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Seed To Bowl Farm is a MOFGA certified organic, urban farm located in Portland, ME. We are currently producing: fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs and eggs. All plants are started by seed, on-site. We are inspired to harness and use what nature provides us. We have 10 kw of renewable solar power, a solar hot-water system and a 1325-gallon rain collector, which provides nearly all of our summer irrigation needs. We offer free Level 2 EV charging while you visit. Our main goal is to create a living model of food and energy security for the coming Third Industrial Revolution.
For all inquiries, email Justin at juiceboxkowski@gmail.com
For all inquiries, email Justin at juiceboxkowski@gmail.com
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2021 Season
DECEMBER: Happy Solstice. It’s been an intense past 6 months. I haven’t had much time or energy to write any updates. It was a great year for Kale, Chard and Peppers. I also discovered fall carrots and will repeat that next year. I had a productive fall and the beds will be ready to go in the spring. Also got a lot of work done on the paths. I’ll write the totals of a few of the crops from this year. Happy Growing. Carrots: 25 lbs. Peppers: 25 lbs. Tomatoes: 78 lbs. Zucchini: 30 lbs. Kale: 20 lbs. Blueberries: 17 pints Cherries: 21 lbs. JUNE: Kale, Chard, Lettuce are in. Chasing the pests, pulling the weeds. MAY 27: The greens bed is brimming with goodies. Kale, lettuce mix, chard and spinach are all available. Limited supply so please call ahead. MAY: Despite a few mistakes and pulling a lot of invasive weeds, I’m feeling more enthusiasm as I harvested the first salad of the season today. The warm weather starts are looking healthy. Onion plants are in the ground, peas are coming up, and early green beans have sprouted in one of the hoop houses. APRIL: Tough month. Wasn’t motivated to post much about the farm as things were a bit overwhelming. MARCH: Another growing season is here. MOFGA re-certification is complete. The hens are laying eggs again. And the first seeds are planted. Today is unseasonably warm, however it won’t last long. Cold temps are supposed to return tomorrow. I am hoping to make better use of the website this year. |
Kale, Chard and Lettuce
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Early seedlings
2020 Season
MOFGA re-certification is complete for crops and eggs.
Early seeds were started indoors on 2/27 and 3/4 with Oli as helper. (photos below)
Seeds planted: spinach, Swiss chard, kale, leaf lettuce, Little Gem lettuce, peppers (germination test)
I also got a yard of organic compost and top-dressed all the beds as it has been unseasonably warm this week.
APRIL UPDATE: With things on lock down for COVID-19 we've been at home working and playing in the yard. We have
plenty of seeds started and lots of things growing that will be ready to share. For now, all orders will be by
appointment. We are also planning to have free plant starts at the end of the driveway in the coming weeks. It will be
all self-serve with plants clearly labeled.
Free seed packs are available at the end of the driveway on dry days: spinach, lettuce mix and peppers
MAY UPDATE: It has been a cold and windy May so far, but that seems likely to shift soon. I lost a tomato and cucumber
to frost the other morning, but there are plenty to replace them with. All extra starts will be out at the end of the
driveway for free. I upgraded my LED high lumen bulbs and have gotten great results on all my starts.
I'm thinking of setting up a shop in the shed with an off-grid PV system to power the lights and heat trays.
Otherwise, greens are coming in now and will be available by request starting next week.
Chives are available as well. Stay strong. Eat well.
JUNE UPDATE: Holy sh*t. The revolution is here. Grab your shovel and get your fingers in the dirt. Let's all learn to
grow our own food again. Despite the crazy climate, no rain for almost a month and a late frost that wiped out some
stuff, this has been a banner year for the farm.
Pictures below of what's going on right now. If you live in the greater Portland area and need fresh, organic produce
and an egg or two during the revolution, please email or call. Eat well, stay strong.
June 14 A couple of good, soaking rains have kick-started the garden.
Kale is in. Herbs as well: cilantro, dill, chives, oregano. Berries soon.
Eggs: 4 for $2
June 20 HAPPY SOLSTICE. Things are in full swing. It's been hot and dry since our last rain and the garden is kicking.
It's a daily battle to keep 'chippy' (our friendly chipmunk) from burying seeds in the beds and from
eating the strawberries. :<
Peas are in. Zucchini soon. Plenty of chard and kale.
Pictures below of the garden in mid-season.
No Justice. No Peace.
June 27 A good soaking rain yesterday afternoon was a wonderful delight. Then I noticed the damage from
'Woody' (our resident woodchuck). She ate our cauliflower and dill as well as significant consumption
of lettuce, chard and kale. It truly is a Hardscrabble Harvest. Some for them, some for us.
July 26 Well, it's that time of the year. Everything is coming in all at once. I've been busy with harvest and delivery of
produce. So far, we've had a great year. The soaking rain and plentiful sunshine have the gardens in full bloom.
Some pictures below from the past month. A lot of chard, kale, carrots, cukes, zucchini and green beans.
Tons of blueberries as well. Almost a pint/day for a week straight. The onions and garlic are done as well.
Meghan has begun preserving for the winter as well. There is kale and chard in the freezer.
And our first jar of 'refrigerator' pickles is ready for eating.
We also got a Powerwall installed. We can operate off-grid, if necessary.
And we upgraded our water storage. 1325 gallons. We've already filled it once from a big storm.
That's me with the tank, before we moved it to it's home.
AUGUST UPDATE: Things are slowly beginning to transition to autumn. We've had a nice break from the heat, although
the dryness continues. It's mostly a game of harvest and water now. The animals sense the shift in seasons as
well and their foraging efforts have surged as of late. Oh well, some for them, some for us.
We completed our MOFGA inspection for the year and I added MC3 certification for the cannabis I grow.
For now it's a hobby and the long term goal is to sell organic seedlings in the spring.
SEPTEMBER UPDATE: The season has shifted and so has the energy of the family. We're starting to prepare for the
upcoming fall and winter. It was a great year 'on the farm'. Here are a few pics of apples and tomatoes.
We made apple sauce and tomato sauce which are in the freezer. This has been a banner year for chard
and there is still plenty in the garden. The cannabis is going bonkers, a few pics below. I still have Killawatt
and Silver Wizard growing and they look very healthy.
OCTOBER UPDATE: Another successful season has come to an end. The cannabis is in and cured. And a few
bell peppers that were started way back when, at the beginning of the pandemic, have fully ripened.
The beds are slowly getting put to rest. I topped the main beds off with mowed leaves yesterday,
a sure sign that fall has settled in. It's a lot later than usual and my climate hackles are in overdrive as
fires continue to rage (this time near Boulder, CO). Each year will present new challenges in the garden
as we are now on a 'climate escalator' going up, with no end in sight. Stay strong, eat well.
NOVEMBER UPDATE: The election is over and it looks like Biden will win. It's been a stressful few weeks.
The weather has been unseasonably warm, which is concerning. It's supposed to be in the 60's for the
next few days. I'm trying to take advantage of it and get things in order for winter and next spring.
I've managed to bring in lots of leaves from the neighborhood and the beds are in great shape.
The goods.
Summer time.
First salad of the season. Much more to come. Spring is here.
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Impressive climbing work done by Joe Lynch's crew. The big maple tree comes down and the wood stays in place to become the backbone of the garden...
Past years
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2019 Totals: Spring/Early summer Lettuce/Spinach continuous harvest from 5/20-7/20 approx. 15-20 lbs.
Peas 5 lbs
Little Gem lettuce 15 heads 6 oz/ea approx. 5lbs
Summer/Main season Carrots 25 lbs
Kale approx. 15-20 lbs
Chard 10 lbs
Green Beans 20 lbs
Zucchini 30 lbs
Cucumbers 40 lbs
Tomatoes 45 lbs
Potatoes 10 lbs
Onions 15 lbs
Garlic 3 lbs
Apples 23 lbs
Peas 5 lbs
Little Gem lettuce 15 heads 6 oz/ea approx. 5lbs
Summer/Main season Carrots 25 lbs
Kale approx. 15-20 lbs
Chard 10 lbs
Green Beans 20 lbs
Zucchini 30 lbs
Cucumbers 40 lbs
Tomatoes 45 lbs
Potatoes 10 lbs
Onions 15 lbs
Garlic 3 lbs
Apples 23 lbs
