Latest developments in the field

It’s vocabulary time at Ambler Farm, and the word of the week is: parthenocarpic. The term refers to the production of fruit and vegetables without fertilization (it comes from the Greek parthenos, which means virgin). What does it have to do with Ambler Farm? Here’s a clue: what do you think is growing under the two rows in the organic farm covered with the long white tents?

 Answer: cucumber and squash, both of which are parthenocarpic (that is, the varieties grown at Ambler Farm are). And since they don’t need to be pollinated, Farmer Ben is able to use row covers like the ones shown in the picture instead of pesticide to protect them from the cucumber beetle, which would otherwise be ravishing both their roots and leaves.

Also worth noting are the planting beds that lie under a stretchy black covering, with openings created for seedlings. This is a new biodegradable film made from corn-starch that breaks down into mulch and can also be composted. In the time it takes seedlings to set strong roots and begin to grow, the material interacts with temperature, humidity, and microorganisms in the ground and breaks down into water, carbon dioxide, and biomass without leaving any toxic residue behind. In the meantime, it keeps the soil warm, keeps out insects and weeds, prevents erosion and also promotes healthy plants by keeping dirt from splashing up onto their leaves.

 Developed in Europe, the bodegradable film has been approved for use in organic agriculture in Canada but not yet approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute in the U.S. Ambler Farm is one of the first in the area to try out this promising new technology.

In the next edition of this blog, we’ll publish a row-by-row map of the organic production garden, indicating exactly what’s growing where.







  RestaurantUpdate

Produce from Ambler Farm is gaining a following at restaurants around the area. So far, we’re selling mainly greens, but as the season goes on, we’ll sell other items as well. Barcelona and The Tuscan Oven have been serving Ambler Farm produce for a year or more. Now they're joined by some new names. Next time you dine at (or buy our produce from) any of the establishments listed below, please applaud their decision to support local food -- and Ambler Farm.



Barcelona
63 North Main Street
Norwalk, CT 06854-2703
www.barcelonawinebar.com

Dressing Room
25 Powers Court
Westport, CT 06880-3621
www.dressingroomhomegrown.com

LL Farmstand
730 Post Road East
Westport, CT

Martel Restaurant
2316 Post Road
Fairfield, CT 06824
http://www.martelrestaurant.com/hours.html

Schoolhouse Restaurant
25 Cannon Road
Wilton, CT 06897
http://www.theschoolhouseatcannondale.com/

Tuscan Oven
544 Main Avenue – Route 7
Norwalk, CT 06851
http://www.tuscanoven.com/

Post-script
If you haven’t heard the story about how the Schoolhouse’s e-mail mishap created an instant social network and won it some new friends, you can read all about it right here.