Cedar Circle Farm › vtvegandberry › VVBGAMeeting2017 › Joanis_Plastic… · Cedar Circle Farm...

Cedar Circle Farm

● 44 acres tilled

● 25,000 sq. ft. under plastic

● Certified Organic Produce

and Cut Flowers since

2004

● Annual, Perennial Flowers

and Vegetable starts

● On-site Farmstand and

Cafe, U-pick, CSA, and 3

farmers markets.

● Education Programs,

Summer Day Camp, and

Field Trips

● Commercial Kitchen and

Bakery

● Developing Research

Program

● Events and Festival

Spring Planted

Bare root on plastic:

2017 fruiting varieties:

- Jewel

- AC Valley Sunset

Plant Date:

6/2/2016

Anticipated first harvest:

6/1/2017

2017 establishment

varieties:

-Wendy

-l’amour

-Clancy

-Sonata

-Jewel

-AC Valley Sunset

Spacing:

12” in row, 2 rows @ 12”

apart, Beds @ 5’

Photo Date 11/28/2016

Spring planted bare root

for Crown Fruit (not

pictured)

2017 Varieties:

-Record

-Cabot

Plant Date:

5/2/16

First Harvest:

6/16/16

Plant Spacing:

12” in row, 3 rows @ 12”

apart, on 32” bed tops,

Beds @ 5’

Fall Planted Plugs:

2017 Varieties:

-Clery

-Jewel

-Elianny

-Nova 56

Plant Date:

9/8/2016

Anticipated first harvest:

5/31/17

Plant Spacing:

12” in row, 3 rows @

12” apart, on 32” bed

tops, Beds @ 5’

Soil Fertility:

We take soil samples

annually.

We follow UVM

recommendations based

on anticipated cropping.

Primary Sources of N:

-Cover Crops/OM

-Kreyers 8-2-2

-Pro-Booster 10-0-0

-Girouxs Compost 2-3-2

2017 Soil Test

For Field 7

Recommendation

for matted row

strawberries

establishment

year at CCF.

Fertility History

of Field 7

To provide a

picture of how

inputs affect

fertility over

time.

Nutrient Management:

50 lb/acre N

recommended

broadcast and

incorporated if slow

release or 4 weeks

after planting if soluble.

(-14 lbs/acre needed

after credits, we will

wait on application of

N)

Sulfur recommended to

amend PH from 6.9 to

6.5.

9lbs/1000 sq. ft. or

200 lbs/acre will be

applied. According to

North Country

Organics website.

Matted row bare root plants:

Planted with Powell Drag Setter

@ 12” in row @ 48” centers.

Approx. 10,800 plants/acre.

Flame

Weeding

Matted Row Varieties Fruiting 2017:

-Annapolis

-Jewel

-Dar Select

-AC Valley Sunset

Plant Date:

5/30/16

Anticipated harvest window:

6/12/17 - 7/12/17

Matted Row Varieties

Establishment year 2017:

-Annapolis

-Jewel

-Honeyoye

-AC Valley Sunset

2017 Trialing:

-Flavorfest (2nd year)

-Galleta

-Clancy

Since weeds can quickly outcompete and take over a strawberry field, a field

must be free of weeds and have a reduced weed seed bank BEFORE crops

are planted...be much more aggressive in getting rid of perennials such as

quackgrass and depleting the seed bank of annual weeds by using a series

of green manures alternating with fallow periods to get weeds under control.

You must do this BEFORE you plant the berries. - Eric Sideman

Organic Insect and Disease Control? Yes, Please!

Everyone’s favorite part about growing strawberries! We buy in about 800 square

bales each year for mulching around the farm––approximately 1 bale to 50 bed ft.

2016 Strawberry sales by outlet at Cedar Circle Farm

U-pick

48.67%

Farmstand

35.38%

CSA

6.98%

Farmers Market

4.67%

Wholesale

4.3%

2016 at Cedar Circle Farm

Source Plant Type Price per

Plant (avg)

Yield per plant in

Dollars (avg) by

Gross sales

Nourse

Farms

Bare Root 0.13 2.15

Nourse

Farms

Bare Root A+

grade (crown

fruit)

0.18 0.42

Novafruit Plug Plant 0.32 1.13

Plans for the future:

-Try crown fruit again

with white plastic and

straw mulch.

-Trial new varieties for

bare root on plastic.

-Continue to look for

optimal cover

crop/fallows preceding

strawberries.

-Compare 2017 yields of

Jewel for bare root on

plastic, matted row, and

plugs.

Thank You! Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center225 Pavillion Road, East Thetford, VT 05043

(802) 785-4737 | growing@cedarcirclefarm.org

Copyright © Cedar Circle Farm