It's Almost Harvest Time!

Hi Ya'll, it's Almost Harvest Season!

We know you are wondering how our plot is going, but we are glad to say they are close to harvest! Have a look at our crops, and a special visitor!

Visitor!

Our friend here seems to have brought a plus one!

Crops:

Some weeding is needed, but overall the crops are doing well!

Look how luscious those leaves are? 

Wow, so leafy!

This is not from out plot, but look how cute this strawberry is! 
Would be a lovely addition to a salad for some vitamin

Hope to see you back next week,

Build a Salad!

Are you hungry, want to be healthy & escape the Freshmen 15? Here are a few tips on how to build the perfect healthy and delicious salad!

Pick Your Leafy Green (s): 

• Romaine
• Spinach
• Arugula
• Kale
• Endive
• Radicchio
• Collard Greens
• Swiss Chard
• Mixed green lettuce blends

Pick Your Fruit n’ Veggies:

• Cucumbers
• Bell Peppers
• Tomatoes
• Broccoli
• Mushrooms
• Carrots
• Red Onions
• Asparagus
• Sweet Potatoes
• Radishes
• Pineapple
• Berries
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Apples
• Kiwi
• Oranges/Grapefruit
• Purple Cabbage
• Avocado

Pick Your Protein:

• Organic chicken or turkey
• Beans or legumes
• Eggs
• Nuts and Seeds
• Quinoa
• Salmon or other seafood

Pick Your Toppings:

• Dulse Flakes
• Unsweetened toasted coconut flakes
• Seeds (hemp, chia, ground flax)
• Nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews)
• Whole Grain Gluten-Free Croutons
• Fresh herbs
• Olives
• Figs
• Pomegranate seeds
• Dried Fruit (cranberries, cherries, mango, blueberries, golden raisins)

Pick Your Dressing:

• Fresh Citrus Juice (Freshly squeezed lemon juice, orange juice)
• Healthy Oil (Flax oil, olive oil)
• Vinegar (Balsamic, Apple cider) 
• Mustard (Dijon, spicy, whole grain) 

More info

Here is a personal favorite of ours!

Leafy greens: Kale & Collard Green 

Fruit n' Veggies: Apples, Strawberries, and Mandarins!

Protein: Quinoa and Grilled Shrimp

Toppings: Almonds toasted with honey & craisins  

Dressing: Raspberry vinaigrette (Balsamic, Apple cider, fresh raspberries, olive oil) 

Thanks for keeping up with us! Tell us how the recipes go! See ya next time!

More about us!

Are you curious about our operation?

This post is aimed to help you, the consumer, understand us! We are an organic operation and are focused on hands-on time with our plants. Let's jump right in:

Fertilizing:

We have currently stuck with a pre-plant application of organic fertilizer.

Weed/Pest/Disease control:

We are hand weeding the plot and are organically mulching with hay as needed. We have been monitoring for pests and diseases.

Watering:

Our plot is on an automated watering system controlled by those in charge of our teaching garden. However, we are responsible for watering transplants in the greenhouse.

Harvesting:

Since this is a very small scale operation and primarily vegetable crops (which are mostly picked by hand), all harvesting will be done by us, the Growfers.

Hope to see you back next week,

What's going on out there?

We know, we know! You're due for an update on our plot. Read below to find out what's going on with the Growfers:

The cucumber and spinach transplants are experiencing much more pillowing than our pepper and tomatoes in the past three weeks:

We have tried to combat this by watering more evenly! This is the result after two weeks of correcting the problem:

 As you can tell, there is much more even distribution.

In the field, we have been fighting weeds like they're the plague. Growfers team members Salina and Stephen have spent a lot of time attempting to weed by hand and organically mulch the area around our crops. 

This is the most recent update of pictures from the last round of weeding:

There is still more to be done, but thanks to our dedicated team members it isn't a jungle!

We will be coming back with more recipes and facts about these crops in the coming weeks. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Why bother with veggies?

Hey there!

We are here to tell you more about why you should want the Growfers product. We all know that our parents have told us since we were children to eat our vegetables and fruit so we can grow and be strong. How important are fruits and vegetables though?

Today, we will show you some pictures of crops we are currently growing, and give you a few benefits of each!

Spinach:

Spinach is

"Low in fat and even lower in cholesterol, spinach is high in niacin and zinc, as well as protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese. " (http://foodfacts.mercola.com/spinach.html)

It can protect your eyesight, help those with a low meat diet to eat enough iron and protein, and help consumers get enough fiber in their diet.

Tomatoes:

Tomatoes contain important factors like:

Lycopene
Vitamin C
Antioxidants

They can reduce risk of cancer, help even blood glucose levels for those with diabetes, and help those who consume it have healthier hair, nails and skin.

(https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/273031.php)

Kale:

Kale has been touted as a superfood in the U.S. for a few years now. Why? What's so great about kale? Well, kale has a variety of health benefits like beta-carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, and many more.

So what does all of that do for our bodies? It can reduce the risk of cancer, lower cholesterol, reduce obesity rates, protect eyesight, and help those who consume it reach their vitamin intake needs. 

(https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-kale#section10)

Peppers:

Peppers include nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and antioxidants.

They can boost your immune system, help prevent cancer, boost eyesight, among other benefits.

(http://www.healthfitnessrevolution.com/top-10-health-benefits-of-bell-peppers/)

Thanks for reading,

Planting Away!

Let's recap the goals for this past week:

Monday, we planted bell pepper transplants and lettuce in our plot, checked on our tomato and pepper transplants in the greenhouse, planted our grafted tomato plants (below) and weeded the beds in our plot. 

Friday, we weeded the second half of our plot, constructed the rest of our beds, planted our transplants, and made a game plan for our plants. 

(Above) Stephen and Emily weeding the plot.

(Above) Colson and Stephen finishing the mulching in the the second half of our plot. 

(Above) The finished work. Lettuce, kale, peppers, tomatoes and strawberry plants. The beds were constructed, weeded, mulched, planted and labeled. 

Other noteworthy points:

Salina is working on packaging styles

Spotting on tomato leaves is occurring, very spotted leaves were removed. 

So what's coming up next week?

Thanks for stopping by,

Are you hungry?

Let's talk recipes!

It won't do you much good if you have a garden full of veggies and no way to use them, right?

As we watch our peppers and tomatoes grow in the greenhouse:

And our greens and broccoli grow in the field:

We thought it would be nice to show you some links filled with delicious and nutrient-packed recipes. Check out these three meals using the Growfers' list of veggie kits!

For those of you looking for something warm, check out this cream of broccoli soup from Watch What U Eat. Not only is it a classic meal and great for the fall months, it is also a completely plant based version. Also make sure you read up on Swati and Tushar's great information regarding the nutrients in broccoli and carrots.

Looking for something a bit lighter? Click on this awesome (and easy) snack from The Busy Baker. These kale chips can take as little as 20 minutes to make and would easily be modified to include your toppings of choice. (Growfers tip: Add a blend of nutritional yeast, salt, and garlic powder for a "cheesy" flavor that is packed with vitamin B12)

Want something quick and easy to pack as your lunch for work? Grab one of the Growfers tomato kits and make this Italian Caprese Tomato Salad from Delightful E Made's blog! Just add your favorite kind of cheese (or plant-based cheese) and you're all set!

Thanks for visiting,