Our Growing Process in Julian for Seasonal Vegetables
Planting seeds in our greenhouse.
Here you see organic heirloom seeds sprouting in our greenhouse.
These are squash seedlings - ready for field planting.
Organic soil for supplementing our growing fields.
Creating furrows for planting.
All the rows are ready for planting of seedlings.
Our sweet corn is growing!
It's time to harvest the corn!
Here's a display of our White Sugar Corn at Jimbo's.
Our Shiitake Mushrooms
The Shiitake Mushroom crop usually produces 2-3 times per year depending on weather conditions.
We have 120 3’ oak logs that are inoculated with shiitake spores.
While we’ve sold our Shiitake Mushrooms to Jimbo’s in the past, we usually harvest this commodity for friends and family.
Shiitake Mushrooms
ready for harvest.
Vegetable / Row Crops
Each year, prior to planting for the season and after we determine the crops we’ll be growing, it’s time to calendar seed planting dates. We consider such issues as ‘last frost dates’ and ‘potential harvest dates’ before planting seeds. With our growing site at 4,000 ft in Hardiness Zone 8b and 9a, the higher altitude provides a shorter growing season. All seeds are planted for germination in our greenhouse.
Annual Field Preparation
& Cover Cropping
In the fall, cover crops are planted in the field growing sites. Cover crops are then tilled into the soil around the first of May.
It takes about 3-4 weeks for the green cover crops to break down into the soil. The benefits of cover cropping should be considered the backbone of any annual cropping system. It helps build organic matter and soil structure.
After the threat of frost has passed, and the cover crops have been tilled, we begin creating rows or furrows, and begin transplanting the vegetable seedlings from the greenhouse. Field planting usually begins by the first of June each year.
Some of the benefits of cover cropping include:
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Nitrogen production
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Soil microbial activity
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Nutrient enhancement
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Weed suppression
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Soil/water conservation