Greenhouse Number 2

and the start of my greens business

Our small greenhouse was such a delight that we decided that we wanted to build a bigger one. So we ordered a a twenty foot long Gothic Greenhouse Kit from Grower’s Supply. When it arrived we were able to set it up with the help of friends and family. This really expanded our growing area.

In both houses we grow salad greens and spinach throughout the winter. In the summer we grow Charantais melons and English cucumbers- which love the extra heat.

For the areas not in use in the summer we plant a cover crop of Dutch white clover and then before planting in the fall we till it under to make its own compost and fertilizer.

We are convinced that it is the soil that makes the plants grow and have great taste so we compost heavily.

Lately , we have been using Sea Start from Saltwater Farms in Maine as an added fertilizer and also Sea Agri 90 from Sea Agri, Inc. in Georgia as a foliar spray. We feel that these have made our vegetables have a great flavor. The minerals that have been used by previous plants are put back into the soil by these products.

My business has evolved that on Friday or Saturday, I send out a list of available produce and prices to each of my customers via email. If they wish to order, they send me back an order via email by Tuesday of the following week.

The produce is picked on Tuesday. After the greens are picked they are put through three to four washes and then spun dry and finally packaged and labeled. The greens are available in small and large packages.

Other produce,depending on the season, is also washed,packaged and labeled.

All of the orders are delivered to a central location for pick up on the Wednesday.

This system has worked very well and there are 35 to 40 people on the list each week. Not everyone orders each week, but there are enough ordering to make the packaging challenging!

I often include recipes with my produce orders. Recipes help my customers understand how to use vegetables that otherwise might be new to them.

We use no pesticides or chemicals in our production and since we cannot afford to be USDA organic certified we are “Certified Naturally Grown.” This organization has the reputation of helping small growers certify that they do not use pesticides or chemicals in their production.

As a member I am allowed to use the "Certified Naturally Grown" logo on my produce package labels.

We have enjoyed providing clean fresh picked naturally grown produce for our customers and have had many compliments on its quality and taste,