First Follower

I just wanted to make a big announcement and extend a warm welcome to my first follower. Welcome aboard and Happy New Year Big J!

I would also like to announce a new program that we are offering at Joes Farm. To all new and existing Joes Farm followers we are giving free farm and compost facility tours. This offer is available only to new or existing followers. So sign up asap if you have not already. Free samples of available crops will also be provided. This offer is based on availability of crops for consumption. One gallon size bag of compost, produced in our brand new state of the art E-Composter facility provided so generously by Mr & Mrs Richard and Susan Walczak of Malone, NY, will also be given as a parting gift to all Joes Farm followers who opt to take the tour. The compost offer is also based on compost availability.

Thank you for your support. Happy New Year and may your crops be plentiful and delicious in 2010.
Joes Farm

Winter Harvest and Farm Update

Joes Farm has been going through many changes lately due to the change in weather we have been experiencing here in beautiful Las Vegas Nevada. Temperatures have been dropping below freezing and the days have gotten very short. The warm weather crops that had rebounded so nicely in September and October when the hot summer temps subsided have now all but died with the freezing temps at night. Joes Farm did however have the foresight to start some cool temperature crops so that we can continue to produce through these leaner months. The tomatos, peppers, and green beans are gone. The lettuce, carrots, radishes, collard greens, onions, and celery have been doing pretty well. Joes Farm also has some cabbage and sugar snap peas that are growing but they are not producing yet.



When the temps first started dropping into the 30's at night we would spring to action and cover the crops at night time with tarps. this helped for a day or two but the stress from the cold temps was too much for the tomatos, peppers, and green beans to handle.


Just yesterday, December 26th, 2009, Joes Farm had a first. We were able to harvest several carrots and radishes. The big news here is not the radishes because they have been a steady, reliable, and delicious crop for Joes Farm. The big news is the carrot harvest. these carrots were planted somewhere around April 2009. They made it through the harsh summer and were finally harvested. They are not big like you find in the grocery store but they are the best tasting carrot anyone will ever eat, ever.



Joes farm is also starting to prepare for a major upgrade before spring comes to the Mojave desert. The size and scope of the upgrade has not been determined yet. Joes farm has started to clear the land and we will be leaving it fallow in preparation for the upgrade of the farming facility.




This is the harvest on display. Carrots and Radishes.











Here are some sugar snap peas on display. They are growing well and have some blossoms but no peas yet.

This shows the aftermath of the frost on the green beans and a zucchini.










From left to right: Celery, Carrots, Onions, Radishes.











Spinach, I have not eaten any of it yet, but it looks good.








This was one of the pepper plants. There were probably 20 peppers growing on them until the frost came.










One the left is collard greens lettuce on the right.

I Care Organics Composting Facility Grand Opening

This post right here is to announce the official grand opening and upgrade to the i care organics composting facility. Joes Farm began composting operations in early September 2009. We went through several process and location changes during the first several months of operations. There was also a great deal of time spent on solidifying our revolutionary composting processes.


Thanks to a generous contribution from Richard and Susan Walczak of Malone, NY Joes Farm was able to perform a much needed upgrade to the composting facility. The Walczak family has provided Joes Farm with the latest and greatest in composting technology. They have given Joes Farm a state of the art E-Composter produced by Keter Plastic LTD. The E-Composter provides a 120 gallon capacity with dimensions of 31.1x31.1x31.1 inches.

The processed compost will be used to amend the already fruitful soils used at Joes Farm. I am attaching some before photos, some photos that show the upgrade in process, and the grand opening of the new i care organics composting facility.
This is a photo from November 14th, 2009













This is also from November 14th, 2009 from a different view.










This photo is documenting the upgrade of the composting facility.











Upgrade In process. The new composting structure has been built and moved to its new location.










Here you will see that the upgrade has been completed.

Damage

Last night and early this morning in Las Vegas Nevada I sustained some frost damage on the farm. I am not positive of the full extent of the damage. This morning when I pulled the covers off the crops I found that most of the damage appeared to be to the tomatoes. I am very, very disappointed. Those tommie's have been around since the spring time and were just now starting to produce some award winning fruits.

The rest of the crops appeared to survive the night. I took a gamble on the pot that has the snap peas growing in it and as of this morning they were looking good.

There is supposed to be another frost tonight so I think that will completely wipe out my tomato crop. I guess that is good since I want to do a full reconfiguration of my farm. I will update some photos this weekend for anyone that visits this amazing farm blog. Don't forget to check out http://joesfarm.homestead.com/