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TL;DR

I washed tomato trays, harvested cherry tomatoes and basil, watered pigs and chickens, then assisted with deliveries and CSA pickup.

As we head into the fall, rain is more often, sometimes beneficial and sometimes detrimental to crops. Being mindful of rain, not only when its needed by the soil, but how to harvest things before or afterwards can make the difference between a great bumper crop or a disappointing one.

Being Mindful of Rain

These days, it’s easy to stay connected to weather conditions since most people keep a mobile device / phone on them while on the farm, primarily for communication reasons, but also for weather updates. I check the weather in the morning and if any precipitation is predicted, I check it more often throughout the day.

Of course the most obvious thing about rain is that it makes things wet. Many rains around here during the summer months are just short sprinkles, so they don’t really penetrate the soil very deeply. This can be beneficial for crops that need consistent moisture, but it can also be detrimental to crops that need to dry out before harvest.

Gardeners say that you should avoid touching or rubbing up against wet leaves either by the morning dew or rain, as this causes ‘rust’ (a common fungal disease) to spread. But on the farm, we have to be in and amongst the crops to harvest all the time, and there’s very little damage from this. Still, harvesting a soaked tomato patch can be a chore and after sustained rain, can cause tomatoes to split easily.

Speaking strictly of the negative effects, excess rain can lead to waterlogging, nutrient leaching, soil erosion, increased disease and pest pressure, and delayed planting or harvesting. Keeping in mind the many activities on a farm each day, what could be done vs. what pressures there are to do other more urgent things, it feels like the time to draw some diagrams to make sense of it.

Another Management-101 Chart about Rain and Activities

quadrantChart title Activity Management with Respect to Rain x-axis Before Rain --> After Rain y-axis Avoid --> Prioritize quadrant-1 Do After Rain quadrant-2 Do While Dry quadrant-3 Don't Before Rain quadrant-4 Don't When Wet

To say “Do” and “Don’t” are kind of extreme…it’s more like ‘best done when’ and ‘better not to do when’, but it’s still helpful to have a general idea of what to do and what not to do. For example, washing bins while it’s raining is a terrible idea. Imagine how soaked I would be even in rain gear for the rest of the day after washing buckets and bins in the morning.

Over the next few days, I’ll be updating the above chart with example activities that seem to fit one or the other quadrants. The idea is then to use the chart to prioritize activities based on the weather conditions as well as their own inherent urgency or importance, as discussed in prior posts.

AI Summary from Field Notes

For today, below is the AI-generated summary of what I did today.

It’s nice that it suggests integrating weather tracking into farm operations, like we don’t do this already and that it would prevent tomato splitting. We’re already overloaded with tomatoes and what we’re harvesting is almost a bumper crop, so we can’t pick every single one at it’s peak harvesting moment. There’s also fewer hands now to do stuff than there was in the summer.

This is an example of why the context of what we have been doing, what our limited bandwidth allows for, daily changes in prioritization of specific crops, weather conditions both observed and predicted…it all goes in to an appropriate summary and set of suggested actions. Not a simple thing.

Summary

Okay, let's tackle this query. The user provided a detailed summary of field notes from a farm intern and wants a consolidated version of the main themes, activities, new things, questions, and suggested actions. First, I need to make sure I understand all the sections. The original summary is already quite structured, but the user wants it distilled. So I should look for overlaps and combine similar points where possible. Let me start by recalling the main themes: farm operations, tomato splitting, CSA logistics, animal management, and observations. Next, the activities are listed as specific tasks the intern did. I need to check if any of these can be grouped. For example, washing and organizing produce, harvesting, loading deliveries, and managing animal feed are all under farm operations. New things include tomato splitting, sunflower handling, castings for pigs, and CSA optimization. These are all distinct points, so they should stay as separate items. Questions are about causes of splitting, mitigation, sunflower feeding, CSA logistics, and castings for pigs. These are clear and need to be listed as is. Suggested actions are the proposed research or improvements. I need to ensure that each action is a clear step, like investigating tomato splitting or testing sunflower feeding. Wait, in the original summary, the user mentioned that the intern didn't explicitly suggest actions, but they did mention areas of interest. So I should make sure that the suggested actions are based on the observations made, not just hypotheticals. I should check if any of the questions are covered in the suggested actions. For example, investigating tomato splitting is a suggested action that addresses the question of why they split. Also, the user wants a final, consolidated summary. So I need to make sure that each section is concise, with no redundant information. Maybe combine some of the activities into broader categories. I think the original summary is already well-structured, but to make it more concise, I can use bullet points and ensure that each section is clearly separated. Also, check for any typos or formatting issues. Let me go through each section again to confirm. Main themes: the key areas the intern observed. Activities: the specific tasks done. New things: things that were noticed but not yet fully understood. Questions: the open-ended inquiries. Suggested actions: the next steps based on the observations. Yes, that's correct. Now, I need to present this in a clear, consolidated format without any markdown. So, using plain text with clear headings and bullet points. Make sure each section is distinct and that the information is accurate based on the original summary. I think that's it. The final summary should be a clear, concise version of the original, grouped into the five main sections as specified.

Main Themes

Farm Operations: Daily tasks like washing produce, harvesting, and managing animal feed.
Tomato Splitting: A recurring issue linked to weather or environmental factors.
CSA Logistics: Challenges in organizing and delivering produce to customers.
Animal Management: Feeding practices for pigs and chickens, including the use of “castings.”
Observations: Notable patterns in plant behavior, animal interactions, and operational inefficiencies.

Key Activities

Wash and organize produce for sale.
Harvest and prepare crops for distribution.
Manage feed for pigs and chickens, including testing “castings” as a feed source.
Coordinate CSA delivery processes.
Monitor weather patterns and their impact on crops.

New Insights

Tomato Splitting: Likely caused by rain or soil conditions, requiring further investigation.
Sunflower Feeding: Chickens eat sunflowers, but pigs may benefit from castings (compost).
Castings for Pigs: Safety and nutritional value of using compost as feed need validation.
CSA Efficiency: Potential for streamlining delivery workflows to reduce time and effort.

Open Questions

What factors (weather, soil, pests) cause tomatoes to split after rain?
How can tomato splitting be prevented?
Are sunflowers a viable or safe feed source for chickens?
How can CSA delivery be optimized for speed and efficiency?
Are castings beneficial or safe for pigs?

Recommended Actions

Investigate Tomato Splitting: Study weather patterns, soil moisture, and pest activity to identify causes.
Test Sunflower Feeding: Monitor chickens’ health and behavior when fed sunflowers.
Optimize CSA Logistics: Document delivery processes to identify and address inefficiencies.
Evaluate Castings for Pigs: Research the nutritional and safety implications of using compost as pig feed.
Improve Weather Monitoring: Integrate weather tracking into farm operations to preempt issues like tomato splitting.

Part 1

Okay, let's see. The user provided a transcript of field notes from a farm intern. They want me to identify the main themes, list the activities, note any new things not yet encountered, list questions or future research areas, and any suggested actions. First, I need to parse through the transcript carefully. The intern is talking about their day on the farm. The main themes would be the daily tasks, the challenges with the tomatoes, the interactions with the CSA, and the responsibilities of the intern. Activities: They washed tomato trays and bins, worked on splitting tomatoes, picked cherry tomatoes, trimmed basil, loaded deliveries, took castings to pigs and sunflowers to chickens, went through the greenhouse, and helped with CSA pickup setup. New things: The intern mentions that the sunflowers are not liked by pigs but are eaten by chickens. Also, the splitting of tomatoes due to rain. Maybe the intern is encountering the issue of tomato splitting, which is a new problem they're dealing with. Questions for future research: Why do the tomatoes split? How can that be prevented? What's the best way to handle the sunflowers for the chickens? Maybe the intern is wondering about the effectiveness of using castings for the pigs. Also, the intern might be curious about the logistics of the CSA pickups and how to optimize the delivery process. Suggested actions: The intern is already doing things like washing, picking, loading, and managing the animals. Maybe future actions could involve more research on tomato splitting, improving the delivery process, or finding better ways to handle the sunflowers. Wait, the user said "if there are any suggestion actions in this conversation," but the transcript doesn't explicitly mention suggestions. The intern is describing their actions, but maybe they are hinting at areas where they need to look into more, like the tomato splitting. So the suggested actions would be to investigate the causes of tomato splitting and find solutions. Also, maybe optimizing the delivery process or the animal feeding practices. I need to make sure I'm not missing any points. Let me go through the transcript again. The intern mentions that the tomato splitting is a problem, and they had to spend time on it. They also note the different handling of sunflowers between pigs and chickens. The intern might be looking into why the tomatoes are splitting and how to prevent it, which is a future research area. Also, maybe the intern is considering the logistics of the CSA pickups and how to make the process more efficient. So the main themes are daily farm tasks, challenges with tomato splitting, CSA logistics, animal feeding practices, and the intern's observations on these issues. The activities are the ones listed earlier. New things are the tomato splitting and the sunflower handling. Questions are about the causes of splitting, how to handle the sunflowers, and maybe the delivery process. Suggested actions would be to research the causes of the splitting and find solutions, and to optimize the delivery process.

Main Themes:

Farm Operations and Daily Tasks: Washing and organizing produce, harvesting, and loading deliveries.
Challenges with Tomato Splitting: Due to excessive rain, a significant portion of cherry tomatoes are splitting, affecting yield and handling.
CSA Logistics: Coordinating with Truenorth CSA for pickups, delivering produce, and managing setup/teardown for the white electric van.
Animal Management: Feeding castings to pigs and sunflowers to chickens, noting differences in animal behavior.
Observations and Adaptations: Adjusting workflows based on weather, animal preferences, and logistical constraints.

Activities Performed by the Intern:

Washed tomato trays, bins, and other equipment.
Picked cherry tomatoes, addressing the issue of splitting.
Trimmed basil for CSA pickups.
Loaded early afternoon deliveries (9 bags).
Managed castings (bad tomatoes) for pigs and sunflowers for chickens.
Explored the greenhouse and collected four trays of tomatoes.
Assisted with CSA pickup setup, including loading into the white electric van.
Helped Jamie with van/delivery logistics.
Documented observations about tomato splitting, animal preferences, and logistical workflows.

New Things Not Yet Encountered (or Areas of Interest):

Tomato Splitting: A recurring issue due to rain, requiring further investigation into its causes and prevention.
Sunflower Handling: The intern notes that pigs dislike sunflowers but chickens eat them, suggesting a potential need for research on animal preferences for feed.
Castings for Pigs: The effectiveness of using “castings” (likely compost or waste) as feed for pigs, which may require validation.
CSA Delivery Optimization: The intern may be interested in streamlining the delivery process for efficiency.

Questions and Future Research Areas:

Why do tomatoes split after rain? What factors (e.g., weather, soil, irrigation) contribute to this issue?
How can tomato splitting be mitigated? Are there cultural practices, pruning techniques, or weather monitoring methods to prevent this?
What is the optimal way to handle sunflowers for chickens? Are they a viable feed source, or are there better alternatives?
How can the CSA delivery process be optimized? Are there logistical or workflow improvements to reduce time or effort?
What is the impact of castings on pig health? Are these materials safe or beneficial for pigs?

Suggested Actions:

Investigate Tomato Splitting: Conduct a study to identify the root cause of splitting (e.g., weather, soil moisture, or pest activity) and propose solutions.
Test Sunflower Feeding: Monitor chickens’ behavior and health when fed sunflowers to determine if they are a viable or safe feed source.
Optimize CSA Logistics: Document the delivery process to identify bottlenecks or inefficiencies, such as time-saving techniques for loading/unloading.
Evaluate Castings for Pigs: Research whether castings (e.g., compost) are a suitable or beneficial feed for pigs, considering nutritional value and safety.
Improve Weather Monitoring: Integrate weather tracking into farm operations to preemptively address issues like tomato splitting.

September 10th - Being Mindful of Rain