WeeBee Farms

How Boulder county Farmland policies affect me and you. (Repeat of August 19th blog entry)

2011-12-01T14:28:00.000-08:00

I used to think I could grow organically on my own small farm and not worry about what other people were doing. Never did I want to become fanatical or political! Then 2 things happened.

1) My bees died last year and I did a lot of reading and research on the bee problem. I have come to agree with those who say that the bee die off is probably due in large part to pesticide contamination. The newer pesticides (neonicotinoids) are systemic, meaning every part of the plant contains the pesticide including the pollen of any future crops or weeds on the affected soil. Clothianidin (one neonicitinoid) can persist in the soil for up to 100 years!!! (it has a half-life of 19 years) These are widely used in Boulder County and everywhere else. (I had no idea how widely)
2) I lost 1200 pepper and tomato seedlings due to herbicide contamination in the worm castings I bought and used in my organic soil mix. Most likely from barley straw or horse manure the worms ate. The herbicide persists for 2-7 years in the contaminated fields and in the straw and manure from those fields. This was a real waker-upper for me!

Even those these 2 events aren't directly related to GMO's, they are all tied together in the new chemical and biotechnology approach to farming and if I don't get involved I will feel like a co-conspirator. My well-intentioned neighbors who farm conventionally need to hear how their practices affect me and the rest of the county (and world). I'm now wondering if it's even possible to grow organically. Even when making my own compost from my own animals who eat our own uncontaminated hay. Where will organic home gardeners get seeds, mulch, compost and uncontaminated water if things keep going this way? The pollen from the contaminated GMO and herbicide and pesticide treated plants spreads more each day. The honeybees will be gone unless neonicotinoids (the systemic pesticides that are killing pollinators) are banned now.

It's up to us citizens of Boulder County to decide if we want GMO's planted on our Open Space property. This will be a HUGE undertaking.
I have been at the planning meetings, and they are not even close to going in the direction of banning GMO's at this point.

My vision is that we try to persuade the commissioners to phase out the GMO's in 2 years time, ban the pesticides that are killing the bees and other pollinators, and only allow organic farmers to farm the Open Space land within 5 -7 years. This may sound grandiose to some, but I think the people of Boulder County will be willing to devote their time and money to see it through.

I have felt a sense of hope from talking to those who are willing to put some energy towards making Boulder County a safe place to grow. It's inspiring to me.
Farmer's can't do it all. PLEASE educate yourself on the issues (they ARE complicated) and if you agree that GMO's are a bad idea here are some ways to get involved:
1) Contact the Boulder County Commissioners. They are the ones who will ultimately decide. email: commissioners@bouldercounty.org
2) Get in touch with the GM- KNOW citizens action group http://www.no-gmo-boulder.com/

3) Get informed on what has taken place at the planning meetings so far. I thought I was reasonably informed but have been very surprised at the depth of the problems. I feel that my farm may no longer be viable as it is in 5-20 years if nothing changes.
4) Help educate your friends and neighbors who feel that the GM crops and current pesticides and herbicides are somewhat benign. Keep in mind the conventional farmers and home gardeners who use these methods truly believe they are doing no harm.

People all over the United States are watching to see what we will do. Let's show them that we can stand up for what we believe in one corner of the world. The implications will spread far and wide and people everywhere will be inspired.

Karen

No GMO's on Boulder County Open Space! Endorse this policy by Dec 8th

2011-11-17T19:01:00.000-08:00

A Citizens group (GM-Know) has written a policy for the Boulder County Open Space agricultural lands that does not allow for GMO crops to be planted on our lands and addresses healthy soils, local foods and much more. I have reviewed it and agree with the recommendations and have signed it. This is an alternative policy to the one the Croplands Advisory panel came up with which continues to approve the use of GMO's.
Here is the link: http://www.bcccp.info/
Please read it and endorse this with your on-line signature if you also agree with the no-GMO policy and the other policies that require the farmers to maintain the health of the soils and the environment. The policy also bans the use of neonicitinoids on the croplands to protect honeybees and other pollinators (see previous posts on these pesticides from August 19 and September 19, 2011 and the Dan Rather story http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9BkfaVCv84).
Also consider attending the public meeting on Dec 8th where the public gets to tell the commissioners their opinions on the subject.

Commissioners’ Public Hearing:

Thursday December 8, 6:00 pm

Longmont Conference Center

1850 Industrial Circle

Longmont, CO

Garlic planting almost halfway done before Big Snow

2011-10-27T15:20:00.000-07:00

I got almost half of my 350 lbs of garlic planted by Tuesday afternoon. Then we got 15 inches of snow! Luckily I'm used to this. There's always a blizzard or two in the middle of planting. If we get warm weather I could resume planting again as early as next week. There have been many Thanksgiving days over the years that I have been out planting the last of my garlic, I remember 2 or 3 where it was close to 70 degrees. I don't anticipate going that long with planting this year, but I'll try to keep my schedule flexible just in case.

Last Day for Garlic Sales will be Saturday Oct. 22nd!

2011-10-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a record-breaking day for garlic sales. Mostly people wanting to buy for planting. Yes, now is the time! I have some left to sell next Saturday, and may be sold out by noon or so. I do have plenty of the "variety bags" to sell at this point. These are 6 different garlics, color-coded for identification, and the cost is $10.50.
I will have lots of planting instructions on hand to give out. It's great fun to grow your own garlic- and not that hard. I can't seem to grow enough garlic for everyone in Boulder County- so if you really love garlic it's worth growing your own.
See the Sept 22nd post for planting instructions

How much water does garlic need?

2011-10-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

The biggest mistake people make is not watering enough- the garlic comes out really small with insufficient water. We keep the sprinkler going on the garlic bed for 8-12 hours after planting. (It's an oscillating sprinkler that goes back and forth over a large area. For a smaller area, maybe 2-4 hours would be sufficient.) This soaks the ground deeply and protects it through an average winter until February, when we water again. During an extra-dry, windy winter we do an extra watering in early January or so.
When Spring comes, treat garlic like your other garden vegetables, watering as much as lettuce or tomatoes.

New garlic for Saturday 9/24

2011-09-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

For Fall cooking this one will get your attention!

• Siberian- An outstanding strain originally grown by European peasants for market. The fat, dark brown cloves peel easily and taste strong. Good roasted and in stir fry, soups, stews and potato dishes. Will store through December. YELLOW

(note, during the last few weeks I used YELLOW as the color-code for Georgian Crystal, but Yellow will be used for Siberian for now on)

How to plant garlic

2011-09-22T16:49:00.000-07:00

Plant garlic in mid-October (earlier for high elevations.) Select the largest cloves from the largest bulbs. Original bulb size determines the size of your garlic, as well as how much water it gets.

How To Plant- Plant in good enriched soil in FULL sun. Separate cloves, plant each clove 2 to 2 1/2” deep, and 5” to 7” apart, with the pointy end up. Use only large cloves. Don't worry if the cloves are soft or have no skins. Mulch 2” to 4” with straw or grass clippings (no herbicides or pesticides.) Water very well after planting- we water for 12 hours after planting.

Care & Feeding- Fertilize green shoots 2-3 times in March to May with fish emulsion or other high nitrogen fertilzer. Water well in late February and throughout Spring unless we have a wet winter. Keep well-watered in May & June. For hardnecks clip central seed stalk (called scapes) when they make a loop, or shortly afterwards (usually in June.)
You will usually see the green leaves poking up in February or March.

Harvest- Dig up when half of the leaves are brown, usually June 25- July 10. Shade immediately. Hang or put on ventilated shelves for 3 weeks to “cure”. They must have good air circulation and shade.

How To Store- Store at room temperature or cooler, out of direct sunlight. Cool basements and garages can work well for storage. The bulbs need air circulation, but storing in paper bags can keep them from drying out too much. Some people have had good luck storing it in the fridge in a paper bag. Hardnecks generally store up to 5 months. Softnecks up to 9 months.

Honeybee News- Dan Rather Report

2011-09-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

Most of you know I am a hobby beekeeper besides being the "garlic queen". I have become deeply concerned for the future of the honeybee and the crops that they pollinate. The cable TV show "Dan Rather Reports" had a segment on honeybees and pesticides in Colorado on 9/20. It features my friend Tom Theobald - the Boulder County beekeeper who "broke" the story about the EPA being negligent in protecting honeybees from the newest pesticides.
Here is a link to watching the story http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9BkfaVCv84 OR http://vimeo.com/29419200
I have been told that almost all commonly used GMO seeds are coated with these pesticides, besides being genetically modified. (Another reason not to support GMO's in Boulder County).
In addition, many of the flower bulbs imported from Holland have these pesticides according to a recent article in Colorado Gardener. Therefore the pollen from these are likely to be toxic to the honeybees- disturbing their central nervous system. If you support me in trying to protect honeybees and want to know how to help please email me at weebeefarms@gmail.com

Garlic Descriptions for Saturday September 17th. Last day Oct 8th or 15th?

2011-09-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

I will have the same garlic as last week plus these:
• Dukanskij- A delightful hardneck, originally from Kazahkistan. Raw, its starts smooth but finishes with a bite. Sweet and pleasant when baked or roasted. Fat cloves are easy to peel. Will keep through December. BROWN

• Shatili- Excellent in green chile & curries. Intense, spicy flavor stays strong through cooking. High in medicinal compounds. Gorgeous hardneck, originally from the Republic of Georgia. Keeps through December. BLACK

Usually I sell out of garlic in early October. October 8th or 15th will likely be the final market for selling garlic this year. I will keep you posted.

GMO update- new research. Monsanto Corn Plant Losing Bug Resistance

2011-09-02T15:23:00.000-07:00

This recent news should help inform the upcoming decision in Boulder county. Pests are becoming resistant to BT, through exposure to GMO crops. This will greatly affect organic farmers, since we depend on BT for organic pest control. Even worse is that Monsanto and other companies are trying to compensate by through a technique called RNA interference, to make crops deadly for insects to eat, turning off one of its essential genes. Here is the link to the article from the Wall Street Journal:
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/08/29-4?quicktabs_1=0

Garlic Descriptions for Saturday September 2nd

2011-09-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

We will have 10 different garlics to choose from in the bins, plus a few more in our variety bags. There are some new color codes. Purple and Green have changed- so keep your eye out for that. Most of the garlic is plantable, and will be marked as such.

•Persian Star- Spicy, exotic, and very flavorful. Try on salads, in dips or in pesto. Great with green beans and veggies! Slice thinly and serve on crackers. Originally from Uzbekistan. Stores through December. GREEN
• Shantung Purple- Extra-flavorful chinese softneck has 6-8 beautiful rose and beige cloves. Cook for a strong earthy flavor, or eat raw for a fiery heat you won’t forget! Stores to November. PURPLE
• Georgian Crystal- Delectable sweet and spicy flavor. Best used raw or cooked less than a minute. Try in salad dressing and garlic bread. 4-7 fat cloves are very easy to peel. From Republic of Georgia. Will store to November. YELLOW
• Tzan -Tangy and flavorful in sauces, with pasta and for oriental cooking. Also a good raw garlic for those who love adventure. Collected from Shandong province, originally. Will store through December. GREY
• Uzbek Turban- Delightful flavor - rich and smooth. Excellent choice for gazpacho, bruschetta, fresh sauce. A hardneck Turban from former USSR. Stores to Nov. LAVENDER

• Killarney Red- The ultimate garlic for garlic bread! Mix with butter and olive oil and spread on warm french or sourdough bread. Mellow, smooth flavor when cooked. A Rocambole hardneck variety that peels easily. Won’t keep, eat by October. NO COLOR

Also Inchelium Red, German Extra Hardy, Chesnok Red, Malaysian, Colorado Black, Chicago Italian and Guatemalan. See descriptions and colors from previous weeks.

Seed garlic available this week!

2011-08-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

I will have several varieties of garlic that is suitable for planting (large or medium sized garlic from a plot without disease problems).
I will have large heads of Chesnok Red, Tzan and Inchelium Red for $2 each. Also I will have medium sized heads of German Extra Hardy, Uzbek Turban, Malaysian, Georgian Crystal, Colorado Black, Chicago Italian and Killarney Red for $1.75.
Here are the garlic descriptions for 2 new garlics I am selling this Saturday, Aug. 27th:

• Killarney Red- The ultimate garlic for garlic bread! Mix with butter and olive oil and spread on warm french or sourdough bread. Mellow, smooth flavor when cooked. A Rocambole hardneck variety that peels easily. Won’t keep, eat by October. GREEN

• Georgian Crystal- Delectable sweet & spicy flavor. Best used raw or cooked less than a minute. Try in salad dressing & garlic bread. 4-7 fat cloves are very easy to peel. From Republic of Georgia. Will store to November. YELLOW

GMO's on Boulder County Open Space affect us all!

2011-08-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

I haven't been updating my blog as often lately, because my computer time has been spent on the GM issue in Boulder County. The culinary gardener group I belong to has been helping me get inspired and informed on the issues.

I used to think I could grow organically on my own small farm and not worry about what other people were doing. Never did I want to become fanatical or political! Then 2 things happened.

1) My bees died last year and I did a lot of reading and research on the bee problem. I have come to agree with those who say that the bee die off is probably due in large part to pesticide contamination. The newer pesticides (neonicotinoids) are systemic, meaning every part of the plant contains the pesticide including the pollen of any future crops or weeds on the affected soil. Clothianidin (one neonicitinoid) can persist in the soil for up to 100 years!!! (it has a half-life of 19 years) These are widely used in Boulder County and everywhere else. (I had no idea how widely)
2) I lost 1200 pepper and tomato seedlings due to herbicide contamination in the worm castings I bought and used in my organic soil mix. Most likely from barley straw or horse manure the worms ate. The herbicide persists for 2-7 years in the contaminated fields and in the straw and manure from those fields. This was a real waker-upper for me!

Even those these 2 events aren't directly related to GMO's, they are all tied together in the new chemical and biotechnology approach to farming and if I don't get involved I will feel like a co-conspirator. My well-intentioned neighbors who farm conventionally need to hear how their practices affect me and the rest of the county (and world).

I'm now wondering if it's even possible to grow organically. Even when making my own compost from my own animals who eat our own uncontaminated hay. Where will organic home gardeners get seeds, mulch, compost and uncontaminated water if things keep going this way? The pollen from the contaminated GMO and herbicide and pesticide treated plants spreads more each day. The honeybees will be gone unless neonicotinoids (the systemic pesticides that are killing pollinators) are banned now.

It's up to us citizens of Boulder County to decide if we want GMO's planted on our Open Space property. This will be a HUGE undertaking.
I have been at the planning meetings, and they are not even close to going in the direction of banning GMO's at this point.

My vision is that we try to persuade the commissioners to phase out the GMO's in 2 years time, ban the pesticides that are killing the bees and other pollinators, and only allow organic farmers to farm the Open Space land within 5 -7 years. This may sound grandiose to some, but I think the people of Boulder County will be willing to devote their time and money to see it through.

I have felt a sense of hope from talking to those who are willing to put some energy towards making Boulder County a safe place to grow. It's inspiring to me.
Farmer's can't do it all. PLEASE educate yourself on the issues (they ARE complicated) and if you agree that GMO's are a bad idea here are some ways to get involved:

1) Contact the Boulder County Commissioners. They are the ones who will ultimately decide. email: commissioners@bouldercounty.org
2) Get in touch with the GM- KNOW citizens action group http://www.no-gmo-boulder.com/ and join their protest on September 6th.
Please sign their petition and donate money.

3) Get informed on what has taken place at the planning meetings so far August 17th and August 8th. I thought I was reasonably informed but have been very surprised at the depth of the problems. I feel that my farm may no longer be viable as it is in 5-20 years if nothing changes.
4) Help educate your friends and neighbors who feel that the GM crops and current pesticides and herbicides are somewhat benign. Keep in mind the conventional farmers and home gardeners who use these methods truly believe they are doing no harm.
5) Come to the planning meeting on September 1st. At this meeting the public will get to give their input. (The meeting will be in Longmont in the evening. I'll try to post the details as it gets closer)

People all over the United States are watching to see what we will do. Let's show them that we can stand up for what we believe in one corner of the world. The implications will spread far and wide and people everywhere will be inspired.

Karen

ps. Stay tuned and I will post the facts about GMO's that have convinced me that they are a terrible idea.

Garlic Descriptions for Saturday August 20th

2011-08-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

• Uzbek Turban- Delightful flavor - rich and smooth. Excellent choice for gazpacho, bruschetta, fresh sauce. A hardneck Turban from former USSR. Stores to Nov. PURPLE

• Chicago Italian- A great-tasting garlic with a spicy aftertaste when sliced raw. Perfect for dips, pesto and garlic bread (see back). Nutty and smooth when cooked. Easy to peel. Stores thru October. BROWN

• Malaysian -So mild and sweet, you can enjoy it without cooking it. Makes smooth aioli, baba ganoush. Easy to peel. Stores through September. ORANGE

• Colorado Black-Heirloom from Colorado. A superior taste that starts off rich and mild, then builds a little heat. Good raw in hummus, bruschetta. Cooks well. Stores to Oct. BLACK

• Guatemalan- A flavorful and mild garlic that compliments veggies of all kinds. Pretty on the inside with 6-8 large burgundy cloves. Easy to peel. Stores to October. GREEN
• Inchelium Red- Softneck that is excellent for roasting. Discovered on the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington State. One of the best-tasting softneck garlics with a mild but lingering flavor. Stores til January. RED**

• German Extra Hardy- Great raw! Slice thin on crackers. An addictive garlic taste, with full flavor. Big, easy to peel cloves. For cooking put in at end of heating. Keeps to Nov. BLUE**

• Chesnok Red- Originally from the Rep. of Georgia. Earthy, robust flavor with a unique zesty bite. One of the best roasting and cooking garlics. Stores through Dec. PINK**

• Tzan -Tangy & flavorful in sauces, with pasta and for oriental cooking. Also a good, strong raw garlic. From Shandong province. Stores through October. GREY**

** indicates this Garlic is not suitable for planting

August 6th Garlic

2011-08-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

Making guacamole or pesto? We will be bringing our famous "Malaysian Garlic" on Saturday. You can buy it by the bulb ($1.75) or in bargain bags ($4.25). It will also be in our variety bag - 6 different types of garlic, with color-coded description sheet- for $10.50. We'll also have the 6 other garlics from last week.

• Malaysian -So mild and sweet, you can enjoy it without cooking it. A perfect garlic for pesto, guacamole, fresh pasta sauce, salads and sliced very thin on a cracker. Makes smooth aioli, baba ganoush, and hummus. Original seedstock from Malaysia. A very easy to peel rocambole variety. Stores to October. ORANGE

Garlic descriptions for July 30th market

2011-07-29T15:11:00.001-07:00

• Inchelium Red- A softneck variety that is excellent for roasting. Discovered on the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington State. One of the best-tasting softneck garlics with a mild but lingering flavor. Will store through January or longer. RED

• Tzan -Tangy & flavorful in sauces, with pasta and for oriental cooking. Also a good raw garlic for those who love adventure. Collected from Shandong province in China originally. Will store through December. GREY
• Chesnok Red- Excellent-tasting hard neck garlic, originally from the Republic of Georgia. Earthy lingering flavor with a unique zesty bite. One of the best baking and cooking garlics. Chesnok means garlic in Russian. Will store through December. PINK

• German Extra Hardy- Great sliced raw, an addictive garlic taste, with full flavor. Big, easy to peel cloves. Excellent in red sauce: put in at end of heating. Best pesto garlic. Will keep through November. BLUE

• Siberian- An outstanding strain originally grown by peasants for market. The fat, dark brown cloves peel easily and taste strong. Good in stir fry, soups, stews and potato dishes. Will store through December or January. YELLOW

• Thai Purple- Our newest garlic, already a favorite. Originally from Bangkok. A pleasant, spicy raw garlic that leaves a tingle on your tongue. Or add to stir-fry, veggies, salad dressing or dips. Stores to December. PURPLE

Garlic sales start July 30th

2011-07-24T17:07:00.000-07:00

Garlic for eating will be sold
starting July 30th.

Seed Garlic will be sold later

Some of July’s garlic harvest is cured, cleaned sorted and ready to sell. We’ll have Inchelium Red, Chesnok Red, German Extra Hardy, Tzan and Siberian.

Jumbo size garlic will be sold as well as our regular size.

This garlic is for eating, not planting. This is because some diseased garlic was found in the plot that it came from. The diseased garlic has been thrown out, and the garlic we’re selling is beautiful and healthy, but may have a few spores on the roots which could infect a plot it was planted into. We’ll sell all of this garlic early, and then sell the planting garlic afterward.

Muddy Garlic

2011-07-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

Boulder has had almost 3 inches of rain which makes it challenging to harvest garlic. However, it's best to dig it up in spite of the mud. After you dig it up, you can rinse the bulb part in a tub of water to get off some of the mud. Then spread it out in the shade to dry. Make sure they are spread out well enough to dry out. After a few days you can condense it into bundles to keep drying.
In a couple of weeks you can rub off the outside layer of dirt and mud to clean it up.
Every leaf on the garlic represents one layer of bulb skin, so if you leave them in the ground too long they'll deteriorate quickly and won't store long or look appealing- although they'll be fine to eat.

Garlic Harvest is Done!

2011-07-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

Here at WeeBee Farms we got only a half inch of rain- but we could see the storms over Boulder pouring down rain (We're 10 miles North of Boulder). The harvest started in late June with the Tzan and Shantung garlic, and was finished on July 12th. The last part was a bit muddy- the digging was easy, but it was time consuming to get the big clumps of dirt and mud off the bulbs.

It was mostly a very successful crop and I'll have lots of beautiful garlic to sell. The bad news is finding disease in one of my plots. More on that in a later post.

Last week for plant sales and garlic curlies. Watch for garlic bulbs at end of July or Early August

2011-06-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

Come get your garlic scapes while you can. This is our last week to have them, in fact we'll be gone from the market all of July- to harvest and sort garlic and maybe squeeze in a camping trip.

To finish off your vegetable garden come get basil and squash plants and some beautiful morning glory starts and other flowers.

Early garlic is being harvested now

2011-06-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

Most of our garlic won't be ready to harvest until June 30 through July 10th, but our earliest garlic varieties "Tzan" and "Shantung Purple" were harvested on June 21st. These are Asiatic garlics that mature earlier than the others.
It's so good to finally smell the unique earthy combination of garlic and dirt again!

How can you tell when to harvest your garlic?

Harvest- Dig up when half of the leaves are brown, usually June 25- July 10. Shade immediately. Hang or put on ventilated shelves for 3 weeks to “cure” with stems on. They must have good air circulation and shade.

How To Store- Clip off the stems after they are cured. Store at room temperature or cooler, out of direct sunlight. Cool basements and garages can work well for storage. The bulbs need air circulation, but storing in paper bags can keep them from drying out too much. Hardnecks generally store up to 5 months. Softnecks up to 9 months.

Garlic "Curlies" are here!!! In season for 3 weeks only

2011-06-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow (June 11) WeeBee Farms will be selling lots of garlic curlies (scapes). These are a great vegetable for all sorts of uses, and they keep in the fridge for a month! We'll only have them for 3 weeks so get them while they're in season.

• Chop and add to cooked beans, chili, eggs, omelets, quiche, soups, stir fry, tomato sauce and veggies.

• Chop and sautee in olive oil for a minute. Serve generous amounts over pasta or veggie dishes

• Chop fine and eat raw in cold salads, potato salad, tuna or salmon salad, hummous, tabouli

• Roast on the grill whole with a little olive oil and salt

You can use the whole thing including the blossom, maybe slicing off part of the tougher end.

Also we'll be selling squash and pumpkin plants- with some interesting heirloom varieties, cucumber plants and basil plants for your garden.

Salad Bowls for Mom!!

2011-05-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend is Mother's Day weekend, and we will have lots of salad bowls to choose from. Moms have been admiring them for a month now- and would love to have one of their own!

Salad bowls are a way to have homegrown salads with a mini-garden on the deck or patio. They are filled with lettuces and other cool-weather greens that have been hardened off and are ready to keep outside. Usually you will harvest a salad a week, or more, by picking off the outside large leaves, and leaving at least half the plant. Most of the greens will be done by the end of June when it's too hot for them to survive.

Care of your salad bowl: Keep in a cool spot if possible. They love sun when it's cool, but it helps to move them into the shade when the weather is hot.
A half day of sun will keep them growing well. Water your salad bowl well with deep soakings. Fertilize with an organic liquid fertilizer (I like Age-Old Organics).

After your bowl is finished you can plant some hot weather plants in it and then use it the bowl again for a few years. If you have chives in the bowl replant these to the garden and they will live for many years.
Plants in the bowl:
Lettuce- just water well and pick the big leaves
Kale and chard- pick this very often or it will take over the whole bowl
Mustard- pick often, it gets big and the leaves get too hot after a while
Garlic- pick the greens often. Just cut off about 2/3 of the greens and they'll keep growing back. Use for eggs, soups, stirfry, potato salad.... any thing you would use garlic bulbs for. The garlic bulbs will be depleted and won't be worth using at the end.
Onions- Italian Red Bunching Onions. These are scallions. You can use the greens or wait a while and pull up the whole little scallion one by one or all at once.
Spinach- won't produce much so pick early and often

Wild Strawberries!

2011-05-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like the taste of wild strawberries! They are so much sweeter and delicious than regular garden strawberries- there's no comparison. This year we got seeds of Alpine Mignonette wild strawberries from Renee's seeds and have plants to offer starting May 7th. They are hardened off and ready to plant.

from Renee's garden website

Information from Renee's Garden website: Alpines can grow in full sun, although in very hot weather areas (Colorado), they will also thrive in half day sun or an area of dappled shade. Like other berries, they love a rich, fertile, and above all, well drained soil. Alpines need little special care beyond consistent moisture and occasional feeding. Mulching the plants to tuck them in and keep roots moist is a good strategy unless snails or slugs are a menace in your garden.
They will produce fruit the first year in the garden.
For more information visit http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/strawberries.html

Plants that love cold and snow! NO need to protect them during the cold snap...

2011-04-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow the forecast calls for a high of 45 and possibly snow and rain. Great for the plants!! Terrible for the humans!! I will be there with LOTS of plants that are ready for your garden

Luckily all of the plants I am selling are cold-hardy. Kale, chard, lettuce, parsley, lettuces, broccoli, collards, cabbage, onions and pea plants will all survive just fine in cold and snowy weather. Just leave them alone and they will pop back soon. The weather that is hardest for these plants is wind and heat.

Salad Bowls- leave them on the patio or deck in cold and snowy weather. At this time of year they can be in a spot in full sun. As the weather gets warmer they would love a slightly shady spot to keep them cooler.

Cold weather greens hardening off outside

Plants in 2 inch pots. Only plants in the 2 inch pots should be brought in because they are less able to withstand harsh weather. Never leave the 2 inch pots out in full sun and wind unless you can water at least twice a day.

Lettuce!

2011-04-15T09:30:00.003-07:00

25 Different Kinds- The time to plant is now!

2011 Spring lettuces from WeeBee Farms

	Australian Yellow	looseleaf	tasty, bright yellow/green
S	Bronze Arrowhead	looseleaf	Gorgeous, taste test winner
	Buttercrunch	butterhead	very sweet and crunchy
S	Canasta	crisphead	red tinged, very sweet
	Crisp Mint	romaine	compact, upright, excellent flavor
S	Flame	looseleaf	taste test winner, heat tolerant
S	Freckles	romaine	a favorite!
S	Grandpa Admire’s	butterhead	mild, tender heirloom, takes heat
S	Green Oakleaf	looseleaf	never bitter, heat tolerant, heirloom
	Lollo Rossa	looseleaf	baby lettuce, very dark red, eat when small
	Merveille	butterhead	Merveille des quatre saisons, French heirloom
S	Pablo	crisphead	excellent, mild flavor, loose heads, slow to bolt
	Parris Island Cos	romaine	sweet, sturdy
S	Red Fire	looseleaf	fast growing, tasty red leaf
	Red romaine	romaine	12” tall, and wide, redder in cool weather
	Red Sails	looseleaf	very fast growing red
S	Redina	looseleaf	Beautiful bright red, fast growing, early
S	Rouge d’hiver	romaine	“Red Winter” lettuce, very tasty, heirloom, OK in heat
	Salad Bowl	looseleaf	traditional green leaf lettuce
	Sanguine Ameliore	butterhead	small heads, speckled, tender tasting, 1906 heirloom
S	Sunset	looseleaf	taste test winner, deep red, speckled
	Susan’s Red Bibb	looseleaf	mild flavor, taste test winner for red lettuces
S	Victoria	crisphead	Spring to Fall
S	Webb’s Wonderful	crisphead	huge heads, stands well in heat
	Yugoslavian Red	butterhead	loose heads, very mild and crisp

S= suitable for summer, either slow to bolt or heat tolerant

Peas

2011-04-15T08:07:00.000-07:00

Swiss Giant snow peas

My son Caley grew his own pea plants to sell, and I grew some too. Now is a good time to plant them outside.

Norli peas (photos from davesgarden.com)

Types of Pea Plants that WeeBee Farms is selling:
                       Type                      height trellis?
Progress #9           shelling    58 days   18"    no
     heirloom, superb flavor, 5" pods
Green Arrow          shelling    65 days   24"    no
     high yields, 4" pods, disease tolerant
Wando                  shelling    68 days    24"   no
     heat tolerant heirloom
Frosty                   shelling   65 days   30"   no   cold hardy
Tom Thumb          shelling    50 days   18"   no    container plant
Blue Podded   shelling   80 days    6ft   trellis   Dutch soup pea,
       beautiful to grow
Cascadia               snap         58 days   30"      no   juicy 3" pods
Oregon Sugar pod snap        68 days   30"      no    heavy yields,
      mild, sweet flavor
Swiss Giant           snow        70 days    6ft trellis   tasty Swiss
     heirloom, beautiful purple flowers
Super sugar snap   snap    65 days   5ft trellis   crunchy,
     sweet, disease resistant, high yields
Oregon Giant        snow      65 days   36"    no    large 5",
     broad pods, sweet, heavy yields
Dwarf Grey sugar snow       66 days   24"   no    delicious
     raw, steamed or stir fried, freezes well
Norli                      snow       50 days   20"   no   French
     Mangetout pea. Small 2", extra-tender pods. Small plants are great for small gardens

Description: There are two main types. Those with edible pods which include: snow peas and snap peas; and those with inedible pods called garden (or English) peas. Garden peas have rounded pods that are slightly curved in shape, smooth and vibrant green color. Inside the pod are green rounded pea “seeds”. Snow peas are flatter than garden peas, and since they are not fully opaque, you can usually see the shadows of the flat pea seeds within. Snap peas, a cross between the garden and snow pea, have plump pods with a crisp, snappy texture. The pods of both snow peas and snap peas are edible, and both feature a slightly sweeter and cooler taste than the garden pea.

WeeBee Farms will be at market this Saturday April 9th with cold-hardy plants for your home garden

2011-04-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

We've had the plants out in the hot and windy weather for hardening off, and now we'll be ready to sell some on Saturday.
We'll have 6 different kinds of kale, swiss chard, lots of lettuces, baby bok choi onions and pea plants. Salad bowls will be there too. Come down and visit!

Salad bowl for sale

Garlic field "A" on 4/6/11


Lettuces in the greenhouse

Greens to sell April 9th

Onion Plants For Sale

2011-04-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

New this year. Try growing onions in your garden from transplants. Transplants are better than sets, especially for the sweet onions like Walla Walla. We'll have Italian Red Cipollini onions and Italian Red Bunching Onions too. Read on for the instructions and list of varieties we'll be selling:

Growing Onions From Transplants

information from WeeBee Farms

Choosing the right site:

Onions love to grow in full sun in light, well-drained soil that's high in organic matter.

When to plant- to get to optimal size onion transplants should be planted 2-4 weeks before last frost. Aim for April 17th thru May 8th in Boulder. They must be hardened off well to withstand some frost and snow. WeeBee Farms only sells plants that are hardened off and ready to plant.

How To Plant- For big onions, plant 2-3 inches apart by pressing into soil, slightly deeper than the top of the white part, the pulling up a bit to straighten the roots. For bunching onions, remove pot and plant the block as is, or separate into two or three sections.

Caring For Onions- Onions have shallow roots and need to be watered often. They need plenty of fertilizer up until about mid-July. We like "Age-Old Organics" brand of liquid fertilizer. 5-10-5 or something similar is suggested.

Weeding onions is very important as they lose size quickly if forced to compete with weeds. If bulbs push out of the ground, mulch with straw.

Harvesting- When 50% of the tops have fallen over, push the rest over and wait 1-2 weeks for the tops to dry out. Dig up and dry out in the shade for a couple of days with the tops still on.

Storage- Choose only the long-storing varieties to store. Keep in a very cool an dry place in mesh bags. 33- 45 degrees is ideal.

Varieties

Copra- a long-storing sweet yellow onion for sauteeing, soups and all types of uses

Red Cipollini- An Italian Heirloom variety that is very sweet and tasty used fresh, or for roasting and kebabs. Medium-storing.

Italian Red Bunching Onion- beautiful Italian heirloom with strong onion flavor. Pick young for milder taste, or later for bigger onions and stronger flavor. Refrigerate after picking with green tops on.

Walla Walla Sweet- Very mild and tasty sweet onion. Not for long storage.

Candy- Huge yellow onion that tastes sharp and sweet. Long-storing.

Leeks: Planting- Similar to onions but plant in 5” furrow, deeper than it was in pot. As they grow, fill furrow with soil. Harvest some in Spring, some later.

WeeBee Farms is getting ready for market

2011-04-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

Greenhouse starts- ready to harden off

Onion Starts- Copra, Candy, Italian Red Cipollini, Red bunching onions, Leeks

Can't wait to get there. I'm busy hardening off plants to sell. We have peas, lettuce, kale, chard and onion starts- started in our new greenhouse. The garlic looks great, too. I've been watering it like crazy in this hot, windy weather.

See you in the Spring!

2010-10-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your support, your feedback and smiling faces. This is what keeps me going!
I will be planting my garlic from mid-October to Thanksgiving. Then I will go through my mail pile, clean the house, see the dentist, get ready for Christmas and start again in January getting ready to seed plants.
I will sell lots of salad starters, "salad bowl" planters and basil and pepper plants from April to June.

Garlic Information and Color codes for Oct 2, 2010

2010-10-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

Last Day for WeeBee Farms is October 2nd!

2010-09-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

There is still some garlic left this Saturday. I will be selling a lot of Jumbo Size heads of German Extra Hardy, which I had saved to plant, but don't have enough room for. These are $1.75 each. Buy them to eat or plant. I will also have some Inchelium Red which stores til January and Chesnok Red- the best garlic to saute with. I have a few Shantung purple which is very spicy and pungent, some variety bags and $5 bags of smaller heads.

German Extra Hardy is named for it's ability to grow well in cold temperatures. Last winter it got down to 17 below in December here, and it grew better than ever- with the help of a lot of snowpack and good moisture. It's my overall favorite garlic- as many of you know- because I eat it raw on crackers (sliced very thin) or for pesto, hummus, or mixed with Avocado. It's also perfect for fresh tomato sauce, put in at the end.
This garlic has huge cloves and is very easy to peel- which makes it a shorter storing garlic. It's best to plan on eating it before November.

Planting

Check out the planting instructions below.

Use Our Garlic For Planting!

2010-09-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

Plant garlic in mid-October (earlier for high elevations.) Select largest cloves from largest bulbs.

How To Plant- Plant in good enriched soil in full sun. Separate cloves, plant each clove 2 to 2 1/2” deep, and 5” to 7” apart, with the pointy end up. Use only large cloves. Don't worry if the cloves are soft or have no skins. Mulch 2” to 4” with straw or grass clippings (no herbicides or pesticides.) Water very well after planting- we water for several hours.

How To Store- Store at room temperature or cooler, out of direct sunlight. Cool basements and garages can work well for storage. The bulbs need air circulation, but storing in paper bags can keep them from drying out too much. Hardnecks generally store up to 5 months. Softnecks up to 9 months.

The Garlic is Selling Out Quickly- Last Market will be Sept. 25th or Oct 2nd

2010-09-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

Seems like more and more people are catching on to the great flavor of fresh garlic and Labor Day weekend was crazy busy.
I am starting to run out of Chesnok Red and several other garlics, so if you want certain types to save for planting in October- this is the time to come.
Here's hoping for a nice weekend, with the fires completely out by Saturday.

Buckwheat Field

2010-09-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

The garlic fields are rotated every other year. In between
garlic crops I plant Winter Rye, Oats and peas,
Buckwheat and other cover crops to improve soil quality and fertility

Rose de Lautrec Garlic

2010-09-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite garlics, Rose de Lautrec (I call it French Rose) actually does not grow well in Colorado, since it prefers warmer climates. This year in particular it was really stressed out during the 17 below zero days we had in December. It had strange-looking bulbs with no cloves (like an onion) or turned into clumps of tiny bulbils. Although at my friend's garden in Boulder, where it's slightly warmer, hers did fine. So I am encouraging you to try growing it yourself from the little bulbils I've salvaged from it this year.
Plant them in the Fall, and at the end of next June harvest small bulbs. Then save the biggest cloves from the biggest bulbs and plant again to harvest bigger bulbs the following year. It will help to mulch your garlic and grow it in a warmer garden near the house.

Rose de Lautrec description:

An exceptionally beautiful garlic with bright pink cloves that tastes wonderful. It is good raw with cucumbers, tomatoes, hummous, baba ganoush, etc or cooked. The biggest difference between this garlic and others is that it stores until next Spring! It is by far the longest storing garlic I've ever grown. They bulbs always grow fairly small for me, but the taste, beauty and storage outweigh that shortfall. It is a "Creole" variety of garlic known for exceptional flavor.

For more information about Rose de Lautrec, see the official French Website.
http://www.ailrosedelautrec.com/en_growing-lautrec-s-pink-garlic_13.php

Use Our Garlic For Planting!

2010-08-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

Garlic is fun and easy to plant in your home garden. It needs good garden soil, plenty of water and full sun. Prepare a plot now with some good quality compost, and start saving garlic to plant in October. The garlic we sell at market is good to grow here in Colorado. Anytime is good to stock up. Just store your garlic in a cool place in your kitchen - out of direct sunlight. Storing in a paper bag helps keep the moisture in, but lets it breathe.

August 21 Garlic List- See you Saturday!

2010-08-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

• Inchelium Red- A softneck variety that is excellent for roasting.   One of the best-tasting softneck garlics with a mild,lingering flavor. Stores to Jan   RED

• Chesnok Red- Excellent-tasting hard neck garlic, originally from the Republic of Georgia. One of the best baking and sauteeing garlics.Stores through Dec.           PINK

• German Extra Hardy- Great sliced raw, an addictive garlic taste, with full flavor. Big, easy to peel cloves. Excellent in red sauce: put in at end of heating. Will keep through Nov. BLUE

• Tzan -Tangy & flavorful in sauces, with pasta and for oriental cooking. Also a good, strong raw garlic. From Shandong province. Stsores through October. GREY

• Siberian- An outstanding strain originally grown by peasants for market. The fat, dark brown cloves peel easily and taste strong. Good in stir fry, soups, stews and potato dishes. Will store through December    YELLOW

• Malaysian -So mild and sweet, you can enjoy it without cooking it. Makes smooth aioli, baba ganoush, and hummus. Original seedstock from Malaysia. A very easy to peel rocambole variety. Stores through September. ORANGE

• Persian Star- Spicy, exotic, and very flavorful. Try on salads, in dips or in pesto. Great with green beans and veggies! Slice thinly and serve on crackers. Originally from Uzbekistan. Stores through December.       GREEN

• Shatili- Excellent in, green chile & curries. Intense, spicy flavor stays strong through cooking. High in medicinal compounds. Gorgeous hardneck, originally from the Republic of Georgia. Keeps through December. BLACK

• Georgian Crystal- Delectable sweet & spicy flavor. Best used raw or cooked less than a minute. Try in salad dressing & garlic bread. 4-7 fat cloves are very easy to peel. From Republic of Georgia. Will store to November.        PURPLE

The garlic is drying

2010-07-20T06:59:00.000-07:00

Garlic Harvest Time- Back July 31st

2010-06-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

It's time to harvest the garlic bulbs and then let them cure for 2-3 weeks- and perhaps squeeze in a little camping trip.
We'll be back at the end of July or first week of August with some great looking garlic bulbs.
Remember it's time to harvest your garlic when about 1/2 the leaves turn brown- including the lower ones that have fallen off already.

Pepper Plant Sale! Garlic curls are here!

2010-06-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

Sweet Red and Yellow Bells, Sweet Italian, Pepperoncini, Poblano, Anaheim, Thai Hot, Bulgarian Carrot Chile and so many more...

We will have beautiful, healthy pepper plants for $2 each this weekend (the 2 1/2" size). If you can find room for 5 in your garden they will cost you only $9. It's not too late! And, we have some big healthy peppers available in larger pots for $4.

Garlic "Curls" (officially known as scapes) are ready. There will be lots and lots- bring your own bag and we charge $1 for a handful. They are only available this weekend and next weekend. What to do with them? Chop them and sautee lightly in olive oil, serve over pasta, mixed with veggies, in eggs, beans, tomato sauce. Or, chop them raw and mix with egg salad, potato salad, hummus, green salad or salsa. Try grilling them on the grill, too. Store in the fridge and they will keep about 3 weeks.

Does your father like basil? Consider getting him a ceramic pot with Karen's favorite type of basil- Dwarf Greek- for $6.50. This basil is the very sweetest, is easy to grow, and can sometimes overwinter on your windowsill when summer is over.

Creekfest Craziness, Squash, Peppers and Cucumbers

2010-05-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

Come from 8am to Noon- We are at the far South End, Near Abbodanza

Saturday May 29th Creekfest will be near and around the Farmer's Market. Creekfest is usually a very crazy day but I will be there selling vegetable plants from 8am to noon. At noon is when the "corndog crowd" takes over, the noise levels get too high for my ears and I pack up my van and walk away from the crowds to a quieter place.

I will be bringing lots of warm-weather vegetable plants: Zucchini, Straightneck summer squash, Cucumber plants (Lemon, Muncher, English and Pickling) Some pepper plants, Tomatoes (Patio, Carmello, Sunray, Sungold and more), Basil (Profumo, dwarf greek and Tulsi)

I am phasing out the cool weather plants, but will have a couple of salad bowls, some lettuce, kale and chard.

Please come early on Saturday to beat the crowds. My spot will be at the far South end, on the East side, 2 stands up from Abbodanza

Lettuces Galore!

2010-04-15T13:13:00.001-07:00

Come by on Saturday, April 17th to see the colorful lettuce starts we'll have for you to plant in your garden. I have Romaine (Freckles, Parris Island Cos, Crisp Mint, Red Romaine, Rouge d'hiver), Butterheads and much more. (See the list below of all the lettuces and descriptions)

Salad Bowls! It's just the right weather to have one of these on your deck before the heat hits. Remember that lettuce can take a lot of cold- 20 degrees is fine for them, but heat and full sun can make them bolt quickly and turn bitter.

Peas! Caley will be selling pea plants after 10am. We have 7 varieties of Shelling and Snap Peas including "Tom Thumb" an heirloom from the 1800's that grows well in small containers. You can bring these to the table to use as a centerpiece- let your guests eat them right from the plant!

Garlic! We will have a little bit of garlic, too. Some bags of small cloves for Spring planting of garlic greens, and a few leftover heads for eating or planting. The big crop won't be harvested until July, and is about 4 inches high now.

2010-04-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

2010 Spring lettuces from WeeBee Farms

	Australian Yellow	looseleaf	tasty, bright yellow/green
S	Bronze Arrowhead	looseleaf	Gorgeous, taste test winner
	Buttercrunch	butterhead	very sweet and crunchy
S	Canasta	crisphead	red tinged, very sweet
	Crisp Mint	romaine	compact, upright, excellent flavor
S	Flame	looseleaf	taste test winner, heat tolerant
S	Freckles	romaine	a favorite!
S	Grandpa Admire’s	butterhead	mild, tender heirloom, takes heat
S	Green Oakleaf	looseleaf	never bitter, heat tolerant, heirloom
	Lollo Rossa	looseleaf	baby lettuce, very dark red, eat when small
	Merveille	butterhead	Merveille des quatre saisons, French heirloom
S	Pablo	crisphead	excellent, mild flavor, loose heads, slow to bolt
	Parris Island Cos	romaine	sweet, sturdy
S	Red Fire	looseleaf	fast growing, tasty red leaf
	Red romaine	romaine	12” tall, and wide, redder in cool weather
	Red Sails	looseleaf	very fast growing red
S	Redina	looseleaf	Beautiful bright red, fast growing, early
S	Rouge d’hiver	romaine	“Red Winter” lettuce, very tasty, heirloom, OK in heat
	Salad Bowl	looseleaf	traditional green leaf lettuce
	Sanguine Ameliore	butterhead	small heads, speckled, tender tasting, 1906 heirloom
S	Sunset	looseleaf	taste test winner, deep red, speckled
	Susan’s Red Bibb	looseleaf	mild flavor, taste test winner for red lettuces
S	Victoria	crisphead	Spring to Fall
S	Webb’s Wonderful	crisphead	huge heads, stands well in heat
	Yugoslavian Red	butterhead	loose heads, very mild and crisp

S= suitable for summer, either slow to bolt or heat tolerant

2010-03-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

Salad Bowls

See you April 17th!

2010-03-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

It's been a longer winter than usual- the garlic poked up January 29th last year, and not til March 1st this year. It looks good, so far.
I've been busy seeding plants in the basement, to get ready to sell starting on April 17th.
I will have lots and lots of salad bowl planters, lettuce, kale, chard and other yummy greens for you to plant in your gardens or planters. Caley is 7 now, and has become quite the businessman; always thinking of things he can grow and sell at the market. He plans to have some pea plants to sell in April, some Kitty grass and some eggs from our chickens.
I will have a little bit of garlic for Spring planting. Mostly small cloves to plant in groups to harvest for Spring Greens. You sprinkle the cloves in the garden, cover with about an inch of soil, and water. You can harvest the green shoots several times before they run out of steam. These are great in soups, eggs, salads- everything!

We won't be at market Oct 10th, See us on Oct. 17th

2009-10-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

The latest weather forecast for Saturday: A chance of snow and freezing drizzle. Patchy fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 34. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
I will be home, separating garlic for planting and planning out my plots. I hope to see you next week!

Chesnok Red

2009-10-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

October 10th update

2009-10-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

Here's the forecast for this Saturday: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44. Doesn't sound pleasant, but we have a little more garlic to sell so may be there anyhow. (Check the blog on Friday)
We have quite a bit of Chesnok Red and I will be selling some miscellaneous planting stock as well. If the weather's not too bad, we'll probably sell out by noon.
We will be planting our garlic soon, which takes 3 weeks or more. See the 8/10 post for planting instructions.

Oct. 10th will be our last Saturday at market

2009-09-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

There is still lots of Chesnok Red Garlic in our barn, enough to carry us one week longer than anticipated. On October 3rd we will have some Inchelium Red (stores til January), lots of Chesnok Red (stores til December) and a few others. We will also have some extra-big heads to sell for planting. If you want to grow large heads, start with large heads.

Garlic Available 9/12/09

2009-09-10T12:12:00.000-07:00

• Dukanskij- A delightful hardneck, originally from Kazahkistan. Raw, its starts smooth but finishes with a bite. Sweet and pleasant when baked or roasted. Fat cloves are easy to peel. Will keep through December. GREY

• Shantung Purple- Extra-flavorful chinese softneck has 6-8 beautiful rosy/tan cloves. Cook for a strong earthy flavor, or eat raw for a fiery heat you won’t forget! Stores to January. PURPLE

• Siberian- An outstanding strain with fat, dark brown cloves that peel easily and taste very strong. Good in stir fry, soups, stews and potatoes. Will store through Dec. YELLOW

• Rose de Lautrec -French garlic from the Southern region of Tarn. Deep rose colored cloves are like little jewels, and the taste is fabulous! Good in salads, in dips and sliced thin on crackers. Will store to January. By special request, limit 5.

Also available: Chesnok Red, Inchelium Red and Shatili. German Extra Hardy is available in a Jumbo Size heads for $1.75 each. (It is not recommended for planting because of a disease problem in the plot where it grew.)

Chesnok Red is available in Extra Large heads for planting.

Garlic Available 8/29/09

2009-08-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

• Bogatyr- Rich and spicy. A unique garlic with an excellent flavor. Try in gazpacho, salsa and for a spicy pesto. Good cooked or roasted too. Fat dark purple-brown cloves are easy to peel. Will keep to December ORANGE

• Siberian- An outstanding strain originally grown by peasants for market. The fat, dark brown cloves peel easily and taste strong. Good in stir fry, soups, stews and potato dishes. Will store through December YELLOW
• Brown Tempest- Robust garlic flavor for true garlic lovers. A very strong, tangy quality when used raw for appetizers & salads. Milder, but delicious when cooked. Perfect with potatoes, meats & stews. Stores through Dec. BROWN

• Inchelium Red- A softneck variety that is excellent for roasting. Discovered on the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington State. One of the best-tasting softneck garlics with a mild, lingering flavor. Stores to Jan. RED

• Shatili- Excellent in, green chile & curries. Intense, spicy flavor stays strong through cooking. High in medicinal compounds. Gorgeous hardneck, originally from the Republic of Georgia. Keeps through December. BLACK

• Chesnok Red- Excellent-tasting hard neck garlic, originally from the Republic of Georgia. (Chesnok means garlic in Russian.) Earthy lingering flavor with a unique zesty bite. One of the best baking and cooking garlics. Will store through December. PINK

• German Extra Hardy- Great sliced raw, an addictive garlic taste, with full flavor. Big, easy to peel cloves. Excellent in red sauce: put in at end of heating. Loses flavor if cooked too long. Will keep through November. BLUE

• Persian Star- Spicy, exotic, and very flavorful. Try on salads, in dips or in pesto. Slice thinly and serve on crackers. Originally from Uzbekistan. Will store through Dec. GREEN

• Tzan -Tangy & flavorful in sauces, with pasta and for oriental cooking. Also a good, strong raw garlic. From Shandong province. Stores to November. TURQUOISE

Use Our Garlic For Planting!

2009-08-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

Plant garlic in mid-October (earlier for high elevations.) Select largest cloves from largest bulbs.

How To Store- Store at room temperature or cooler, out of direct sunlight. Cool basements and garages can work well for storage. The bulbs need air circulation, but storing in paper bags can keep them from drying out too much. Hardnecks generally store up to 5 months. Softnecks up to 9 months.

Garlic Available 8/1/09

2009-07-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

These are the descriptions for the garlic we'll have Saturday 8/1. The color afterwards is for you to color-code your garlic with markers when you buy it.

• Malaysian -So mild and sweet, you can enjoy it without cooking it. Makes smooth aioli, baba ganoush, and hummus. Original seedstock from Malaysia. A very easy to peel rocambole variety. Stores through September. ORANGE

• Inchelium Red- A softneck variety that is excellent for roasting. Discovered on the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington State. One of the best-tasting softneck garlics with a mild, lingering flavor. Stores to Jan. RED

• Shatili- Excellent in, green chile & curries. Intense, spicy flavor stays strong through cooking. High in medicinal compounds. Gorgeous hardneck, originally from the Republic of Georgia. Keeps through December. BLACK

• Chesnok Red- Excellent-tasting hard neck garlic, originally from the Republic of Georgia. (Chesnok means garlic in Russian.) Earthy lingering flavor with a unique zesty bite. One of the best baking and cooking garlics. Will store through December. PINK

• German Extra Hardy- Great sliced raw, an addictive garlic taste, with full flavor. Big, easy to peel cloves. Excellent in red sauce: put in at end of heating. Loses flavor if cooked too long. Will keep through November. BLUE

• Chicago Italian- A great-tasting garlic with a spicy aftertaste when sliced raw. Perfect for dips, pesto and garlic bread (see back). Nutty and smooth when cooked. Easy to peel. Stores to October. BROWN

• Persian Star- Spicy, exotic, and very flavorful. Try on salads, in dips or in pesto. Slice thinly and serve on crackers. Originally from Uzbekistan. Will store through Dec. GREEN

• Tzan -Tangy & flavorful in sauces, with pasta and for oriental cooking. Also a good, strong raw garlic. From Shandong province. Stores to November. TURQUOISE

Wheelbarrows Full of Chesnok Red!

2009-07-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

We will have plenty of Chesnok to sell this year. Chesnok means garlic in Russian. It's really strong and tasty, stores until December (or longer) and holds up to cooking. Use it in spaghetti sauce, pickling, roasting and sauteeing.

Harvest Is Over and the Garlic Looks Great! Look for us at the market on August 1st

2009-07-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

WeeBee Farms will be at Boulder Farmer's Market August 1st and August 8th. We won't be there August 15th, but will be back after that.
The 1st week we'll have lots of Chesnok Red, German Extra Hardy, Inchelium Red and Tzan. Tzan is one of my new favorites for raw garlic sliced on crackers. It's very smooth with huge garlic flavor, but not hot.

June 27th:Basil plants and garlic curls. Then WeeBee Farms will be gone from the market until it's time to sell garlic.

2009-06-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

We will be busy harvesting, sorting and cleaning the first 3 weeks of July. Check in later to see when the garlic will be ready to sell at market.
The earliest garlic (Tzan) has been harvested and looks great! The taste is slightly spicy and very rich and tasty. The rest of the garlic will be ready July 1st thru 10th. I harvest when half the leaves are brown.

Last week to buy garlic curls June 27th!

2009-06-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

These are SO good and will keep in the fridge for 2-3 weeks. You can put a few in a pan with some oil and stir fry for a minute and serve as a side dish. Or, chop and saute to add to veggies, eggs, beans, tomato sauce, pasta, stir fries... One of my favorites is chopped raw with olive oil and avocados- yum!

2009-06-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

Garlic curls 6/17- it's about 3 weeks until garlic harvest!

2009-06-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

The garlic field on June 17th. Things look greener than any other year and the garlic looks fabulous!

May 30th is the day to plant warm weather plants!

2009-05-20T13:33:00.000-07:00

Look for our hot weather plants for sale May 23rd (8am-11am), May 30th, June 6th
Basil, Tomatoes, Peppers, Cucumbers, Squash, Eggplant, Pumpkins
At WeeBee Farms we don't plant tomatoes or basil out until May 30th, and peppers until a week later. Why? We have gotten a killing frost as late as June 8th (1998). Also, those plants love hot weather and warm ground temperatures. Our nights are still pretty cool and this stresses out the plants, especially peppers which are really fussy. We always plant pepper plants in the garden in the first week of June, and have almost always had a great harvest. Peppers grow really well here! (They may need covered up a few nights in September when we get the first frosts).

Salad Greens, Salad Bowls for Sale this Saturday!

2009-05-07T11:00:00.002-07:00

This week we'll have cool weather plants for your garden. But , the cool weather is almost over. Next week look for basil, pepper and tomato plants.

2009-05-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

Salad Bowls (May, 2007)

2009-03-31T11:29:00.000-07:00

We'll be at the market starting April 25th!

2009-03-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

Stop by WeeBee Farms stand on April 25th. I'll be selling lots of cool weather plants for your garden like lettuce, swiss chard and kale. Also, I'm hoping to have some "Salad Bowl" planters ready for that day, and perhaps a few bundles of green Spring garlic.

The garlic is growing splendidly, and loving the huge snow we got.
I'm looking forward to being back in full swing at Boulder Farmers Market and I can't wait to see you there!

End of The Season For WeeBee Farms

2008-09-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday's market was a huge success, and all of the garlic is sold out. Thank you to everyone who found me at the few markets I attended this year. I may have a few small cloves left over from planting, so look for a posting at the end of October if you would be interested in getting some of these.
In the meantime, prepare a little plot and get ready to plant your own garlic in October!

Look for us on the South end, West side this Saturday 9/13!

2008-09-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

The market manager has found a space for WeeBee Farms at this Saturday's market. It is where Ute Trail Greenhouse usually is at the South end of the street, on the West side. Hope to see you there! I will probably sell out by noon, so come in the morning if you need garlic.

September 13th at market

2008-09-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

Last of the Garlic will be sold Saturday 9/13 at the Boulder Market

If I know where my spot will be I will post it on Friday evening. Come Early!

2008-08-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

We'll be at the market on Saturday August 30th!

2008-08-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

I think tomorrow will be a big day for WeeBee Farms. I definitely sense a pent up demand for garlic! Wednesdays have been busy and I have seen a lot of my regular customers, but not all of you.
I expect to mostly sell out of Chesnok Red and Inchelium Red this Saturday, so if you want those, come early. I will have lots of other good varieties, including some Persian Star.
CUCUMBERS
My son Caley planted Cucumber seeds in the Spring- many more than I would've have planted on my own- with the idea of selling cucumbers at the market in summer. Now he is offering lemon cucumbers and the more traditional green ones called "Muncher". Both are really tasty, and his sales proceeds will be used to purchase flowers at the market- since Mom doesn't usually splurge on flowers.
I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Upcoming Markets: Wednesday August 20th, Saturday August 30th

2008-08-15T15:19:00.000-07:00

We won't be coming to Saturday market August 16th afterall.
Because of the rainy forecast I've decided to reschedule my next Saturday market to August 30th.
Although I'm fairly water resistant, wet garlic isn't happy garlic...
Last Wednesday's market (8/13) was great. Thanks to all you regular customers who found me in an unexpected spot on the West side of the market. Garlic sales have been strong, and I will probably sell out after 3 or 4 more markets. I hope I won't disappoint too many garlic lovers, though.

2008-08-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

Visit Our Stand on Saturday August 16th!
Also, Wednesday August 13th and August 20th 4pm-8pm.
Prepare to plant garlic NOW.
The August 2nd market was a big success, and I can see that the limited supply of garlic this year will sell out soon. I hope everyone will consider buying some garlic for planting in your own gardens, so you will never run out! Stop by for planting instructions at any market.

Now is the time to start preparing a little patch for planting garlic in October. If the soil needs improvement- plant a quick-growing cover crop like Buckwheat now. Till it into your soil in 4 weeks.
Buy your garlic for planting now, while we have a good selection. It is all harvested in early July, so there is no reason to wait. You can keep it in a paper bag on your counter until planting time.

See us at Market Saturday August 2nd!

2008-07-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

The very early garlics were harvested at the end of June, and all the rest were ready by July 1st. All of it is now out of the ground and starting to dry and cure. It looks fabulous this year! Most all the garlic varieties grew to a nice size and look very healthy. It sure smells good out back!
Here are the dates we will be at market.
• Saturday August 2nd
• Wednesday August 13th and August 20th.
I look forward to seeing everyone there and sharing the bounty!

WeeBee Farms will be at Wednesday Market!

2008-06-18T09:08:00.000-07:00

On June 18th, WeeBee Farms will be at Wednesday Market with Garlic Curlies (Scapes) to sell! We will be at the North end of the market on the East side, about 5 stands North of our usual Saturday spot.
Come see Karen and Averie and get a little garlic back in your life!
Here's how to use them:
Chop into small pieces, sautee in olive oil for a couple of minutes. Serve over cooked pasta. Also try them raw or sauteed in: potato salad, green salad, peas, spinach, stir fries, soups, potatoes, rice or eggs.
They make great pesto too. Simply puree with a little olive oil. The pesto can be frozen for later use.

2008-05-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

Although I am missing the Farmer's Market and all of my wonderful customers, I am enjoying the luxury of being able to plant our own vegetable garden (before mid-June which is when I usually do a desperate and late planting of tomatoes and peppers) and fix up things around the farm. The stress level is way down around here, and my family likes the less-stressed out version of me a lot better!
The garlic is thriving out back and getting weeded and watered in a more timely manner than usual.

WeeBee Farms

2008-01-30T11:03:00.000-08:00

WeeBee Farms will be taking a "semi-sabbatical" from the Boulder Farmers market for the 2008 season.
This means I won't be selling plants in the Spring but will be taking care of my garlic, doing farm and field maintenance, growing a family garden, learning about Solar energy installation, and going on Spring and Summer vacations.
Look for garlic starting in late July or early August. I will probably sell at a few Saturday markets and possibly Wednesdays from 4-8. Look for future posts to find out when and where I will be at market later in the season. I will not be selling directly from my farm.
Karen