Pitchfork Farm was set into orbit six years ago, and since then, Eric has been experimenting with what crops he grows based on the success of his sales. He and Rob now focus on salad greens, which they have found to be the most productive and promising crop. There are a few different types of beds for the mesclun, including a mix of lettuces (seen below), a mix of mustard greens, and then the beds of single greens like arugula, radicchio, and head lettuce.
There are also many other things growing, just not in copious amounts like the greens. Things like: beets, radishes, carrots, kale, chard, kohlrabi, broccoli, cilantro, cabbage, squash, watermelon, cucumber, fennel, garlic, what am I forgetting???
Correction...I take that back. My new favorite tool, which I could have delighted in operating if I weren't so fond of working sans shoes: THE FLAME WEEDER. Apparently it’s more common than one might think, but, as my enthusiasm can attest, very exciting to behold.
The way it works: a bed is rototilled. Then, the first round of weeds is demolished. Then, they wait a few days, or a week, for another round of weeds to come up. Plant seeds with a tractor (over second round of weeds). Then, the flame weeder is unleashed and used to buuuuuurn all of those little pesky weeds to a crisp. Here, Rob is flame weeding the walkways after we wheel-hoed them. Exciting, yeah?
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