, the produce and plants are purchased from the local Amish community at auction.
The auctions are held twice a week at a small auction house that they own. These auctions have produce, flowers, vegetable plants, and hanging baskets that local businesses go to in order to purchase inventory. I have seen prices go as low as 10 cents per item and as high as $25 per item. I really enjoyed attending the auctions. It was exciting when you were able to get really good items at a low price such as 25 cents or 50 cents a piece because you know you can make a profit off of it.
One of the project I had was setting up a square account and I am in charge of pricing the items. When we can get items cheaply, we can sell them cheaply. Generally we mark the products up for twice what we paid on average. The first week we had to spend more on products which led to our prices being more expensive. The second auction we went to we paid half as much on inventory, so we were able to split the cost and lower our prices.
The goal is to be the cheapest option around even with having the highest quality products. There are at least two other produce, flower shops in the area which is why we want to be able to keep our prices low. Because of our low prices, we have been able to make our sales goals since opening. As of right now, the greenhouse is not completed, but is an ongoing project.
We are open for flower and plant sales now. An average day in the greenhouse consists of watering and maintaining the plants. The rest of the time is spent interacting with customers and running the retail portion. At the end of the day, I do the financial accounting on Square for the business.
Right now the business’ primary business is selling flowers, mulch, soil, and compost. Because the chickens are in their first year of growth, eggs are being purchased from the Amish. Once produce becomes available at auction for a reasonable price, the business will begin selling produce and once the farm starts producing produce, it will sell its’ own.
We have been working on planting in the field. We have planted tomatoes, beans, 3 types of potatoes, zucchini, pumpkins, tomatillos, corn, and green peppers. We hope to plant gourds, squash, more tomatoes and peppers. We have been planting under plastic to minimize the use of weed killer. The plastic helps keep the plants down.
Some projects in the field have included building trellises for the beans and installing an irrigation system to water the plants under the plastic.
Future Outlook for the Business
Sales are going well this year for being in the first year and with the local competition. I believe that this business can be successful. It can be discouraging for new business owners sometimes. Many people hope to see a quick return on their investment, but anybody who has gone to school for business, like myself, knows that it takes an average of 5-years to see a return on investment. Most business are not profitable in their first few years.
The biggest challenge is remaining optimistic for new business owners and having lower expectations in the first couple of years. So far in the first month the business is meeting financial goal, so there should be a positive outlook.
Reflection
I have enjoyed this co-op a lot. It was slow starting due to the weather, but once the weather broke, work picked up. Farming and gardening are very time consuming and with only one or two people it takes up a lot of hours in the week. I spent a lot of time organizing files, creating reports, setting up business accounting, and ordering materials in the beginning. I then spent more time working outside planting, and now I am spending the most time running the retail portion of the business. I try to get out and help to plant when I can.
This co-op has helped me gain office and business start-up experience which is great for my resume and will be beneficial in future projects I may have. I have also been able to reach some personal goals such as attending a hockey game while I was here and I have reached educational goals by increasing my knowledge on small-scale farming and container farming which can be used for my senior project currently titled, “World Hunger and the Global Food Supply”.
I would recommend this co-op or a similar co-op to other transfer students who already have a degree in business. For those who have no, or limited business experience, this co-op might not be suitable as the office work is a bit more advanced than just answering phones and filing paperwork. You also have to be an independent worker as the owners are not always present. You have to be able to handle a workweek over 40 hours as you are essentially doing three jobs at once.
I have been invited by one of the business partners to stay on over the summer because help is needed. I have accepted the offer and I am planning on staying until the Fall Term starts at Antioch. This is my one and only co-op at Antioch College otherwise I would love to do the same or similar co-op again.
Here is a website I am working on that has documented my time on the farm for my final project: https://sites.google.com/antiochcollege.edu/co-op390-latawnyaedick/home
This website has an introduction, reports, notes from webinars I have attended, and a photobook I have been working on for my final project. I hope to have a section on container gardening soon.
My capstone project is titled World Hunger and the Global Food Supply. I am interested in researching ways in which we as a society can build a more viable food system with a focus on supply. I want to research alternative farming methods and their effectiveness and feasibility of being applied on larger scales. Some of my focus will be on aquaponics, hydroponics, agroecology, and compact farming techniques for individuals that only have small spaces to garden in.
I had two goals for this term that fit with this assignment. The first was an integrative goal "to be able to use what I have learned here to gain a better understanding of small scale farming techniques for my final project" and a cognitive goal, "One goal is to learn more about these techniques that can be used in urban farming." Below are takeaways and information that show that I have gained information that has allowed me to reach these goals.
This co-op was a good fit because I had opportunities to learn about new farming techniques and some farming techniques I have never heard of before. One of the projects I got to work on was a raised bed garden and I wanted to include some of the things I learned. One of my biggest takeaways from this project is that raised bed gardening may still require weeding which takes up a significant amount of time. In the fields we used plastic to help control the weeds, which may be an option for a raised bed garden.
Another takeway is that many plants can be planted in a small space if you do it in a smart way. For example, you can plant onions and broccoli in the same bed. The onions will keep the soil aerated for the broccoli. Finally, I learned that plants can be come rootbound and need to be transplanted many time in order to trim the roots and keep the plants growing. I also learned that if a plant outgrows its pot, you have to be sure to add fertilizer otherwise the plant will not be able to grow due to lack of nutrients. You also have to be sure to water consistently if growing a plant in a pot that may be too small. Photos from this project are included in the photobook.
Information about what can be grown in containers and in a compact way:
Container gardening is great for compact and urban spaces. You can grow vegetables in your garage, in your driveway, on your porch, or line them up in your back yard. I also came across cucumber and tomato plants in hanging baskets which you can keep indoors. They should be fertilized and watered, but the cucumbers came out great and there were 5-10 full sized cucumbers that came off of each plant. Another option that is great for small spaces is raised bed gardening. The options for raised bed and container gardening have increased significantly over the last few years due to people living in apartments or those with small yards wanting to get into gardening.
According to Harvest to Table:
Suggested pot sizes for vegetable crops (Well Drained Containers).
The pot sizes listed here are for standard clay or black plastic nursery pots.
Asian Leaves—Mustard and Mizuna: Grow in at least 8-inch (20 cm) pots.
Arugula: Grow in at least 8-inch (20 cm) pots. A good choice for growing in window boxes.
Asparagus: Grow two plants in a 2-gallon (7.5L) container; grow up to five plants in a 10-gallon (38L) container.
Beans: Allow at least 8 to 12 inches (20-30 cm) of soil depth for all beans. Plant bush beans at least 9 inches (23 cm) apart and pole beans 4 inches (10 cm) apart. Grow two plants in a 10-gallon (38L) container.
Beets: Grow seven plants in a 2- or 3-gallon (7.5-11L) container and up to two dozen in a 10-gallon (38L) container; thin plant to 2-inches (5 cm) apart.
Bok Choy: Grow one plant in an 8-inch (20 cm) pot.
Broccoli: Grow one plant per 5- to 10-gallon (19-38L) container Start with young plants.
Brussels sprouts: Grow one plant per 3-gallon (11-L) container; two in a 5-gallon or 10-gallon (19-38L) container. Start from seedlings.
Cabbage: Grow one large head in a 2-gallon (7.5L) container; plant two per 3- to 5-gallon (11-19L) container then thin out weakest in a few weeks; grow three plants in a 10-gallon (38L) container.
Carrots: Grow varieties that mature at 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) in 1- to 2-gallon containers (4-7.5L); varieties that mature 5-6 inches (13-15 cm) long use 5-gallon (19L) containers; varieties that mature 7-12 inches (18-30 cm) long use 10-gallon (38L) containers. Keep thinning until 2 inches (5 cm) apart. If the root tip touches the bottom of the pot, the carrot will not develop to maturity.
Cauliflower: Grow one plant in a 3- to 5-gallon (11-19L) container; grow three in a 10-gallon (38L) container.
Celery: Grow one plant in a 2-gallon (7.5L) bucket; grow five plants in a 10-gallon (38L) bucket.
Chard: Grow one plant in a 2-gallon (7.5L) container; grow five plants in a 10-gallon (38L) container.
Chicory: Grow three plants in an 18-inch (45 cm) pot.
Chives: Start seed in a 3-inch (7.5 cm) pot; pot up the plant to an 8-inch (20 cm) pot.
Collards: Grow two plants in a 2-gallon (7.5L) container and four in a 5-gallon (19L) container.
Corn: Grow corn in containers with a soil depth of 8 inches (20 cm) or more. Grow three standard-size plants in a 15-gallon (57L) and six in a 30-gallon (114L) container. Six bantam types can be grown in a 15-gallon (57L) container. Space plants 4 inches (10cm) apart.
Cucumbers: One compact type in a 5-gallon (19L) container and two to three standard variety plants in a 7- to 10-gallon (26-38L) container.
Eggplant: Grow one plant per 5-gallon (19L) container. Grow two or three plants in a 10-gallon container.
Endive: Grow plants in an 18-inch (45 cm) container; thin plants to 8 inches (20 cm) apart.
Garlic: Plant cloves 3 inches apart in a 5-gallon (19L) container.
Horseradish: Grow one plant in a 5-gallon (19L) container or larger—this is a deep-rooted plant.
Jicama: Grow one plant in a 3- to 5-gallon (11-19L) container.
Kale: Grow one plant in a 1-gallon (4L) container; grow two plants in a 5-gallon (19L) container. In larger containers, thin plants to 16 inches (41 cm) apart.
Kohlrabi: Grow one plant in an 8-inch (20 cm) pot.
Leeks: Grow 18 plants in a 5-gallon (19L) container; 24 plants in a 10-gallon (38L) container. It’s best to grow leeks in a container at least 14 inches (35 cm) deep.
Lettuce: Grow head lettuce in containers large enough to thin plants to 10 inches (25 cm) apart; grow crisp head, romaine, and butterhead lettuce in a container large enough to thin to 10 inches (25 cm) apart.
Mustard Greens: Grow in at least 8-inch (20 cm) pots; thin plants to 4 inches (10 cm) apart.
Melons: Grow one plant in a 5-gallon (19L) container or larger and two in a 10- to 15-gallon (38-57L) container.
Okra: Grow one plant in a 10-gallon (38L) container or larger.
Onions: Grow bulbing onions in a 24-inch (60 cm); don’t crowd your sets or seeds. The container should be at least 10 inches (24 cm) deep. Green onions can be grown in a shallower container.
Orach: Grow one plant in a 12-inch (30 cm) pot.
Peas, including Snow peas and Sugar snaps: Grow bush and climbing types in a 10-gallon (38L) container, a window, or planter box; space plants 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Put a construction wire trellis in place for them to grow up.
Peppers: Grow one large bell pepper in a 3-gallon (11L) container or larger. Smaller chili plants will grow in less space. Space plants 12 inches (30 cm) apart.
Potatoes: Grow potatoes in a container at least 12 inches (30 cm) wide and 12 inches (30 cm) deep. Plant four or five seed pieces in a 5-gallon (19L) container; plant 10 seed potatoes in a 15- to 20-gallon (57-76L) container or half whisky barrel.
Pumpkins: Grow one vine in a 5-gallon (19L) or larger container.
Radishes: Grow plants in soil 8-inch (20 cm) deep pot; thin plants from 1- to 2-inches (2.5-5 cm) apart.
Rhubarb: Grow one plant in a 10-gallon (38L) container or larger.
Rutabaga: Grow 15 or 16 plants in a 15- or 20-gallon (57-74L) container.
Scallions: Grow plants in an 18-inch (45 cm) pot; thin plants to 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
Sorrel: Grow in a 12-inch (30 cm) pot.
Spinach: Grow three plants in a 2-gallon (7.5L) container; grow ten plants in a 10-gallon (38L) container; thin plants to about 5 inches (13 cm) apart.
Squash: Grow one plant in a 5-gallon (19L) container, larger is better. Plant two vining plants in a 10-gallon (38L) container.
Sweet Potatoes: Use a 20-gallon (76L) container or half whiskey barrel.
Swiss Chard: Grow plants in 12-inch (30 cm) or larger pots; thin plants to 8 inches apart.
Tomatoes: Grow one large variety in a 10-gallon (38L) container–a 15- to 20-gallon (57-76L) container is better. Miniature tomatoes can be grown in a 5-gallon (19L) container. Start tomato seed in a 3-inch (7.5 cm) pot then pot up to a 5-inch (12.5 cm) pot, and continue potting up until you set the plant outside
Turnips: Grow 15 or 16 plants in a 15- or 20-gallon (57-76L) container.
Zucchini: Grow one plant in a 12- to 18-inch (30-45 cm) pot.
Raised bed gardening is great for intensive planting. This means planting many different types of plants in a compact way, for example, I did a bed with broccoli and carrots and another bed with onions and microgreens. The photos are in the photobook section. Included below are some example of raised beds and diagrams of intensive planting.
This photo is from mustlovelists.com. It is a great example of how you can plant many different types of plants together to maximize space.
This photo is from vegega.com. It is a good example of a raised garden. This types of tubs run about $150-$250 a piece.
This is an image from the same source as above. It lists plants and their companion plants. This information is great to have when planting container gardens. Planting companion plants is not only great for maximizing space, it can improve soil aeration and help balance the nutrients in the soil.
Raised Bed Garden
One of the tasks I was assigned was preparing a raised bed garden.
Strawberry Baskets
I made strawberry plant hanging baskets to sell in the greenhouse.
Broccoli or Cabbage
This bed has either broccoli or cabbage.
Raised Beds
Here is another picture of the raised beds. In the front the flowers that are used in bouquets are planted.
Lettuce
This bed has lettuce planted in it. There is hamburg lettuce and leaf lettuce.
Onions and Microgreens
I planted two or three types of onions and was testing out microgreens.
Strawberries
This is a bed planted with strawberries.
Strawberries
This is a closeup of one of the strawberry plants that flowered early. The strawberry is in the center of the flower.
Herb Bed
This bed has herbs in it.
Cabbage or Broccoli
This bed is either cabbage or broccoli.
Beds after 9 or 10 Weeks
You can see that everything has grown pretty well. The herb bed has grown the slowest.
Microgreens and Onions
This is the bed of microgreens and onions after 9 or 10 weeks. The microgreens grew really well and have now become full growm plants such as Pak Choi and Beets.
Broccoli
Closer image of the broccoli in the beds. You can see the broccoli forming.
Containers
I have started filling containers with compost to plant various types of plants. Unfortunately these will not be done before the end of the class.
Containers
Some of the filled containers waiting for plants.
Containers
Some tomatillo plants grown from seed and transplanted. They should come out yellow and purple.
Containers
Zucchini plant started in containers. It seems to be growing well.
Containers
Melon plants started in containers.
Chickens
These chicks were started before I arrived. Now they are the size of full grown hens at about 14 weeks old.
Broiler Chickens
One of the types of chicks that was purchased after I arrived was a broiler hen. They are grown to eat. After this experience I do not think any of us would want to grow chickens for consumption, but would rather buy from the store. These types of chickens get quite large in a short amount of time.
Easter Egg Chickens
We purchased these chicks afer I arrived. They are a type of specialty chicken that lay colorful eggs.
Trellis
We made a trellis in the field to grow snap peas.
Broccoli and Cabbage
Here is a row of broccoli and cabbage.
Onions
A row of onions is started.
Strawberry Patch
Here is a strawberry patch I started. This garden likely wont be done until after the class ends.
Blueberry Patch
There were 40-45 blueberry bushes purchased and planted. I helped plant them and then spent a couple of hours spreading mulch.
Blueberries
The bushes have blueberries after about 12 weeks. It surprised me the amount of blueberries on the bushes because they are only a year old.
Cabbage and Broccoli
Broccoli and Cabbage plants after being in the field for a few weeks,
Irrigation System
A portion of the irrigation system installed in the field. This system is used to apply fertilizer and water the plants.
Greenhouse
This is a photo of the greenhouse while it was being built.
Greenhouse
Here is a photo of the Greenhouse after opening.
This is a photo of the greenhouse stocked after visiting the local Amish produce auction.
Here is another photo of flowers purchased from the Auction.
Seed Trays
Here are trays of seeds that we were hoping would germinate after moving them from the barn to the greenhouse.