Carlito's Farms

It's amazing how in two weeks our romaine, butterhead and leaf lettuce has grown this much. I still plan to transplant these in the greenhouse in about two weeks. Next weekend I will do another seeding of these varieties. One thing I have learned is succession planting on crops like lettuce so you have a constant supply the entire season. I hope any of you gardner's out there are off to a good start.

My favorite spring flower favorites are going to be popping up everywhere very soon!! My favorites are tulips & dahlias How about you guys? POST below and share with me your favorite spring flower from the list! Also, do you ever buy your own fresh flowers in winter?... In the comments I have included some beautiful spring HD wallpapers for your phone! Enjoy!

For all you garlic growers out there, it's time to loosen up and spread the mulch a bit. Garlic roots are well established and future cold temps will not hurt the greens emerging. You want to loosen the mulch so it's not compact and spread it so it acts as a weed suppressor since garlic does not do well in weed infested beds. This is my first sign every year that spring is right around the corner. All the hard work in the fall to get the beds ready pays off come spring and harvest time.

So much lettuce for fresh salads, so little time to eat ALL OF IT! I seriously think we will have enough for 1,000 healthy, nutrient dense salads from April - December 2021 and beyond into 2022 as we continue to grow inside our greenhouse! What’s your fave type of lettuce? Mines butter lettuce and curly kale! Yum!!

Our first seeds have germinated and now moved under lights in our grow room. I have started the year with two types of romaine, a butterhead and a red leaf lettuce. All of our lettuces are organic and I will continually reseed every three weeks for a continuous supply until summer lettuce starts. These lettuces will eventually be moved to the greenhouse and I hope to be able to offer them for sale at the farm stand by the end of April. (Weather pending of course) I even seeded some of my early cabbage that came in yesterday. The farm is off to a good start for 2021 and we hope that we can provide not only our renowned eggs, but also high quality organic and naturally grown produce.

To our patrons: You may have noticed a decrease in our egg quantity lately. This is because our chickens are molting, in which they lose and grow new feathers for winter. This process can take anywhere from 6-16 weeks before they begin laying consistently again. As well, many of our chickens have aged which also decreases their egg production. We are increasing our flock size and plan to be in full stock of delicious eggs before spring! We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for supporting us! We will email our patrons as soon as egg supply is back up! Please provide your name and email below if you have not already.

We miss ya old buddy!!

Yesterday morning I lost my best friend and the greatest farmhand anyone could ask for. I started this farm with Carlos almost ten years ago. He has been by my side the entire time. Whether it was 90 degrees and humid pulling weeds, preparing beds in freezing temperatures and even wrangling chickens into the coops in the dead of night. He has helped me through the both the good and bad. He has seen and helped this farm prosper. Now the reigns are handed over to over dog Cash, but no dog could ever take Carlos' place. We will miss you and know you will always be watching over the flock and gardens.

Who wants fresh veggies straight from the ground all through winter, even during those 10-20 degree days? This year will be our second year growing in a greenhouse and I’ve learned that we can extend the fall harvest well into freezing winter months! There is a large variety of what you can grow, and it all depends on your growing zone and really, what you like to eat. Right now, the majority of our 2 large outdoor gardens are filled with cover crops, but our garlic a...nd onions (replanted from this years crop) will continue to mature until we harvest in spring! In our greenhouse we have winter lettuces and summer lettuces, carrots, and brussel spouts! Having a greenhouse is pretty amazing, but growing outdoors in raised beds using structures like cold frames, and cultivating techniques like deep mulching, can be just as rewarding! This is what regenerative and sustainable agriculture is all about! If you’re a gardener, have you ever grown in a greenhouse or outdoor in winter? Which crops have you grown? If you’re a newbee like me, who wishes to become a master gardener, I recommend the book The Backyard Harvest to get started! Happy planting my friends!

Our female Narragansett turkey is over here on our farm living her best life, hatching baby chickens, and monitoring the organic seeds we plant! @johnnys_seeds #homesteadinglife #sustainablefarming #livingmy estlife #backyardgarden