2024 Gardening Szn: Curtis's Final Post
- Curtis Hamilton
- Jul 31, 2024
- 3 min read
Hello, it's Curtis here posting for this week's blog post. I would like to talk about a few things that I've been pondering since my last post. Before I dive into things can we first all agree that this summer literally flew by!! One thing I can say is that I had fun this summer.
First, I would like to start with the success and failures of our farm this summer. Like most gardens there are always going to be some success and failures, the important thing to remember is to keep trying and working towards moving forward. This year, there's a healthy balance around the farm. Where there's loss in one area, there's great abundance in another. All in all, everything will always work itself out, It's the serendipity of life.
At the farm this year we started off very strong and prominent with what looked like was going to be a very successful farming season but soon after we got all our crops into the ground, nature took its course. It was only a matter of time before the natural forces would catch up and restore the balance to the farm.
Groundhogs, bunnies, cutworms, floods, weeds, Japanese beetles etc. completely destroyed the majority of our crops. About 25% of everything we started with was destroyed by pests. After spraying, putting fencing up and trying other crafty defense mechanisms we finally got the pests to look elsewhere for their dinner. Soon after one problem was solved another manifested. This problem took place in the form of flooding and unfortunately there isn't much we could do about this. The flooding took out about another 25% of everything at the farm. This was the most devastating to me because not only could we do nothing to prevent this but the floods wiped out all of my favorite crops. (potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, winter squash)
Now, turning The success at the farm. Success at the farm stemmed from the team's determination to show up and make the best of our situation everyday no matter what the conditions were. And through our efforts we managed to salvage many of our destroyed crops. We were able to replant tomatoes and peppers and some squash. We tried to plant potatoes again but the flooding wouldn't allow them to grow.
The hoop house turned out to be very successful with only one massacre from the small rodents early in the season. Right now we have tomatoes, watermelon, sweet potatoes, winter squash, cucumber and peppers in there and all is thriving beautifully. Another small win for the garden this year is our pumpkins and watermelon. As of right now, both of these crops are looking healthy with lots of small fruit bearing and growing more and more everyday.
It is amazing to witness the randomness and uncertainty of life that gardening brings each season. It really emphasizes how small we really are and how powerful nature is. A natural force that is beyond human control in which we should both fear and love.
Next, I will switch gears and talk about composting at the farm. Last semester a group of students built compost bins at the student farm. But since it was built during the colder seasons they let them sit and weeds began to grow excessively inside. Fast forward to now, After letting them sit throughout the cold seasons I decided to clean them up and finish what was started. I weeded them out and created a base layer of twigs and larger sticks, hay and grass clippings. The purpose of first creating this base layer was that it can help with aeration and drainage for the pile. This also allows air to circulate into the center of the pile, which can help with decomposition. After all this was completed I added a small layer of manure and watered the pile. Now, for the remainder of the summer the team and I will feed the compost green material from our kitchen scraps in hopes of generating a naturally heated compost pile. If all goes well we should have some good soil from the bins in a few weeks.
Before I exit, I would like to give a special thanks to Albion College’s Center for Sustainability and the environment (CSE) . I appreciate everyone for welcoming me with open arms and exposing me to the knowledge and world of sustainability. I have been with the program for two years now and I can see the growth I've obtained and my professional development as I grow closer to graduating. I am extremely grateful for everything I've learned from being around you guys and the opportunities you've made available to me. You all are unique and awesome people, with a deep love for the world and environment. Thank you for making an impact on my life and most importantly making the world a better place!
Comments