This season, CFSA asks about planting mixes, cool season varieties, managing livestock during winter, and crop planning.
OUR EXPERT FARMERS:
Bill & Nancy Walker – Walker Century Farms
Anderson, SC
William Lyons – Bluebird Farm
Morganton, NC
Farrell Moose – Dutch Buffalo Farm
Pittsboro, NC
What recipe or brand do you use for your seed-starting soil mix?
WILLIAM: In our small greenhouse we use mostly soil blocks to start our transplants, but we also use regular 72-cell flats for crops with a faster turnaround time. For both methods we use McEnroe Premium potting mix.
FARRELL: We use a Sunshine organic potting mix.
What cool season vegetable varieties do you have the most success growing?
WILLIAM: We grow piles of kale and head lettuce in the spring and fall. We also like Swiss chard, but this was not a good year for us. We cover lettuce with row cover to extend their season to about Thanksgiving. We leave kale uncovered and harvest marketable leaves well into the winter as well as first thing in the spring.
FARRELL: So far, we’ve had the most success growing carrots, beets, turnips, broccoli, kale and a variety of Asian greens—bok choi, tatsoi or mizuna.
Do you have any tips for keeping livestock healthy and content during the winter?
BILL & NANCY: We try to have green forage for our cattle to graze 12 months a year. We feed minimal hay during the winter. Between August 15 and September 1, we select a pasture. If it has been grazed, we let it rest, and if it has not been grazed satisfactorily, we bush hog the field. We then let the pasture rest until late December or early January, which is when we begin strip grazing. We try to have enough green forage to last until spring. After the first frost, the chemistry of fescue grass changes some and it becomes more carbohydrate dense. This allows us to develop a better finish on our steers. Eating green forage develops a healthier cow and healthier meat for the consumer.
What strategies can you share for winter planning for next season on the farm?
WILLIAM: We use winter planning time to review our previous year’s goals and how the season measured up. We make sure we are still having fun and are working toward our long-term goals. We have lots of numbers to sift through, such as harvest records and market sales, to try to make our discussion more concrete. Be sure to do this because it’s amazing what we learn from our own records every year.
FARRELL: If you keep good records of your farm purchases, for tax purposes for instance, the dead of winter is a good time to go through the receipts and see which investments in seed, fertilizer or equipment really panned out the way you hoped. For me, the seed lists and costs when broken down in such a way can help me to plan for planting the coming year. It is also a good time to take stock of how successful your markets are and whether you need to rethink your sales approach.