The Fall Planting Frenzy Continues
Last week Gaspar and Pressly planted several more rows of broccoli, collards, and flowers that will bloom in the spring. This week we will till up more land and sow more arugula, kale, mustard, bok choy, radishes, beets, and fall-sown flower seeds.
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The pomegranates are ready! See sidebar for recipe ideas, and plan on coming to our Family Food Garden class entitled “An Apple A Day: Fruit Plants for a Healthy Family” on October 20th & 21st to learn how to grow your own! October is an ideal month for planting all sorts of fruit trees, bushes, and vines.
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Cotton was once the king of agriculture in Matthews and Mecklenburg County. It was the main economic driver of the town and grown for several generations by most of the farmers and townsfolk. Renfrow Hardware was a pivotal part of that system because the farmers would buy their seeds and supplies on credit at the store, grow their crop, and pay off their bill at harvest when they brought their cotton to be processed at the Renfrow cotton gin, which was in service until 1966.
Have you ever noticed the giant bale of cotton in the ‘Feed Room’ or the cotton-picking baskets hanging from the ceiling, near where we keep the baby chicks? This was the last bale ever ginned by the Renfrow cotton gin.
The dozen or so cotton plants that I am growing are descendants of some of the remaining cotton seeds that were found in the abandoned gin over 25 years ago before it was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo. One of our customers grew it yearly, saving the seeds each fall, and recently gave us some seeds for us to grow on our farm, for educational purposes.
The three stages of cotton’s growth: blossom, immature boll, and mature boll.
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We have another Family Food Garden Series class on the farmthis week to learn about HOME COMPOSTING. If there’s such thing as a magic garden substance, compost is that thing. It loosens clay soil, builds up sandy soil, helps soils drain better, or helps soil hold more moisture. And if you’re growing tomatoes, it just can’t be beat!
Come join horticulturist Jeff Rieves on Tuesday night, 9/15, at the farm (address below), 6:30pm-8:30pm, and on Wednesday morning, 9/16, 10am-12pm (meet at Renfrow Hardware and we will walk to farm). Details here. Please email me with questions or to register. Walk-ins welcome. $20/person or $30/two members of same family.Have a great week and we hope to see you at the market or at one of the classes!
Come join horticulturist Jeff Rieves on Tuesday night, 9/15, at the farm (address below), 6:30pm-8:30pm, and on Wednesday morning, 9/16, 10am-12pm (meet at Renfrow Hardware and we will walk to farm). Details here. Please email me with questions or to register. Walk-ins welcome. $20/person or $30/two members of same family.Have a great week and we hope to see you at the market or at one of the classes!
