Mar 2023

As the weather gets warmer and wetter, winter vegetable crops like cabbages are almost over. Pat Fan is now hurrying to plant new crops like gourds and legumes. These seedlings are now in a critical stage to build bonds with soil microbes so compost and mushroom substrates must be used, and it takes a lot of labor to get those materials from storage to the field.

The farm is phasing out fertilizers and replacing them with EM fermented liquids to balance the NPK with carbon and micronutrients, and at the same time adding beneficial bacteria to the soil. It is not easy for any farmers to let go of things they’ve used for decades so TAPs and our advisor Josephine have to have close communication with farmers, and demonstrate the positive effects of the new practices, especially on the reduction of pests and diseases. Seeing the pumpkin seedlings grow fast and strong really gives farmers more confidence to take the transition further.

  • Onions ready to harvest. They have been growing for half a year, from Sep-Oct 2022 up to Mar 2023, in well mulched rows.

  • Eggplants going strong after resting over the winter, now with green leaves from top to bottom and several flower buds on a single node. Hopefully we’ll be able to keep all the fruits with proper nutrition.

  • Pumpkins planted for a week. The seedlings grow well without direct use of fertilizers but only compost and diluted EM ferments with a variety of materials that supply not only NPK but also micronutrients that are equally important to plants.

  • Huge cabbages! They were planted in the fall last year and keep growing. They are very impressive to see, but not easy to sell because of their size and weight.