Production rose to an all time high this month and surpassed the restaurants needs in many categories. Should this trend continue, it might be necessary to find outside markets or scale down production? Thanks to the Earth Day event, the farm manager met many locals who expressed interest in subscribing for a periodic take of the farm’s harvest with the understanding that they share the farms risks and take what they can get.

Mung Bean sprout production has begun and is adjusting to the restaurants needs.Celeriac (celery root) has been germinated and looks to be a promising new item. Parsnips have also been planted and we are anxiously awaiting the results.

New products that actually came to the markets this month include Huazontle or red Aztec spinach, baby spinach and beet greens, shiso, “Maxibel” haricot verts, and Romanesco “lime green” cauliflower.

LETTUCE: We have re-established our original method of production and are back up to par.

CABBAGE: The markets could not absorb all the tat soi we produced this month. There was some loss due to delivery issues and storage and rotation at the restaurants.

SPINACH: Doing well.

ARUGULA: A sequence in the new “G” block did not perform so we were just a bit light for a couple weeks.

CHARD: Fine.

ONIONS: Production is creeping upwards with the return of bunching onions, elephant garlic, leeks, and yellow granex (sweet Maui onions).

FENNEL: Just fine. Looks to be a surplus coming.

BEETS: Doing well. Trying some new varieties: a red “Merlin” and new golden variety.

RADISH: Sean wants the watermelon variety. Going for parsnips now too.

KALE: We are expanding our repertoire of this “super food” adding the purple flowering to the blue and red already in production. Kale has become a major new crop.

CARROTS: Fine.

CHAYOTE: Waiting for the squash to form on the vines.

CILANTRO: Just fine.

BASIL: Moving into the next generation with a new super sweet “chen” variety.

ALL HERBS: Here is an area, much like ornamentals (flowers), that is rightly being expanded upon at O’o. Permanent beds of Italian flat leaf parsley, thyme, chervil, and mint have been established out in the fields. Ample amounts of the less used herbs have also been established- along with the kitchen culinary and medicinal herb garden that is snugged up to the picnic and kitchen area. Herbs remain an un- tapped potential at O’o Farm.

CITRUS: Remain consistent.

STONEFRUIT: Like the winter fruiting Surinam Cherry, Chermoya, and to a lesser degree Loquats, the stone fruits are having an unusual season in that there is very little flowering and fruiting. This is puzzling and could be related to the preceding very brief summer season, or god forbid, beehive colony collapse.
COFFEE TREES: Greenhouse seedlings are being potted and staged.

PEAS: Fine.

EGGPLANT: Sticking with the Italian heirloom “Rosa Bianca” variety.

TOMATO: Staging out in the field now for summertime. Look for production to increase.

Inherent to the paradigm of organic and biodynamic farm production is the concept of appropriate production. This is very strategic and Intuitive. That “sense of place” concept really comes into play. Every location has its very own exposure, terroir, microclimate, and native flora and fauna interactions. Together, in a holistic manner, all these constitute a local ecosystem with a unique and peculiar “carrying capacity” based on how the native local resources are managed. Management approaches run the gamut from passive coexistence to unrestricted intervention depending on the objectives. O’o’s objective is to express and facilitate, not control or manipulate, that “sense of place” perpetually, and in doing so has chosen to reign in production when necessary (and let loose when not) to preserve the well being of the farm organism so that we may always live in and for the seasons and for the days treasures.