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Historically, Brentwood was the site of vast vegetable and grain production, from asparagus and lettuce, to wheat and barley. More recently, these staple crops have transformed to corn, tomatoes and orchard production. This year at Frog Hollow, we will attempt to un-earth the lost history of the county, by trying our luck at winter vegetable production.
We broke ground in “The Garden” one month ago, and since then we have been busy getting our new endeavor under way. We started by building up our raised garden beds and digging out pathways. Next, we mixed in Christophe’s nutrient-dense compost to make sure our veggies will have a sufficient food supply. We followed the compost with a dose of compost tea to increase our soil’s biology, meaning all the important microscopic critters that keep nutrients cycling through our soil. The next step was to retro-fit the garden with a drip irrigation system. With this, we watered the whole garden, to get our weeds to pop up so they could be removed before planting, as to reduce competition for our desired crops. Simultaneous to this activity, we planted many different kinds of seeds in trays, to later be transplanted into the garden. This week, transplanting into the garden began, our beds now contain baby broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and a wide array of greens. Along with transplanting, we direct seeded into our garden beds. These seeds included carrots, beets, garlic, onions and fava beans. Just this week, teeny tiny sprouts can be seen, we are very excited!
As someone who grew up much further North, I recognize how lucky Californians are to live in a climate that allows for access to local, fresh produce year around. In my hometown in Washington, winter vegetables were limited to kale, and stock piled squash and potatoes. By the time the second month of root crop consumption passes, I had exhausted all options for creative preparation, and eating kale was getting old.
I wanted to be eating locally, but I found myself buying veggies shipped across the continent, just to get some variety in my diet. This year, I am so excited that eating seasonally will still allow for a diverse diet, and I am thrilled to be part of Frog Hollow’s experimental vegetable project.
