Welcome to The Pauley Principle!

The Pauli Principle, named for Wolfgang Pauli, deals with atoms and electron-sharing that results in new, stronger bonds. Think 2 parts hydrogen and 1 part oxygen, a shared delectable (!) electron and VOILA! Water!

Similarly, when you prepare whole food to share with family and friends, especially foods you've grown, something amazing happens. Meals become tastier and healthier. Your soul, not just your stomach, becomes fulfilled. You live life more abundantly as a result. During a shared meal, the bonds that people create grow stronger and become something new: GREATER than the sum of the parts! I give you The Pauley Principle.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Plants are Getting Market Ready!

 We are getting a number of plants ready for our farm market. From broccoli, white cabbage, red cabbage,  cauliflower plants and fresh green onions to potted herbs. 


Without the advantage of a greenhouse, Chris has turned our loft into the next best thing. He  babies our little vegetable plants night and day. They get plenty of sunlight, moving onto the deck during the day. A camp shower bag provides easy watering with its shower head nozzle. Lately Chris has been transplanting his veggies into individual cells, giving them more room, easier access to nutrients, and a great start.





My herbs are hearty and used to being outside. I potted a mix of herbs for kitchen or patio to make their debut at our farm market. The rangy tarragon in the herb bed forms a backdrop for tera cotta pots that are filled with Greek oregano, Italian flat leaf parsley, sweet basil and a pansy. Italian food lends itself so well to fresh herbs, so these herbs are a good introduction for the novice cooks out there!


One of the reasons our plants are growing so well has to do with a lesson we learned the hard way last year. Three different times I tried unsuccessfully to start tomatoes from seeds last year. Always before, I had used plain rainwater. Last year I used our county water, just regular tap water. Time after time, the little leaves would turn white and the stems would pinch off at the base, killing the young plants. Chris read extensively and discovered that the calcium chloride in our drinking water was killing the plants. The annual water reports read well, but we have completely avoided that water this year in our plantings. Our heirloom tomatoes should suffer no such plight. 


The water we use now for our plants is our farm's well water, the same water Chris grew up on. It is a deep reservoir, very tasty and pure. Well water has advantages over rainwater. The natural minerals and rocks that the water percolates and filters through are beneficial to the plants. Since last year's eye-opening experience, that wonderfully fresh water not only feeds our new plants but has also become our drinking water. 


For the plants, the result is faster growing and stronger veggie plants that will be market-ready for the weekend! For me, I just feel better!


At our farm market, we hope to offer customers the best products available. For this weekend: cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower plants, potted herbs, cut herbs (tarragon, spearmint, and Russian sage), and fresh green onions. In a couple of weeks, we should have several different pepper plants and tomato plants, including a few heirloom varieties.


Of course, I will continue making jams, jellies, and baking up a table full of goodies.  One new item this coming weekend: Hot cross buns!


A word of caution: Watch what you're drinking, not just what you're eating. Stay healthy, my friends!  

11 comments:

  1. Very nice post... Good luck with the Farmers Market :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jennifer! It's an adventure, worth all the planning and packing!

      Delete
  2. You all are doing a good thing! I pray you sell every last one of them!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Clint! We're hoping more and more people discover gardening for themselves. Also, I want you to know I'm enjoying following your blog. You have a lot to offer!

      Delete
  3. Thanks for sharing the info on the calcium chloride. We have a well too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey Ronda, sounds like you have been busy, busy, busy! I'm behind on your posts so this morning's read made me breathless. It sounds like your market is doing great--kudos to you both on your hard work :)

    I wondered, did you have to get your kitchen certified or whatever by the state to sell baked goods and jams? A friend does that and had to build a commercial kitchen to get approval. I wondered of the rules are the same in Ohio.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey! You've been a little busy yourself! As far as a commercial kitchen, with Ohio's cottage food law the commercial kitchen is not required. There is a list of foods that are allowed to be produced for sale out of your own home kitchen. The eggs we sell and our refrigerator are both inspected by the the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and our farm market is registered. Those classes on "Market Ready" by The Ohio State University really sparked my interest and imagination. The farm market pulls together several of our various interests! Next week I take a workshop on produce safety. I'm enjoying this!

      Delete
  5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oxyplants India deals mainly with Oxygen plants, Nitrogen plants. We are renowned as the Manufacturer of Oxygen Plants, Nitrogen Plants and Acetylene plants.

    Oxygen Plants Manufacturers
    Nitrogen Plants Manufacturers
    Oxygen Plants
    Nitrogen Plants

    Visit more: http://www.oxyplants.net/oxygenplant.php

    ReplyDelete