Our summer harvest is in full swing and our latest food box is a beauty. The farmers are bringing in some gorgeous produce, thanks to the hot weather and our wonderful soil. Back in 2002 when we took over the land, its soil was in fairly wretched shape due to neglect and topsoil loss. Following the standards required by our organic certification, the farmers have brought in and composted animal manure, recycled our farm waste – vegetable trimmings, prunings etc. – and added nutrients such as OMRI-certified sea soil and certified organic okara (a mineral-rich byproduct of tofu making). The farmers use fertility-building techniques such as cover cropping and use of nitrogen-fixing plants, and carefully plan their crop rotations to improve fertility and prevent the spread of plant diseases. Over the years this has given us excellent soil quality, which, with our excellent sun exposure and our careful use of water (we use dripline irrigation tape for everything except lettuce which needs overhead watering) gives us excellent yields. As you can see! (To learn more about these techniques, you may like to book a farm tour, or consider signing up for a Growing Food in the City course here at the farm)