Seeding Tomatoes & Harvesting Radishes

Village Farm Team,

Tomatoes might be the last thing on your mind in January but when it comes to farming we’re always several steps ahead! To prepare for tomato season, we’ve been seeding up a storm in the greenhouse. Some of the varieties seeded include Sunset Falls, Sun Gold, Arkansas Traveler, Indigo Rose, Carmello, and New Girl. Though the weather has been unseasonably warm the past few days, we’ll be installing heaters in the greenhouse. This will allow us to maintain temperatures around 75 degrees Fahrenheit which is the optimum germination temperature for tomatoes.

We’ve been harvesting some of our quicker growing crops from our planter boxes over the past couple of weeks for the farmers market. So far we’ve been able to harvest and sell arugula, mixed salad greens, and D’Avignon radishes. Commonly known as the traditional “French breakfast radish”, D’Avignon radishes take a mere 21-25 days from seed to harvest. They are crisp with a sweet and mellow flavor that is perfect as a raw garnish for salads, tacos, or as part of a crudité platter. And don’t forget about the greens! Their leafy green tops are not only edible, but they have a delicious, mild flavor and can be prepared like spinach.

Can you believe we’re just two months out from Chef Fest? In case you didn’t have the opportunity to join us last year, coming up on March 10th from 12-4pm we’ll be hosting our 3rd annual Chef Fest at the Village Farm. Local chefs will be using seasonal produce to create dishes that celebrate spring and the Houston terroir. For more information about the chefs and ticket pricing, head to our newly updated website.