W25 (W4): New High Tunnels
Dear Farm Community -
We built two new high tunnels! For about two weeks, the incredible folks from ECO-PARADIGM showed up early and stayed late each day, working to reassemble some old high tunnels we had acquired from another local farm. Assembling these massive metal skeletons is no small feat—it takes precision to keep the footprint rectangular and the angles square. But we’re thrilled with the results and excited about the additional indoor growing space.
Once the structures were complete and we bid farewell to our greenhouse-building friends, the crews from both of our properties came together to prepare the beds. There was plenty of string to keep our new beds straight, lots of compost for piling high, and buckets of sweat from all that shoveling, even during these crazy cold days we’ve been having. We finished planting out the first tunnel this week - more ranunculus and campanula flowers in the ground. If all goes well we’ll be seeing our campanula bloom like clockwork near Mothers Day! This week we’ve got lots of work to do on the second greenhouse. The plastic needs to be stretched over the frame, the beds need to be staked out and built, and lots of compost shoveled onto each of the seven 100-ft beds we build inside. Onwards and upwards!
Your CSA shares this week include celery - and two bunches of it for large share members! Celery grown locally might look a little differently than the big ol’ varieties you see at the grocery store. The celery stalks you’ll find in your share are more slender than their grocery store counterparts, but the nutrient density and flavor is leagues superior to the watery stalks on the shelves at Kroger. Use this to your advantage and add a potent celery crunch and flavor to salads, like this Spicy Vegan Chickpea Salad, or for a carnivorous option this Ultimate Chicken Salad. Of course a good soup can go a long way to keep winter tolerable, so try out this absolutely incredible “Cold Fighting” Chicken Noodle Soup recipe. Even when not sick, it’s hands down the best chicken noodle soup I’ve ever made and makes use of those sweet carrots in your share too. Perhaps the best part about celery is that you can always just slap a little peanut butter and raisins on it for a classic “Ants on a Log” snack that’ll bring you right back to childhood :)
This week’s Know Your Farmer spotlight shines on Gabriel! Gabriel has a knack for bringing positivity and good vibes wherever he goes. Whether he’s putting on 10 pairs of sunglasses to look at the eclipse or rattling off a witty joke, his presence sets the tone for collaboration and fun, making him a beloved team member at our Morton Rd property and a favorite at the Morningside Farmers Market!
Know Your Farmer:
Gabriel
What is your role on the farm?
I’m one of the vegetable farmers at our property off Morton Rd and I frequently work the Morningside Farmers Market in Atlanta.
Please share your farming journey!
I have been farming consistently for 4 years, and I've been at Diamond Hill for 1 year. I have always had a passion for the environment, good clean food, and being outdoors. In 2020 I held 3 jobs and felt very overwhelmed. After talking to my grandmother about her life growing up on a multigenerational subsistence farm, I truly realized how long farming has been in the family. She had so much knowledge I wanted to preserve. Just a few months later someone told my wife about a job offer at a local farm and like magic, here I am four years later!
What makes you passionate about organic farming?
I have been interested in eating healthy since a young age. I also have a love for our local ecosystems and all the creatures who live here, and to me organic farming is one of the best ways to be good stewards of our land.
What do you like to do when you're not at the farm?
I also work on my family's farm growing veggies there. So when I'm not on the farm I'm often still farming! After that I like going on hikes with my wife Taylor and our dog Gracie. I also like camping, fly fishing, reading and playing music with friends.
Fun facts about Gabriel
I grew up on an animal rescue farm and still have a passion for animals. Before being a farmer I was a music teacher and composer for small films and commercials.
What’s something on the farm that you are proud of?
I am proud of the large orchard I helped plant. I like broad forking and tractor work.
What’s your favorite crop to grow?
Potatoes!
What’s your favorite crop to eat?
I love a soup with our fresh fall vegetables, something with carrots and celery and potatoes maybe.
What is a small thing on the farm that you are grateful for?
I am so grateful for a crew that is always fun to be with, the fresh air always present, a jumping spider on a t-post, the smell of juniper, and the Bradford pears in bloom.
If you were a vegetable, what would you be and why?
I’d be a cabbage, because I like the cold and I have many layers but a tender heart.
What do you think about when you’re harvesting?
I'm often pondering the interconnectedness of all things, or just a witty comment to make my coworkers laugh.
In your opinion, what’s the best season and why?
Spring, it feels like falling in love every time.
What’s your favorite way to pass the time weeding with other farmers?
Singing old songs and telling jokes.
What are your aspirations at the farm?
I want to dance through every season and make beautiful food I'm proud of.
We’re all in the pack shed finishing up a big market harvest and you’re handed the AUX. What do you play?
Samba e Amor by Chico Buarque
What is your favorite Diamond Hill Farm memory?
Eating the 175 fresh roasted oysters Carter prepared for lunch one day.
You’ve got a week off from the farm and no budget limit. What are you doing?
Traveling across Kyrgyzstan on horseback.
What is your favorite thing about Diamond Hill Farm?
My coworkers and being outside everyday.
What is something you want people to know about our farm?
We put so much care into every detail of producing these vegetables.
Happy Eating!
Diamond Hill Farmers
sign up today to get in on next week’s share!
standard share: carrots, celery, microgreens, spinach or arugula, broccoli or cauliflower
large share: carrots, celery x2, microgreens, spinach or arugula, broccoli or cauliflower, head lettuce, salad radish