Hi Farm blog readers! My name is Courtney, and I am a dietetic intern from the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health. I am super excited to be rotating with the Farm at St. Joe’s! I have no prior experience with gardening or farming, but I am very eager to learn a lot during my time here.

This past week, we have been very busy on the farm. Since summer is sadly behind us, it is time to remove the summer crops and prepare the hoop houses for planting for winter harvest. I am very sad to report that we had to clear out a row of the tomato plants to make room for the next crop. It was a tough task to remove a beautiful crop that was still producing perfect tomatoes; however, it was a necessary evil to ensure there will be enough food during the winter months. I do have good news— the tomato plants were composted and will be incorporated back into the farm next year! Luckily, we had a group of volunteers from Mercy High School Farmington Hills on Tuesday. Having lots of help on the farm really made a difference, and we were able to accomplish a lot in a few hours. Next on the agenda is to remove more summer crops that have run their course and start planting for winter.

No more tomato plants!

Kale and Swiss chard ready to be planted!