This is our farm column from farmer Casey O’Neill. O’Neill is the owner operator of HappyDay Farms north of Laytonville, and a long time advocate for the cannabis community in Mendocino Co; more of his writing can be found here. The opinions expressed in this column are those of the writer. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor feel free to write to [email protected].
The cool, moist soil cakes my gloves as I work, planting seedlings in the dusk as the day draws to a close. I’m nestling a row of lettuce mix in as close to the edge of the tunnel as I can, closer than the transplanter can reach because of the inward curve of the hoops. I am reminded of the days when I planted all the seedlings by hand, tens of thousands of plugs stretching back over the years, back bent, shoulders aching.
Now I plant a thousand plants in an hour, walking the transplanter up and down the rows and then tucking them in here and there where they didn’t quite set down enough. The transplanter and paperpot system has changed the way that I farm, making for efficiencies that require precision and skill in each step of the process. Germination needs to be as close to perfect as possible, so the seeds have to be sown correctly, with the right amount of water and germinated in the dark warmth of the germination chamber. The potting soil needs to have enough nutrients to contribute to rapid growth and sturdy seedlings. The seed must be of good quality, strong and hardy. The propagation house needs regular tending; when it’s warm trays can dry out and die in a day if they are not watered.
Bed prep has also become a precision process. The bed has to be cleared of detritus that can bind the tiny plow that cuts the 2” furrow. Clumps or rocks can pop the plow out of the soil, making the planter skip and the seedlings land naked on the surface instead of tucked into the cool moistness of the soil where their roots can spread and foster the rapid growth that is asked of them.
Years of working with compost, plant roots and gypsum have softened the heavy clay soil, especially in the hoophouses where I use the transplanter the most. The soil is like dark chocolate cake, rich and soft, and the worms are abundant, writhing in a handful that I scoop up. They tunnel, eat the detritus on the surface and shit out worm castings that make wonderful fertility to feed the plants.
After the previous crop is cleared I add compost, and a blend of chicken pellets, a little kelp and crab meal, oyster shell, gypsum and wood ash that I save from the winter fires that heat our home. I love the smell of the crab and kelp, reminding me of the ocean, though I do my best to avoid breathing in the dust from spreading amendments.
I put the amendments down first, then cover them with a layer of compost. Heavy feeding crops like tomatoes, squash and cannabis get a 2” layer on the bed surface, and a lighter layer of ½-1” for lighter feeding crops. I line up three wheelbarrows with their sides touching and use the tractor to dump one bucket of soil that fills all three. One tractor bucket load for a 50 foot hoophouse bed with light feeding crops, 2 buckets for heavier feeding ones.
After compost is down I use the big blue broadfork to loosen the soil without flipping it, leaving the lower soil layers underneath but allowing for some aeration. The tilther is powered by a battery-operated drill that blends the compost and amendments into the top 2” of the soil, breaking up clumps of compost and preparing the bed for planting without inverting the soil layers like a bigger, more powerful tiller would do. A quick raking with the 30” wide rake sets the final and serves as a guide to make sure the bed width is correct, and now I’m ready to plant.
If I nail all of the steps outlined above, planting is a dream. There are hiccups here and there, especially when I try to fit an extra row of seedlings on the edge of a bed that starts to slope down to the pathway. Then the transplanter skips and the line of paperpots lies on the surface and I have to go back and plant them by hand. The pathways are deliberately narrow to maximize bed space in the 14’ tunnels; they start out as wide as a single shoe, but will widen to a shoe’s length when I squat to harvest when the crops have reached maturity. Sometimes I have to harvest my way down the row to cut a path through, but it’s a delight to see the plants stretching in vibrant growth and I revel in the abundance.
After weeks of sowing, prepping and planting I’m right on schedule for an abundant spring. One tunnel is finishing out and will be replanted in the next 10 days, one is in full swing harvest, one will begin next week and one is freshly planted. The rotations are working well and I’m super excited for this new level of production after a year of practice with the drop seeder and transplanter. Farming is a process of increasing skill and knowledge over the years, and as I look back at the building blocks of our farm I am pleased. As always, much love and great success to you in your journey!
