So up until this point, the JAZ Farm blog has pretty much been a coverage of the construction of the farm’s infrastructure and dwelling.  The chickens took center stage and we are happy to say that they are doing awesomely well and are providing us, the neighbors, clients and co-workers with tasty fresh eggs!

Now it is on to the gardening phase.  While it is still winter and I should be out forming the beds for the organic vegetables, this whole winter vortex, broken Jet Stream, thing has kept us inside.  As we speak, Zina is painting the guest bath… so the construction work continues.

However!  The grow room in the basement is being put to maximum use.  In the past couple of weeks I have planted thousands (no exaggeration) of seeds.  I am actually to the end of useable, lighted, grow table space.  All of the seeds for both the farm and the urban farm are planted (of course, I just got an email from Johnny’s Seeds that my red onion seed order just shipped).  Everything else that will be planted this year is able to be directly sowed outside.  Knowing how crowded the city grow room gets every year, this is going to be quite the jungle of plants once they get to potting size.

We are also now getting enough lettuce to have salad at every meal grown in the basement hydroponically.  Given how hard Colorado’s climate is on greens, we may be doing that permanently and growing tougher greens like Kale outside.

We have figured out how to put up some wind breaks between the bed rows.  It should help in keeping the plants from getting too dried out.  Of course it means another fencing project, but its all for the cause.  The new JAZ Farm motto:  Plant ‘Til We Can’t.   Gotta live up to it.

Here is the grow room.  The Onions and a bunch of the tomatoes, and the Kale are all coming up.  I wish someone would give me the magic answer for germinating spinach seeds.  They hate me.