Under the grow lights

We moved our family from the city to the country in the hopes of learning what our great grandparents knew. That's why we call this place A Learning Farm. We feel called to share all that we are learning—traditional skills, raising animals, caring for God's creation and stewarding the land. We do this through on-site workshops, summer day camps, farm tours, internships, and a quarterly newsletter, and by sharing up-to-date stories on this farm blog. We're so glad you're here. Welcome to the family!

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Our tomato seedlings are close to graduation into tomato starts. They’ve done well as our first experiment under the grow lights. Almost full germination and despite some missed waterings, they seem to be doing fine.

The Rutgers variety, a mid-size breed, is our fastest grower, about twice the size of our other seedlings.

The cherry tomatoes (my favorite) had a brush with death but bounced back and seem to be coming along. In fact, I went ahead and started another tray of cherries in anticipation of a lost crop, but after a generous watering later that same evening the slumped over stems were standing tall. So now we’ll have extra. Anyone want some tomato starts?

Rory

Rory Groves lives with his wife and five children on a farm in southern Minnesota where they grow food, raise livestock, and host educational workshops on traditional skills. He is the author of the forthcoming book Durable Trades: Family-Centered Economies That Have Stood the Test of Time (Front Porch Republic).