FARMING Introduction to Organic Vegetable Production Apprentice READER

231 Pages·2012·11.26 MB·English

by  Aston Ward

START FARMING

Introduction to Organic
Vegetable Production

Apprentice READER

In collaboration with Pennsylvania Collaborative Regional
Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) and the Seed Farm –
Lehigh County’s New Farmer Training Program and
Agricultural Incubator.

Dear apprentice farmers,

Welcome to the farming community. I hope you have a wonderful season. This is an exciting time to
start farming. With five times more farmers over the age of 65 than under 35 we need new farmers
like you. Local food is hot- the trend favoring local food and know your farmer is in your favor. We
have come a long way since the word ‘locavore’ was invented in 2005 by Chef Jessica Prentice in San
Francisco. Now everyone knows that local food means fresh, tasty, more sustainable and supporting
local communities. They are asking for local food. Four out of five respondents to a 2006 national
survey said they purchased fresh produce directly from growers either occasionally or always. These
local saavy consumers are in your neighborhood. One in five US consumers live within a days drive
of SE PA.

You have picked a wonderful place to learn to farm. In addition to a fabulous community of mentor
farmers through the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) of which you
are a part, the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), the New Jersey
Organic Farming Association (NOFA NJ), and Penn State Extension – Start Farming programs
provide a wide assortment of workshops and resources in this area. Greener Partners has also
generously donated time to organize CRAFT PA. The Seed Farm – Lehigh County’s Agricultural
Incubator and New Farmer Training project has helped create much of the material involved in this
manual.

To a wonderful season - Good work, good food, good friends and sustaining our communities.

Sincerely,

Tianna DuPont
Sustainable Agriculture Educator
Penn State Extension

610-746-1970
[email protected]
extension.psu.edu/start-farming
extension.psu.edu/vegetable-fruit
Acknowledgements -

This reader has been compiled based on a wide variety or resources and contributions.
I would like to especially acknowledge the generous contributions of my colleagues:
Dr Beth Gugino, Penn State Department of Plant Pathology; Dr Doug Beegle, Penn
State Crop and Soil Science; Charlie White, Penn State Extension; Aston Ward, Penn
State Extension; Alison Grantham, Penn State Extension; Sara Runkel, The Seed
Farm – Lehigh County’s New Farmer Training and Agricultural Incubator. This
material and the elaboration of the accompanying course would not have been
possible without the help and mentorship of the wonderful farmers that I work with.
In particular I want to thank Jeff Frank and Kristin Illick, Liberty Gardens,
Coopersburg, Pa; Gail and Steve Ganser, Eagle Point Farm Market, Kutztown, PA;
John and Aimee Good, Quiet Creek CSA, Kutztown, PA; Steve and Nicole Shelly,
Gottschell Farm, Coopersburg, PA; Tim Stark, Eckerton Hill Farm, Fleetwood, PA;
Teena Bailey, Red Cat Farm, Germansville, PA; Laurie Lynch, Fleur-de-Lys Farm
Market, Kutztown, PA; Liz and Bill Anderson, Charlestown CSA, Phoenixeville, PA;
and Mark and Judy Dornstreich Branch Creek Farm, Perkasie, PA.

I also want to recognize the UC Santa Cruz “Teaching Organic Farming and
Gardening” manual and Vernon Grubinger’s “Sustainable Vegetable Production from
Start-Up to Market’ that have been invaluable resources.

This material was compiled with support from the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher
Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant #2009-
49400-05869, Penn State College of Agriculture, Northampton and Lehigh Counties,
and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Table of Contents
Unit 1: Propagating Crops from Seed and Greenhouse Production
1. Seed and Seedling Biology and Cultural Requirements: Start Farming Fact 5 pg 12
2. Potting Media and Plant Propagation: Start Farming Fact 6 pg 19
3. Crop Planning: Start Farming Fact 7 pg 23
4. Farm Profiles:
Shooting Star Farm pg 28
Eckerton Hill Farm pg 30
Fleur-de-Lys Farm Market pg 33
Red Cat Farm pg 35
5. Supplementary Reading Material
Starting Seeds Indoors-Purdue University pg 37
6. Resources on Supplementary CD
Agricultural Alternatives: Organic Vegetable Production
Certified Organic Farm Records Templates NC State
Certified Organic Vegetable Records Template NC State
Greenhouse Aphid Control
Greenhouse White Fly Control
Hotbeds and Cold Frames for Starting Annual Plants
Managing Bacterial Pathogens in Vegetable Seeds Using Hot-Water
Treatment

Plug and Transplant Production for Organic Systems
Potting Mixes for Certified Organic Production
Potting Mixes for Organic Growers

Unit 2: Soil Fertility, Quality, and Management
1. Soil Quality: Start Farming Fact 1 pg 43
2. Managing Soils: Start Farming Fact 2 pg 50
3. Determining Nutrient Applications for Organic Vegetables: Start pg 60
Farming Fact 3

4. Supplementary Reading Material
pg 76
Agronomy Facts 9: Soil Acidity and Aglime
pg 84
Agronomy Facts 63: Diagnosing Soil Compaction Using a

Penetrometer
pg 88
Agronomy Facts 71: Hairy Vetch as a Cover Crop
pg 92
Calculating Nitrogen Availability from your Legume Cover Crop
pg 93
Common Cover Crop Facts
pg 94
Using Organic Nutrient Sources
5. Resources in Supplementary CD:
Agronomy Facts 35 Some Facts About Soil Basics
Agronomy Facts 63 Diagnosing soil compaction using a
penetrometer
Agronomy Facts 71 Hairy Vetch as a Crop Cover
Calculating Nitrogen Availability from your Legume Cover Crop
Common Cover Crop Facts
Composting on Organic Farms - CEFS
Determining Nutrient Applications for Organic Vegetable
Production
How much nitrogen is in my cover crop?
Soil Fertility at Roxbury Farms
The Art and Science of Composting – University of Wisconsin
Using the Penn State Manure Analysis Report
Using Organic Nutrient Sources

Unit 3: Crop Planning/Seeding and Transplanting
1. Planning a Crop Rotation from the Start: Start Farming Fact 8 pg 111

pg 116
2. Selecting the Right Seeding and Transplanting Strategies: Start Farming

Fact 9

3. Farm Profiles:
Charlestown Farm pg 121
Quiet Creek Farm pg 123
4. Resources in Supplementary CD:
A Grower’s Guide to Transplanting Vegetables
Crop Master Sample – planning spreadsheets excel

Crop Master Sample SSF
CSA Planning 1& 2 NC State – excel spreadsheets
Crop Rotation on Organic Farms, A Planning Manual
Crop Rotation on Vegetable Farms
Fertility Management at Roxbury Farm
How to Plan Crop Rotations
Mapping Crops on a Spreadsheet
Managing Cover Crops Profitably
Sample Master Spreadsheets - excel

Unit 4: Managing Weeds
1. Creating a Weed Management Plan for your Farm: Start Farming Fact 10 pg 126

2. Farm Profiles
Quiet Creek CSA pg 135
Gottschell Farm pg 138
Liberty Gardens pg 141
Branch Creek Farm
pg 143
3. Supplementary Reading Material

An Organic Weed Control Toolbox pg 145
Broadleaf and Grass Weed Seedling Identification Keys pg 154
Dr. Charles Mohler’s Basic Principles of Mechanical Weeding
pg 156
Hand Tools for Weed Management
pg 158
Tools for Mechanical Weed Management
pg 159
4. Resources in Supplementary CD:

Basic Tools for Mechanical Cultivation
Biodegradable Mulch Cost
Biodegradable Mulch: How Well Does it Work?
Broadleaf and Grass Weed Seedling Identification Keys
Cultivation Tools for Mechanical Weed Control in Vegetables

Unit 5: Managing Plant Diseases
1. Plant Disease Basics: Start Farming Fact 11 pg 160

2. Diagnosing a Plant Problem 101: Start Farming Fact 12 pg 162

3. Ecological Disease Management: Start Farming Fact 13 pg 164
4. Farm Profiles
Branch Creek Farm pg 168

Quiet Creek CSA (video at extension.psu.edu/start-farming)

5. Supplementary Reading Material
pg 170
Plant Problem Solving Scouting Checklist
pg 171
Late Blight Controls for Organic Growers
pg 175
Late Blight: Frequently Asked Questions
Tomato Performance Early and Late Blight Trials pg 187
6. Resources in Supplementary CD:
Compost, Rhizobacteria & Row Covers: Manage Nutrients & Pests
in Organic Cucurbit Production
Organic Vegetable IPM Guide
Plant Problem Scouting Checklist
Production Guide for Organic Snap Beans
Production Guide for Organic Carrots
Production Guide for Organic Cole Crops
Production Guide for Organic Cucumbers and Squash
Production Guide for Organic Lettuce
Production Guide for Organic Peas
Production Guide for Organic Potatoes
Production Guide for Organic Spinach
Performance of Tomatoes, Late and Early Blight
Vegetable and Strawberry Pest ID Guide

Unit 6: Managing Insects

1. Farm Profiles
pg 190
Branch Creek Farm

Quiet Creek (video at extension.psu.edu/start-farming)

2. Supplementary Reading Material
Arthropod Pest Management Field Observations Records Sheet pg 192
pg 193
Biology and Management of Aphids in Organic Cucurbit Production

Systems
pg 206
Managing Cucumber Beetles in Organic Farming Systems
3. Resources in Supplementary CD:
Cucumber Beetles: Organic and Bio-rational IPM
Ecologically Based Pest Management – SARE Book
Production Guides – See Unit 5