Florida Farms Weeks 9-10

 Weeks 9-10

Image 1: Team Harvesting

Our group was really excited this week because we were able to harvest some of our crops and get a yield. As seen in the image above, we were able to harvest some squash. In addition, we harvested some strawberries and bok choy. This is great timing because the spring festival is tonight, so we are excited to offer some of our crops to guests. We also made sure to weigh everything we harvested to ensure that next week we can properly evaluate the economic status of our farm. We are excited to continue harvesting next week as our crops continue to grow.
Image 2: Strawberries update

Following the successful transplanting of the sunflowers that were previously shading our patch, the strawberries have flourished with the increased access to direct sunlight. Those large green berries from 2 weeks ago have officially ripened into a vibrant, deep red, and are finally ready for our first harvest. We were initially concerned that the loss of the plastic cover might hinder their development, but the plants have proven remarkably resilient and are now producing fruit faster than expected. Seeing how well these grew is a reassuring sign that our sustainable practices are paying off.

Image 3: Kale and this row is ready for harvest and growing well

The first collection of crops, the kale, is now ready to harvest, featuring thick leaves with a deep, healthy color. We are happy that these grew so well, as at the start of the farm process, we had to worry about numerous pests that were ravaging the nearby crops. Many leftover sunflowers from the previous farm group have grown alongside the kale, likely protecting it from harsh sun damage or intense heat. Weeds continue to be an issue around this bed due to the amount of space between the plants, so our group continues to spend our free time visiting the farm and cleaning up what weeds we can.

Image 4: Squash is still growing and not ready for harvest yet

As our garden nears harvest, the crops we intentionally planted later in the season are progressing according to plan. We staggered our planting schedule to ensure a manageable workload, avoiding a situation where every vegetable reached maturity simultaneously. Thanks to this strategic timing, our squash plants are currently in a thriving growth phase and still have a bit of time before they require harvesting. You can already see the young yellow fruit developing beneath the broad leaves, protected from the direct sun. This delayed round of produce ensures that our group can maintain a consistent presence at the farm without being overwhelmed by a single, massive yield. We’ll be keeping watch of these squash as they reach maturity, making sure to be ready to harvest when they reach their peak growth.

Image 5: Cabbage is still being eaten by pests, but to a lesser extent

Our cabbage plants have become a primary target for local pests, mirroring the challenges we previously faced with our lettuce. Although the plants continue to increase in size, the persistent bite marks throughout the leaves pose a significant hurdle for producing a harvestable, consumable crop. While this level of damage could potentially ruin our cabbage yield, it has served an unexpected purpose as a "trap crop" for the rest of the garden. By concentrating the pest activity on the cabbage, our other vegetables have remained almost entirely untouched and healthy.

Image 6:

Sunflowers and tomatoes are in good condition and attaching to the trellis well. There does not seem to be competition, which is something we were previously worried about.

Our row of sunflowers and tomatoes along the wire trellises has experienced a significant growth spurt and is fast approaching its harvestable period as well. It’s a relief to see that the tomatoes attached themselves to the support structure quickly without much outside assistance and have begun a strong vertical climb. This natural tendency to climb is exactly what we wanted, and we are optimistic that this established structure will allow the vines to support a significant amount of fruit as production ramps up. The sturdy trellises should also help improve airflow around the plants and keep the developing fruit off the sandy ground. As we have had no pest problems, we can assume the sunflowers are doing their job properly and keeping any harmful pests away from the tomato plants.

Time Lapse 2 Link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Uo_n0gKxleF7MkMsXJnupYxWlhFtohFj/view?usp=sharing

In this time lapse, we were able to record the growth of one of our squash plants. As seen in the time lapse, the squash is flowering and then it does become covered almost fully by a leaf near the conclusion of the time lapse. Additionally, our group thought this would be an interesting place to film because the squash and watermelon are covered by the low tunnel to ensure that they were not damaged by harsh cold weathers. We found this low tunnel system to work really well, and it did allow our warmer season crops to remain healthy.