I’ve missed a couple markets lately, and I’m finally telling you why: Fairydiddle Farm is moving! Paul and I settled into a new house about a month ago, and while I still have access to the “old” market garden, we’ve been busy putting in a new one. It will be bigger, at 2,000 square feet (vs. 1,500), and hopefully better, as I’m being more intentional about the preparation. I’m so excited to see how things grow next year!
Before we moved in, while we were still cleaning and painting inside the house, I laid down plastic sheeting and some borrowed landscape fabric to kill the grass. Now, about two months later, the plastic has been pulled up. On five out of eight beds so far, I’ve laid down newspaper and spread garden soil – a 50/50 mix of topsoil and compost – over top.
I’m hoping to start seeding the finished beds today, ahead of this weekend’s rain, with a cover crop mixture of winter rye and daikon radishes. These cold-hardy plants will grow through the winter, with the radishes, sometimes called “tillage radishes,” breaking up the soil in preparation for spring planting. I’d also like to get a sixth bed prepped today, but I’ve been moving slowly this week due to illness.
Which leads me to my other, far less exciting announcement: Once again, I will not be at the market tomorrow. My friends will still have plenty for you to shop, though, with fresh produce, pasture-raised beef and eggs, healing salve, moisturizing balms, take-home meals, sourdough bread, handknit items, and more.
See you at the market – next week!