Salad Bar-ty

Time for some overdue pictures from our end-of-the-semester celebration: we harvested lots of salad greens (spinach, arugula, various lettuces) and radishes, and everyone brought toppings to share in our makeshift salad bar. We also had rhubarb crisp for dessert, made with the vintage rhubarb transplanted from the old Kellogg garden! 

Jacob and Lucy chopping radishes

 Sample salad

Salad bar in Mission Kitchen (check out the huge bowl of garden greens!)

Eating outside Mission

The dinner was also an opportunity to celebrate the wonderful Lauren McDonald, a founding member of WSG who has been an invaluable part of the group for the last two and a half years--she was even our first summer garden intern! Thanks for everything, Lauren--we'll miss you lots but know you'll be back to visit!

Speaking of summer in the garden, if you're going to be on campus at all this summer and would like to help out in the garden and eat lots of delicious food, email our fabulous intern Alix at jaw1@williams.edu and she will add you to the summer garden listserv!

Grow Cart!

This spring we started seeds in a grow cart in Dodd basement, thanks to the Biology Department and Brent Wasser with the Sustainable Food and Agriculture Program. Check it out:

Another huge thanks to Brent for watering over break, so we should be all set to plant seedlings in the raised beds this weekend! Stay tuned for the first big work party of the season, and happy April!

Our First Work Party of the Season!

Winter Gardening

It may be the end of January, but thanks to our hoop tunnels, we're still growing food in northwestern Massachusetts! The windy weather earlier in the month gave us some trouble, but one of the beds that stayed fully covered had enough kale growing (along with some arugula) for a small harvest on Saturday:

We haven't planned any major harvests during the winter months, but our hope is that once the last snow melts we'll have a head start on the growing season (as with the "claytonia miracle" of last year). We'll also be ordering seeds this week, and planting starts in a grow cart (and maybe greenhouse...?) before we know it!

Kinky Hose Party!

Breaking New Ground

We broke new ground last week at Parson's Garden, and used the new space to plant some wheat saved from last year's harvest! The process of preparing the ground to be planted included clearing the area, spreading compost, and then using the broadfork to promote healthy soil conditions.

Removing the grassy layer -- note all of the worms!

A healthy-sized worm!

Lucy was hard at work -- and she also matched the fall foliage :)

Spreading compost to be mixed into the new bed.

We used broadforks in order to promote healthy ventilation and to keep the soil from being too tightly packed. Broadforks are a great alternative to tillers, which can lead to erosion and soil of decreased fertility.

Last Week's Garden Dinner

Last week we had a lovely dinner cooked by the staff at Driscoll, who used our very own produce along with other local ingredients!

 Amber and Sonja!

 Sarah enjoying the beautiful buffet.

 Yummmm.

 The entire group digging in! Also, notice that the Driscoll staff decorated with pumpkins and candles -- it was nice touch.

 Sonja :)

 Andrea and Talia posing with dinner.

 It was so good!