TL;DR

We weeded, planted, weeded some more, then prepared for deliveries and a CSA pickups. I am also getting better at anticipating what the farmer’s priorities will be per day and how the team will be distributed to accomplish what needs to get done.

A Usual Day at the Farm

Today it was 80 Fahrenheit and sunny, and there were 6 of us, so we were able to get a lot done. The mosquitoes and gnats were out and I got a little burnt on my face from the reflective UV index. We harvested, washed, weeded, and packed the vehicles for deliveries and market.

And there was lots of weeding…of the holes in the landscaping fabric, of the bare rows in the main field, and of the FilmOrganic rows in the dry fields.

I Am Getting Better at Anticipating Priorities

After a only few months, I’ve gotten good at anticipating activities and in what order they need to occur on days where I also know what the key outcomes need to be. But there are multiple layers of priorities (i.e. micro/daily, mezzo/weekly, and macro/monthly/seasonally).

In short, the order goes:

• URGENT: Must do right now, otherwise you’ll lose money or incur cost/time
• IMPORTANT: Must do later/soon; either blocked by URGENT or a blocker to IMPENDING/DEFERRABLE activities; if not done, will make problems worse quickly because time marches on
• IMPENDING: Activities that are able to be done at the optimal time; usually daily chores fit here
• DEFERRABLE: Things that are in the plan (i.e. legitimate needs), but the effort to do them isn’t always known or it’s not the right time of season to do them (cover crop termination, haying, etc.)

In later posts, I’ll adjust this matrix as needed and expound on the multiple layers (like a pyramid diagram) but for now, this is a good start to sharing the thought process.

The Usual Activities during CSA Season

At this point in the season, we’re representing somewhere just about every afternoon between Tuesday and Saturday. This means:

1. there’s usually something to harvest, wash, and store
2. anywhere from 10-25 share bags have to be packed
3. everything brought in the EV van has to be checked and clean

Additionally, during the day there’s always:

• greenhouse watering
• morning ‘chores’ (i.e. check chickens and pick up eggs, check/feed/water pigs, etc.)
• evening checklist (close main gate, close up barn and greenhouses, check gas in gator)

Variably every few days, there’s also:

• turn on the water to the new greenhouse with tomatoes and peppers for about 3 hours every 3 days
• process (wash and pack) eggs
• check and fill gas in gator and truck

My Personal Pipeline Priorities

Unfortunately, I will have to spend the better part of Friday transcribing other people’s notes and then sifting through job postings and putting in my application where it makes sense. These are, like the above, chores that need to be done but aren’t necessarily urgent, and so I can’t justify further work on my personal homelab pipeline until those are done.

If I’m lucky, I’ll get to peel off a few weekend hours and implement a better approach to the blog skeleton drafting process, which for the most part can be automated, except for the human writing part:

Still for today, this is what my AI thought I did:

Summary

Alright, I need to help this user by providing a concise summary of their farm intern's experience. The user has provided two sets of documents, and from that, they want a summary highlighting main themes, activities, new learnings, questions, and suggestions for improvement. First, I'll read through the first document carefully. It mentions teamwork with six individuals on various tasks like weeding parsnips, seedlings, onions, and managing logistics. There's an emphasis on attention to detail with greenhouse maintenance and equipment cleaning. The activities include specific farming tasks and preparing for market day. New learnings involve understanding plant growth stages and specific weeding techniques. Looking at the second document, it talks about truck cleaning after muddy weather, harvesting Swiss chard and kale in a high tunnel, and transporting produce. There are no new things noted here; everything seems routine. The questions revolve around harvest timing, understanding roles like Paolo's, and exploring high tunnel benefits. Suggestions include checklists for tasks, using markers to track rows, and clear criteria for readiness. Now, I need to consolidate these into main themes: activities, new learnings (which are none in the second document), questions, and suggestions. The user wants it clear and concise without any markdown, so I'll avoid bullet points or special formatting. I should structure the summary by listing each section with key points. Make sure to highlight that there were no new things encountered in the second document but focus on what was done and what's left for further research. Finally, present everything in a straightforward manner, ensuring it's easy to read and understand.

Farm Intern Summary

Main Themes:

1. Team Collaboration: Working with a team of six on farm tasks such as weeding, logistics, and preparation for market day.
2. Crop Management: Focusing on parsnips, seedlings, and onions, including effective weed control techniques.
3. Logistics and Transportation: Utilizing vehicles efficiently for deliveries and market preparation.
4. Attention to Detail: Maintaining cleanliness and preparedness through tasks like equipment washing and greenhouse upkeep.

Activities Performed:

• Weeding parsnips, seedlings, and onions with careful techniques.
• Loading a white van for deliveries.
• Managing onions in dry fields while controlling weeds.
• Watering the greenhouse.
• Cleaning trucks and totes for market preparation.

New Learnings:

• Understanding growth stages of parsnips and specific weeding techniques to avoid soil damage.

Questions and Future Research Areas:

1. Optimal practices for growing high numbers of onions without root disturbance.
2. Management strategies for biodegradable mulch and weed control.
3. Pest management considerations for onions in dry fields.

Suggested Actions:

• Implement tools or techniques to enhance weed removal efficiency.
• Promote sustainable farming methods, such as those learned from foundational experiences (e.g., the intern’s early lessons).
• Provide advanced training on crop management strategies to improve productivity and sustainability.

Part 1

Okay, so I just read through the field notes from the farm intern. Let me try to break down what they did and understand the main themes here. First, the intern talks about cleaning the truck after some muddy days. That makes sense because if it's been raining a lot, the truck probably gets messy. They mention using soapy water and a sponge to go over every surface of the truck. Then they do another pass with just plain water. So that's definitely a cleaning activity. Next, after weeding the onions, they loaded up the van and went to the high tunnel in the main field. The purpose was to pick the last of the Swiss chard and kale. They mention there are other rows of Swiss chard nearby which were picked earlier, so it's about balancing what's ready to be harvested. Then, after picking the produce, they brought everything up to the barn, which I assume is where they store crops or process them. That seems like a typical farm workflow. So the main activities are cleaning the truck and harvesting Swiss chard and kale in the high tunnel. As for new things not yet encountered, the intern doesn't mention anything unusual. The work seems pretty standard: cleaning vehicles and harvesting. Looking at questions, the intern mentions that there are other rows of Swiss chard which were picked earlier. I wonder how they determine when it's time to pick each row. Also, since Paolo was with them, maybe I should ask about training or roles in the field. The high tunnel setup might be something worth looking into more—how it affects crop growth and harvesting. In terms of suggestions, maybe adding a checklist for cleaning the truck could help ensure nothing is missed. For harvesting, perhaps using markers on each row to track when to pick next would improve efficiency. Also, having clear guidelines on when produce is ready could reduce waste or mistakes. I'm not entirely sure about all the farming practices here, but I think these points cover the activities and areas that need more info.

Summary of Farm Intern’s Activities and Insights

Main Themes:

1. Cleaning Activities: The intern focused on cleaning the truck after a period of muddy weather using soapy water and a sponge.
2. Harvesting Produce: They harvested the last of the Swiss chard and kale in the high tunnel, balancing which rows were ready for picking.

Activities Performed:

• Cleaning the truck with soapy water and plain water.
• Harvesting Swiss chard and kale in the high tunnel.
• Transporting harvested produce to the barn.

New Things Encountered: None noted. The activities appeared standard for farm work.

Questions and Future Research Areas:

1. How to determine when specific rows of crops are ready for harvest.
2. Roles and training of helpers like Paolo in fieldwork.
3. Insights into high tunnel agriculture, its benefits, and impact on crop growth.

Suggestion Actions:

• Implement a checklist for truck cleaning to ensure thoroughness.
• Use markers or clear guidelines to track when each row should be harvested.
• Establish clear criteria for determining crop readiness to enhance efficiency and reduce waste.

Part 2

Okay, so I'm trying to figure out what the main themes are from this farm intern's field notes. Let me read through it again. It starts with June 11th, a sunny day around 80 degrees with some ocean breezes. It mentions that there were a lot of bugs out. So the first theme I can see is the weather conditions—sunny, warm, and buggy. Next, the intern talks about watering the greenhouse for 45 minutes. Then they loaded up a truck with zucchini in 50-cell trays and took 18 of them to a field between squash, kale, and chard. They were filling in some unused rows. So this seems like planting and transplanting activity. They also mention weeding out holes in the landscaping fabric that weren't planted over. These extra holes from previous years attract weeds, so they worked on removing those. That's another activity—weed control. Then, they talk about planting zucchini trays. Some were watered before being taken outside, which makes them heavier and easier to handle because of moisture, while others weren't watered as much, causing some stress. The past few days had rain, helping the soil under the fabric stay moist. So breaking this down, the main activities are watering, planting/transplanting zucchini, weeding, and dealing with soil moisture issues due to inconsistent watering or weather. For new things not encountered: The intern mentions using a landscaping fabric, which I'm not sure about. Maybe that's something new they learned about? Also, handling seedlings with different watering conditions could be something new if they usually do it another way. Questions and future research areas might include how effective the landscaping fabric is compared to traditional methods, why some zucchini trays were drier than others, and how to prevent transplant shock better. Maybe also whether the heavy trays are better than lighter ones for longer-term health. Suggested actions could involve evaluating the effectiveness of the landscaping fabric, ensuring all trays are adequately watered before planting, exploring alternatives if transplant shock is a problem, and maybe adjusting the timing of planting based on weather patterns to keep soil moist without relying on rain every time. I think I've got a handle on this. Now, let me structure it properly.

Main Themes:

1. Weather Conditions: The day was sunny, warm (~80 degrees), with ocean breezes and buggy conditions.
2. Planting/Transplanting Activities: Loading zucchini in 50-cell trays and planting them in specific fields.
3. Weed Control: Removing extra holes in landscaping fabric to reduce weed growth.
4. Soil Moisture Management: Addressing soil dryness due to inconsistent watering and weather.

Activities Performed:

1. Watering the greenhouse for 45 minutes.
2. Transplanting zucchini from trays to a field.
3. Weeding out non-planted holes in landscaping fabric.
4. Handling seedlings with varying moisture levels, affecting ease of transplantation.

New Things Not Encountered:

• Use of landscaping fabric as a planting medium.
• Managing seedling weight and moisture for optimal transplantation.

Questions and Future Research Areas:

1. Effectiveness of landscaping fabric compared to traditional methods.
2. Reasons behind differing moisture levels in zucchini trays.
3. Strategies to reduce transplant shock.
4. Alternatives to current practices for better seedling health.

Suggested Actions:

1. Evaluate and compare landscaping fabric effectiveness.
2. Ensure all trays are adequately watered pre-planting.
3. Explore alternatives for reducing transplant stress.
4. Adjust planting timing based on weather patterns to maintain soil moisture.

Part 3

Okay, I just read through this transcript from the farm intern's field notes. It seems like they had a pretty busy day doing various tasks around the farm. Let me try to break it down and figure out what the main themes are. First, the intern mentions working with a group of six people again today. So teamwork is definitely a theme here. They were weeding parsnips and parsnip seedlings. I don't know much about parsnips, so that's something new to me. The seedlings look like cilantro but are different from it, kind of in between carrot and parsley? Hmm, maybe the intern has some gardening knowledge but there's still a lot to learn. Then after lunch, they went to the barn to help load a white van for deliveries. So delivery logistics is another theme. They also had to weed onions in dry fields, which are a big part of their crop—around 70% of all onions planted two months ago. Managing weeds without disturbing the onions too much seems tricky. The intern gives tips on weeding carefully, like using fingers to pull weeds through the soil instead of pulling up dirt with them, which might upset the onions. They also mention something about a white truck being used for muddy returns and an electric van for market. So transportation logistics is another point here, dealing with different vehicles for different purposes. The intern talks about watering the greenhouse and then helping load up for Ipswich market, where they washed totes and washed the inside of the white truck. This shows attention to detail in preparing for market day, ensuring everything is clean and ready. Now, thinking about new things not encountered: I'm not too familiar with parsnips beyond eating them boiled or roasted. Learning that their seedlings resemble other herbs adds a layer of gardening knowledge. Also, managing onions without damaging the soil structure seems like a specific skill. Regarding questions and future research areas, the intern mentions that the dry fields' onions will come out in three to four weeks. I wonder if there's anything specific they're doing to ensure the onions grow well or if there are pests to watch out for. Also, the biodegradable mulch attracting weeds is a point—maybe looking into other solutions or how to manage that effectively. For suggestions, the intern seems to handle weed removal by being careful and using finger method. Maybe adding some tools or techniques would be helpful. They also mention learning from their mom as a kid, which shows the importance of foundational knowledge. Perhaps more about sustainable practices or training could be beneficial. Overall, it's clear that farm work involves multiple tasks requiring attention to detail, teamwork, and continuous learning.

Farm Intern Day Summary: Themes, Tasks, and Reflections

Main Themes:

1. Teamwork: Collaborating with a group of six individuals on various farm activities.
2. Weeding and Crop Management: Focus on weeding parsnips, seedlings, onions, and managing weed control around sensitive crops.
3. Logistics and Transportation: Utilizing different vehicles (white van, electric van) for deliveries and market preparation, highlighting efficient resource management.
4. Attention to Detail: Ensuring cleanliness and preparedness for market day, including tasks like washing equipment and greenhouse maintenance.

Activities Performed:

• Weeding parsnips and seedlings.
• Loading the white van for deliveries.
• Managing onions in dry fields with careful weed removal techniques.
• Watering the greenhouse.
• Preparing for Ipswich market by washing totes and truck interiors.

New Learnings:

• Understanding parsnip growth stages and their appearance compared to other herbs.
• Specific weeding techniques to avoid damaging soil structure around onions.

Questions and Future Research Areas:

• Optimal practices for growing high numbers of onions without root disturbance.
• Management strategies for biodegradable mulch and weed control.
• Potential pest management considerations for onions in dry fields.

Suggestions for Improvement:

• Implementing additional tools or techniques for efficient weed removal.
• Emphasizing sustainable farming methods learned from foundational experiences, such as the intern’s early lessons from their mother.
• Further training on advanced crop management strategies to enhance productivity and sustainability.

This summary highlights the multifaceted nature of farm work, emphasizing the importance of teamwork, careful attention, and continuous learning.