Contact us

We practice sustainability at the farm. Crop rotation, use of drip irrigation and re-using the flower water each week are some of the ways we are being kind to the earth.

We have two harvest boxes available for this coming 2019 season as of May 19th. If interested please email Lorrie at shadymaplefarmcsa@gmail.com and leave me a note. I will send you information. 18 weeks of fresh produce, herbs, berries and tree fruits when they are in season along with a weekly bouquet of beautiful flowers for $500.
We do have just flower subscriptions available.
A Full Flower Share is 18 weeks of gorgeous bouquets for $230 or a Half Share, every other week for a total of 9 weeks of flowers for $115.
Please email Lorrie at shadymaplefarmcsa@gmail.com if you are interested.

Pick up would be on Tuesdays between 4:00 - 6:00 pm at Shady Maple Farm, 8005 Portland Rd. N.E. Salem, Oregon. Our season lasts from May 28 to September 24, 2019.


Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Pretty flower seeds, asparagus and walking about the gardens

The red calyxes of this hibiscus plant are used in teas. After reading up on these beauties, the entire plant seems to be edible. Very interesting! Also grows up to 5 feet tall.

These are new to us this year. They are pretty, too.

Seeds of all different sizes, shapes, and colors today. These are fluffy looking. The little pale ends would get caught in animal fur and the animal would help spread the seeds around. Now for humans... our socks might do the same thing.

Eggplant seeds up close and personal.

The Rosita eggplant are a rosey hue. Another new seed for us to grow. You could Google Baker Creek seeds at rareseeds.com and check them our. Pretty.

A pretty orange flower. Go Beavers!

Green cauliflower anyone? I suppose I should be equitable and say "Go Ducks".

Purple cauliflower. We have grown this one before and it is VERY tender. Mmmmm.

Florencio cut some of the first asparagus just now.

Angie and Florencio love to eat it right out of the field. Me too! So fresh and crunchy. Delicious.

Florencio preparing a bed for carrots. Colorful carrots will be planted in the raised bed so they might grow without running into rocks or hard packed soil.

Across the top flap of this carrot seed packet it states what is in their "Rainbow Mix" of carrots. Excited to see how they turn out.

A baby purple kohlrabi has sprouted. So cute.

This is a LARGE tomato that starts out small like all the rest.

Sweet Annie seeds are like dust. So small and difficult try and plant one in a cell. They will grow up to 6 feet tall. They smell wonderful and will go into flower arrangements or wreaths in the fall.

Purple asparagus from seed. It doesn't appear to have a very good germination rate. Not many coming up at the moment. Hopefully more will germinate.

Expanding our herbs. Marjoram and sage for the boxes later this summer. The poppies are dark purple. Excited to see how they transplant out. Poppies don't like to be bothered so great care is taken to get them in their outdoor locations.

The sun is getting low and two sections of the right hand raised bed is planted with carrots. The left wooden cold frames protect seedlings as they make their way from greenhouse to the outside. Tender plants from the greenhouse need to be "hardened off" and gotten used to the elements before they are planted in the ground. These wooden boxes protect the young plants from wind and keeps their temperature a little more constant than just out in the field.

Rows of carrots lined up in these two boxes. Now if the slugs, ants and birds will leave them alone when they sprout.

Fruit trees are blooming in the orchard. 

Blueberries are starting to bloom, too.

The field is almost dry enough to plow. Early this year.

The buds of the various grapes are starting to swell. Leaves and tiny grape clusters will show soon.

The grapes and blueberries have drip irrigation on them. Some of these grapes are very old. The gnarly lower portion is 20-30 years old on some of these grapes. 

Some blueberry blossoms are dark pink like this. Some varieties have lighter colored blossoms. 

Marionberry canes are twisted around each other to act as more support for their trellis system. Then the long canes are gently wound around the double wires. A few leaves are starting to show.

Shorter grapes trellised a bit differently.

This may be the oldest grape vine on the farm. Such a thick trunk.

A different row of Marionberries has more leaves showing.

These are the fig trees. Whitish bark and a different growth habit set them off.

Fortunate to get a photo of our resident hummingbird. He has a distinct call that always catches my attention.

He didn't like me getting any closer to him and decided to take off. This is with a zoom lens.

Mt. Hood through the white blueberry blossoms.


Another day at the farm. Ahhhh.
Lorrie

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Mid March at the Farm

One of the rolling benches Lisa and I built. Buckets of water that keep the cut flowers fresh each Tuesday will be placed on one of the five benches we have built. The higher platform will be easier on all backs involved. Also we will be better able to pump the water out of the buckets and water flowers in nearby beds with the water, thus recycling more.

Ethan and Emma make a teeter totter out of a stack of boards near our building area. 

The dahlias in these pots had been warm in the greenhouses all winter. They just were moved outside to make room for the large pots of greenhouse grown tomatoes and cucumbers. Some of the dahlias are starting to grow.

Red sprouts on a peony.

Sweet peas stretching straight up. These will be very fragrant.

Some seeds have specific instructions. The soilless mix we use is moistened before the seeds are planted. Then as the sign says, they don't want to be watered until they come up. Chances are their seeds rot easily or get moldy. They are also planted on the soil surface as they need light to germinate. 

One of our favorite cherry tomatoes, Sun Sugar, has purple stems when they are young. Their fruit is orange.

Different varieties of cabbage. Notice the leaves on the left are a bit curly and the leaves on the right aren't. The left side are a "savoy" type cabbage, crinkly. 

Munstead lavender from seeds. Another seed that needs light to germinate. Not all seeds germinated. We planted a seed in each of the cells.

The Redventure celery is starting to show its color.

The early basil that will be planted in the greenhouse raised beds is looking mighty fine. Oh, and it smells wonderful!

The back two flats are sweet alyssum we seeded three weeks apart. The left one will catch up over time. The front two flats are trailing lobelia for hanging baskets.

Flats of baby tomatoes.

Flat leafed Italian parsley has grown its first true leaves. The smooth edged leaves are cotyledons and once the true leaves, the frilly ones, are photosynthesizing the cotyledons dry up and fall away as they aren't needed any longer.

Gladiola bulbs Florencio brought in for the winter to stay dry in the greenhouse. They are ready to plant outside. Can you get a hint of the color of their flowers? Yup, they have a dark red flower.
Our parents loved flowers and grew sweet peas along the fences and buildings. These will be planted accordingly.  Their characteristic straight up growth differentiates them from peas you would eat. Those types are less likely to be this "rigid" in their growth.

This potted peony outgrew its pot several seasons ago. Today it will be dug up, divided and moved to a better location.

Tomatoes grown to produce in the greenhouse are in their "homes" for the summer. They will produce in the warm greenhouse before the field tomatoes do. The large dahlia pots were in this greenhouse.

Another peony showing its new red growth out in one of the raised beds.

Adding to our lily collection.

Two other varieties of lilies to plant today. 

The asparagus is up and loving this weather.


A new raised bed of strawberries. They will enjoy the drainage of this raised bed. The water table on the farm is fairly close to the surface resulting in a boggy winter in the garden. Strawberries don't like to be soggy.

Peas for eating that we started in the greenhouse are finding their way up the trellis. Drip irrigation is in place for when it is needed later.

Rhubarb is getting larger by the day. It also likes the raised beds.

Onions will be planted in these newly spaded beds with the drip irrigation.  To the right the Sylvan berries are starting to leaf out on their winding canes.

You might be able to see 4 stick like plants in this dark soil area. Florencio dug up the peony that had been in the pot way too long and divided it into 4 new plants. They are planted here.

The lily bulbs are planted next to the walkway in the dark soil. Two rows of different colored lilies. Some are taller so they went in the back row.

Last year's lilies are just starting to poke their way through the surface. Reddish green and about an inch or two tall. Looks like they multiplied over the winter. Yippie!

A close up of the lilies starting out this spring.

Chives divided and relocated to their own area.

A calm cloudy day as the activities at the farm wind down for the day. These raised beds will be filled in soon. At least that's the plan :)

See you next time,

Lorrie