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cool like roll-up sides
- August 12, 2023
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Ta-da! The hydrohouse has roll-up sides and bird netting!
The roll-up sides allow us to roll the sides up during the summer to increase air flow and to roll them down in the winter and increase warmth.
Bird netting is to keep the blasted sparrows out. You’d think they’d get sufficient food filching from my Grandmother’s bird feeders that are intended for the Bluejays, Cardinals, Woodpeckers, Finches, and the like. But you’d be wrong.
And the sparrows are especially bad this year, both inside and out. We’ve even thought of putting up bird netting up in the outside fields (for the crops not in tunnels).
Wonder if there’s a correlation between extra sparrows and extra morning glory….
Our outside crew was solidly on the green-lettuce-is-better-than-red-lettuce-but-we’ll-plant-some-red-only-because-you-asked-us-to team.
Was. An epiphany occurred a few months ago.
They realized that the sparrows go after the green lettuces wayyyyy more than the reds. So a whole bunch of red romaine, red bibb, and red leaf lettuce seed saving commenced and you can expect to see more red lettuces in the store and shares next year. Take that sparrows.
The tunnel looked very… unkempt… as we waited for the lettuce plants to form their seeds. Just have to trust the process!
Some seasonal inspiration:
Happy Eating!
Elizabeth
PS: Ruth’s birthday is this week. If you see her, wish her a Happy Birthday! I’m not yet 40, so we’ll go with it’s her 40th birthday 😉
Open Tue-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-5.
Closed Sunday & Monday.
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About Highland Orchards
Completely surrounded by suburbia, our small farm has been growing beyond expectations since 1832, just north of Wilmington, Delaware.
Growing a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and flowers, Highland Orchards provides true “farm fresh” for the community all year. If you want to shake the hand of the farmer who grows for you, here is the farm! With plants in the ground or under cover in tunnels, we grow for every season. A family farm, we have three different generations involved in running the farm right now.
Come see us to eat fresh, eat local, and eat well!