Here at Horton Road Organics we apprentices are assigned a job and mine is seed sowing. It can be a tedious task working with such tiny seeds, but the end results are amazing. Let me take you through the process of seed sowing.
Once a week I make a seed starter soil mix. That mix has things such as coconut fiber, vermiculite and earthworm castings ( aka worm poop!). Those ingredients along with others provide the seeds with much needed nutrients and essentials to germinate. I think pick out the types of flats that will go along with the different seeds and fill those flats with the seed starter mix. Each seed is different. Trials, tried and true varieties, there are oblong seeds and round seeds, seeds with ridges and seeds that are smooth. Not all are sowed the same, some are done by hand, with a little dropper or with a contraption that drops more than one hundred seeds at a time.
Once seeded they are tucked in with a tad bit more of the mix and labeled, then they go right into the green house to germinate. After germination they go to the field to be planted out and grow into the vegetables you know and love to eat! It is a job that requires much attention, as each seed is very important, but for me it is also a wonderful way to relax. To be at the very beginning of the process of vegetable production and be able to see it all of the way through is a tremendous feeling.
Heather is from California and moved to Oregon to experience the life of a farmer. She is enjoying apprenticing at Horton Road Organics and getting her hands dirty and full of vegetables! During her down time she like to hang out with her cat or ride her horse. She’s excited to see what other opportunities come her way this year!