Leaf, Stem, Root - Rural Studio

The crisp, cool fall mornings are some of the best times of the year to be working at Rural Studio Farm.

Two students take a moment in the field to talk with one another as the dawn casts spectral light across the morning clouds

With the fruits of Summer harvested, the Fall crops of leaves, roots, and stems have become the farm’s focus.

Three women students display peanut plants they have just pulled, each thick with peanuts to be dried and picked

A student cleans some dirt off of a giant turnip root she has just pulled from the ground

A student harvests some loose leaf lettuce from the field

Two students harvest some baby greens from seedling trays

Students and staff can now enjoy fresh green salads from the farm every lunch until the weather becomes hot again.

A student is transplanting salanova lettuce seedlings into a raised bed in the greenhouse

Two students transplant romaine lettuce into raised beds in the greenhouse

Full heads of salanova lettuce, both red and green, look beautiful in their neat arrangements within raised beds in the greenhouse in the morning light

A smiling student bags up some washed lettuce for the kitchen

A student bags some newly harvested and washed lettuce in the post harvest space

In addition to a variety of fresh lettuces, the farm is also producing spinach, baby greens, kale, collard greens, beets, hakurei turnips, radishes, peanuts, turnips, scallions, carrots, mustard greens, sugar snap peas, and snow peas.

A student transplants some lettuce and spinach seedlings into a raised bed in the greenhouse

Two students transplant turnip seedlings into a raised bed in the greenhouse

Two rows of carrot foliage in the foreground with trellised sugar snap peas in the background

With the next freeze right around the corner, most of the field production is halting for the Winter. To maintain and promote healthy soils, as well as to protect against erosion, the students broadcast a cover crop mix into the beds and winter rye grass into the aisles. It is also a good time to tidy and clean things on the farm so that it looks good while it rests in the cold.