GOPR1073.JPG

GOPR1074.JPG

GOPR1078.JPG

GOPR1083.JPG

GOPR1090.JPG

GOPR1094.JPG

GOPR1095.JPG

GOPR1096.JPG

Video autoplay

TL;DR

We harvested (some) kale before getting rained out, cleaned leeks and scallions, weeded the nursery greenhouse, bunched salad turnips and prepared for markets.

Marsh ‘Potao’

“Potâo” is an ancient French word originating from the south of France to describe what is more commonly known as a “Pot-à-eau” meaning ; Pot of water.

Potatoes (or ‘potao’ as some call them) are a staple in our CSA and a pure treasure to eat. Really fresh potatoes (and I mean hours after harvest or less) still smell and taste earthy. You can rub the skins off with your thumb, but why would you? Just the very though of this makes me hungry even right after dinner.

When I planted these potatoes in April and weeded them in May, I didn’t realize until about July how many one-pound bags I’d be filling each week we include them in the CSA. Today it was 70 bags…Tuesday it was 50. Though it sounds like an easy job, it’s time consuming. Still, I know it will bring people a bit of joy to see them in their shares this week.

Still, some people only encountered the most pedestrian uses of potatoes like mashed or baked, so it’s no wonder that they can’t be bothered to label them correctly. So unless you’re referring to French pottery or boiling water, then the mistake is just clickbaity populist humor.

Rained Out from Kale Harvesting

By 8:30, we were down in the kale rows under a mild sprinkle of rain. In an instant, it started to downpour and we got soaked. By 8:45, we were back up at the barn with 45 kale bunches. We switched to cleaning leeks and scallions in the garage.

This is a perfect example of why you need an extra change of clothes if you work on a farm, maybe two pairs of everything, in a backpack or cubby. I keep them in my car, but decided to just bear with wet pants all day because I figured that they’d just get wet again between the rain or wash station. I should have changed though because the temperature chilled down in the afternoon and I was raw for the rest of the afternoon.

I also think that a good pair of rain pants would have been helpful. Increasingly, the garage hosts a spectrum of my personal belongings…a toiletries kit, rain gear, mucker boots, galoshes, an extra hoodie, band aids, a pack of googly eyes…you know, some essentials for farming in New England.

Greenhouse Cleanup

After lunch, we weeded the nursery greenhouse in preparation for visitors ala the upcoming CSA member potluck dinner on Sunday the 19th. This greenhouse floor is made of landscaping fabric covered in about an inch or so of stone pebbles to provide drainage.

During the season, we use a system of sawhorses and wooden ‘ladders’ made of two 8-foot 2x4s connected with 2-foot 2x4s about a foot from each end. These ladders can be moved around with and without seedling trays on them, often with, and during heavy planting season they are brought right out and loaded on to the truck for transportation as-is.

I still have yet to lock in what I want to bring to the potluck, but it will of course be highlighting produce from the farm. I feel like it has to be something different than the usual suspects. Maybe the very last of the tomatoes to make a tomato pie. One of our friends made these a few months ago when there were so many tomatoes but also included my dehydrated ones at the bottom of the pie and it boosted the flavors up big time.

AI Summary from Field Notes

As usual, a summarization of my field audio notes by a generic LLM shows how uninformed it is about farm operations, particularly when projecting sequences of events and tasks. This is because there is no real ‘thinking’ behind the summary, other than the massive statistical training layers and ‘reasoning’ loops used when prompting the model to output something.

“Why does the feed schedule continue until December?”

Maybe the pigs might ask the same question. For now, commercial AI is maybe as intelligent as a pig, but that’s being gracious because pigs are smarter than dogs and dogs can at least be trained over time. LLMs don’t even have a ‘learn over time’ built in, other than a context window, but that’s very limited as compared to how wet-wire animal brains retrieve memory and learn over time.

Well anyway, from today’s state of the art technology, this is what it thinks I did on the farm:

Summary

Okay, the user provided two different summaries and wants them consolidated into a final summary. Let me start by understanding each summary. First summary: It's about a farm dealing with weather impact, crop management, greenhouse maintenance, and composting. The key activities include washing bins, harvesting kale, switching to leeks, weeding the greenhouse, composting, and handling market pickups. New things are the greenhouse floor system, composting soil, muddy turnips, and market logistics. Questions are about the floor system, composting, turnip handling, and market coordination. Suggested actions involve reinforcing the floor system, improving composting, handling turnips, and market coordination. Second summary: It's about daily farm tasks, feed management, fence maintenance, market logistics, and equipment care. Activities include washing vegetables, feeding animals, packing the van, repairing tables, and tracking feed. New things are foldable table repair, feed schedule, fence issues, and washing methods. Questions are about fence durability, feed schedule, washing methods, tool maintenance, and market coordination. Suggested actions include fence repairs, feed tracking, washing protocols, tool maintenance, and market coordination. Now, I need to combine these two into a single summary. Let's identify overlapping themes. Both have daily tasks, feed management, fence maintenance, market logistics, and equipment care. The first summary has more about crops and composting, while the second has more about feed and tools. I should merge the main themes by combining daily tasks, feed, fence, market, and equipment. Activities should include both washing, feeding, market prep, and tool repairs. New things would be the greenhouse floor system, composting, foldable tables, and washing methods. Questions would cover fence durability, feed schedule, washing methods, tool maintenance, and market coordination. Suggested actions would address each of these areas, ensuring they're covered from both summaries. I need to make sure that all points from both summaries are included but presented concisely. Avoid repetition. For example, both have fence maintenance, so combine the reasons and actions. Also, ensure that the new things and questions from both are included without overlap. Check that all suggested actions are there and that they're actionable steps. Finally, present it in a clear, structured format without markdown.

Main Themes

Daily Farm Operations: Produce washing, feeding animals, and market preparation.
Feed Management: Scheduling and tracking feed distribution for pigs, poultry, and livestock.
Fence and Infrastructure: Repairing and reinforcing fences, managing electric wire safety, and maintaining tools.
Crop and Composting: Managing greenhouse crops, composting, and handling muddy root vegetables.
Market Coordination: Preparing and delivering produce to Ipswich and Gloucester markets.

Activities Performed

Washed root vegetables using a hose and wash basin.
Fed pigs and poultry with a schedule continuing until December.
Packaged and loaded feed into a gator, tracked feed usage, and repaired foldable tables.
Maintained greenhouse crops, composted materials, and checked fence gaps.
Prepared and delivered produce to markets, ensuring coordination between Ipswich and Gloucester.

New Things Not Yet Encountered

Greenhouse floor system for composting.
Extended feed schedule until December (pig slaughter date).
Fence vulnerabilities (electric wire risks for pig escapes).
Time-consuming washing process for muddy root vegetables.

Questions & Future Research

How to reinforce fences against weather and pig activity?
Why does the feed schedule continue until December?
Are there more efficient washing methods for muddy produce?
How to maintain foldable tables and other tools to avoid downtime?
How to coordinate market delivery schedules between Ipswich and Gloucester?

Suggested Actions

Schedule regular fence inspections and repairs, focusing on electric wire safety.
Track feed usage and clarify the December schedule rationale.
Develop a streamlined washing protocol for muddy produce.
Implement a tool maintenance schedule for foldable tables and equipment.
Coordinate market delivery schedules to avoid conflicts between Ipswich and Gloucester.

Part 1

Okay, let's see. The user provided a transcript of field notes from a farm intern. I need to identify the main themes, list the activities, any new things not yet encountered, questions or future research areas, and any suggested actions. First, I'll read through the transcript again to make sure I understand what the intern did. The intern starts by bunching blue bins, rinsing them, transferring to a wash basin, and washing root vegetables. Then they bagged 70 one-pound potato bags. There's mention of a time-lapse video, a foldable table being repaired, and other bagging activities. They packed the electric van for Ipswich market, while another truck went to Gloucester. The intern then gave water to pigs, loaded a gator with feed bags, and checked the fence for pigs. They also mentioned feed bag counts and the end of the day. Main themes would be farm work, processing produce, transportation, feed management, and maintenance. The activities include washing produce, bagging potatoes, packing vans, feeding pigs, checking fences, and repairing equipment. New things not encountered: The intern mentions a foldable table being repaired, which might be a new task. Also, the feed bag counts and the timing until December when pigs are slaughtered. The fence repairs and the mention of electric wires might be new challenges. Questions or future research: The intern talks about the fence needing repairs due to weather, so maybe future research on fence durability in harsh weather. Also, the feed bag schedule until December, which might be a question about when the pigs are slaughtered. The intern also mentions the time taken to wash the vegetables, which could be a point for efficiency improvement. Suggested actions: The intern mentioned checking the fence, repairing the table, and loading the gator with feed. They also packed the van for the market. So actions include maintaining the fence, repairing equipment, and preparing for markets. Wait, the user wants the answer in the format with sections. Let me make sure I didn't miss any details. The intern also mentions the feed bags per day and the schedule until December. So maybe that's a future research area on the feed schedule. Also, the mention of the electric wires in the fence being a problem, so that's a new thing. The intern might need to find a way to reinforce the fence. Also, the time taken for washing vegetables, maybe looking into more efficient washing methods. I think that's all. Now structure the answer into the required sections.

Main Themes:

Farm Operations and Produce Preparation: Washing, bagging, and transporting root vegetables.
Feed Management: Loading feed bags for pigs and poultry, tracking daily feed distribution.
Fence Maintenance: Repairing and inspecting the fence to prevent pig escapes.
Market Logistics: Preparing and transporting produce to markets (Ipswich, Gloucester).
Equipment and Tool Maintenance: Repairing foldable tables and ensuring tools are functional.

Activities Performed by the Intern:

Washed and rinsed muddy root vegetables (using a hose and wash basin).
Bagged 70 individual one-pound potato bags.
Packed the electric van for the Ipswich market.
Loaded the gator with feed bags (3 layers of hen feed, 2 poultry grower feed, 2 pig feed).
Checked and repaired the fence (addressed gaps caused by pig activity, wind, and rain).
Ensured the garage was closed at the end of the day.
Provided water to pigs.

New Things Not Yet Encountered:

Foldable Table Repair: The intern mentioned a foldable table being repaired, which may be a new task or maintenance activity.
Feed Schedule Timing: The intern noted that feed distribution will continue until December, when pigs and meat birds are slaughtered.
Fence Reinforcement: The issue of electric wires in the fence being a vulnerability for pigs is a new challenge.
Efficiency in Washing Produce: The intern highlighted the time taken to wash vegetables, which may require optimization.

Questions and Future Research Areas:

Fence Durability: How can the fence be reinforced to withstand wind, rain, and pig activity?
Feed Distribution Timeline: What factors determine the feed schedule until December?
Washing Efficiency: Are there more efficient methods for washing root vegetables in muddy conditions?
Tool Maintenance: How can foldable tables and other equipment be maintained to avoid downtime?
Market Logistics: What is the process for coordinating multiple market deliveries (e.g., Ipswich vs. Gloucester)?

Suggested Actions:

Fence Repair: Schedule regular inspections and repairs to address gaps and reinforce electric wires.
Feed Bag Tracking: Maintain a log of feed bag usage to ensure accurate distribution and prepare for slaughter timelines.
Washing Protocol: Develop a standardized washing process for root vegetables to reduce time and labor.
Equipment Maintenance: Assign a routine for repairing and inspecting tools (e.g., foldable tables) to prevent delays.
Market Coordination: Clarify roles and responsibilities for transporting produce to different markets to avoid conflicts.

Part 2

Okay, let's tackle this query. The user provided a transcript of field notes from a farm intern and wants me to identify the main themes, list activities, new things encountered, questions for future research, and any suggested actions. First, I need to parse through the text carefully. The intern is talking about their work on a farm on Wednesday, October 8th. The main activities mentioned are washing bins for kale harvest, dealing with rain, switching to leeks, cleaning leeks, market days, nursery greenhouse weeding, composting soil, and harvesting salad turnips. Main themes would be weather impact on work, switching crops, greenhouse maintenance, and market activities. Activities: Washing bins, harvesting kale, switching to leeks, cleaning leeks, market pickups, weeding greenhouse, composting soil, harvesting salad turnips. New things: Maybe the greenhouse with landscaping fabric and pebbles, the compost pile, the salad turnips being muddy. Also, the intern mentions switching to something else in member pickups, which might be a new thing. Questions for future research: Maybe how to handle the greenhouse weeds, the effectiveness of the landscaping fabric, the impact of muddy turnips on storage, or the transition from Ipswitch market to fewer pickups. Suggested actions: Maybe improving the greenhouse weeding routine, checking the compost pile for soil, ensuring salad turnips are dried properly, or planning for the upcoming market days. Wait, the intern also mentions that the greenhouse hasn't been used for two months. That's a new thing. Also, the compost pile was used for the soil from the greenhouse. Maybe the intern is suggesting that they should monitor the compost pile more closely. Also, the fact that the salad turnips were muddy might be a problem, so maybe they need to dry them or take steps to prevent that. I need to make sure I didn't miss any points. The intern also talks about the market days, so maybe future research could be about the market schedule or the impact of the last week of Ipswitch. Also, the intern mentions that they switched to cleaning leeks instead of kale because of the rain. Maybe that's a new thing they encountered, but it's part of the activities. I think that's all. Now, structure the answer accordingly.

Main Themes:

Weather Impact on Farm Work: Rain disrupted kale harvesting, leading to a shift in tasks.
Crop Management and Market Logistics: Switching between kale and leeks, handling market days, and transitioning to fewer pickups.
Greenhouse Maintenance: Weeding and cleaning a neglected greenhouse with a specialized floor system.
Composting and Soil Management: Using soil from the greenhouse for compost and managing muddy salad turnips.

Activities Performed by the Intern:

Washed bins for kale harvest.
Harvested kale but switched to leeks due to rain.
Cleaned leeks harvested the day before (250 leeks).
Handled scallions (uncleaned ones).
Participated in greenhouse weeding (landscaping fabric + pebbles floor).
Dropped soil from the greenhouse into the compost pile.
Harvested salad turnips, which were muddy due to wet ground.
Assisted with market day logistics (CSA pickups, transitioning to fewer markets).

New Things Encountered:

Greenhouse Floor System: Landscaping fabric with pebbles for drainage and weed management.
Composting Soil: Using soil from the greenhouse for the compost pile.
Muddy Salad Turnips: Salad turnips were heavily muddy due to wet ground, requiring post-harvest handling.
Market Transition: The end of Ipswitch market days and reduced CSA pickups.

Questions and Future Research Areas:

How effective is the greenhouse floor system (landscaping fabric + pebbles) for long-term weed control?
What is the best way to manage muddy salad turnips (e.g., drying, storage, or harvesting timing)?
How does the compost pile handle soil from the greenhouse? Is it suitable for reuse?
How to optimize greenhouse weeding when the floor system is already in place.
What are the implications of transitioning to fewer market days (e.g., impact on farm operations or member pickups)?

Suggested Actions:

Monitor Greenhouse Weeding: Schedule regular weeding to maintain the floor system’s effectiveness.
Improve Salad Turnip Handling: Dry turnips post-harvest or adjust harvesting timing to avoid mud.
Track Compost Pile: Ensure the compost pile is properly managed to avoid contamination from the greenhouse soil.
Plan for Market Transition: Prepare for reduced market days by adjusting inventory or member pickup schedules.
Document Greenhouse Floor System: Record its benefits (drainage, weed control) for future farm planning.

October 8th - Marsh Potao and Rained Out from Harvesting Kale