BackyardFarm-29 editOne of the biggest innovations in growing in cold climates is multi-season gardening. Elliott Coleman’s Winter Harvest Handbook led the way in creatively applying methods for growing 3-4 seasons. At Andalusia farms, we are applying some of those methods and pioneering new ones for tough sites like raised beds on parking lots where soil is scarce and climatic differences are significant. However, the advent of these techniques makes the urban farm significantly more productive.

In New England and other cold regions of the country, a summer garden in a small space does not feed a family. We are researching a number of techniques- including growing under plastic, double-covering, crop rotations, and many others to increase the number of crops grown during a period of time and extend into colder times during the year. While the cold is a limiting factor, the angle of the sun ultimately defines the limits of our research.

 

Spring

Spring

Summer

Summer

Fall

Fall

Winter

Winter