Almost April
Perennial arugula our most important crop, in fact a neighbor calls me “Arugula Ted.” 
Carrots planted in November and grown under a cold frame, small but sweet. For great carrots available right now in the grocery store look for carrots from Atlantic Canada. 
Sorrel, a perennial french green that is very sour and very good. It is in the same family as rhubarb. 
Yes, it is Spring!
All photos below taken on March 31st in our gardens at 41 Western Ave in Hull MA
On Sunday I was reading this article in the New York Times by Kendra Pierre Louis about seed shortages due to the Covid 19 Pandemic. In the second paragraph she references Candide, and the ending of that story, with the phrase about tending one’s own garden.
I also saw that seeds are hard to come by as folks think about planting. Well, I have seeds–in fact, about 250 million carrot seeds, and I will be mailing them out, for free, to folks who would like them around May first.
To get your seeds please fill out the linked form.
Last year we had about forty sets of seeds go out and this year I am hoping for 100, though only nine folks have claimed theirs to date.
One of the most wonderful manifestations of Carrot Day Massachusetts 2019 was the work of June Fountaine and her students, and Heather Weber and her students. Here is what they had to say after the carrot day celebrations at their schools:
We celebrated carrot day with our middle school partners. We actually cut up the carrots so kids could taste the different colored carrots after seeing the cool shapes they grew in. Our “Medusa” looking carrot was admired by all, especially the pair of kids who had to work so hard to pull it out of the ground! My kids bagged the remaining carrots in paper bags (4 or 5 to a bag) stating that the carrots were from SSCPS and will be donated to a local food pantry. Some of the remaining ones will be cooked by the older kids into carrot and kale soup which we will eat this week. Kids loved the carrots!
November 2019
June Fontaine SSCPS
Memorial Middle School 7th grade students harvested their carrots this morning in advisory. They were so excited! I loved hearing all the comments. ” These are really the carrots we planted? From those little seeds?” I don’t even eat carrots, but this is so good!” “I am going to plant these at home this spring!” The First Annual Carrot Day in Hull was a wonderful day; it was filled with happy faces. The current 6th graders are very excited for their turn to grow carrots next year. Heather Weber Memorial Middle School Hull
November 2019
After the March Post June Fontaine wrote:
Hi Ted and All Carrot Growers, This was a welcome email during this time of social distancing. Our connection with nature and the soil is one that we can depend on, whether we are in our own gardens or even just enjoying a sunny patch in a backyard. It surely will contribute to our mental health. It’s a good time for students to notice changes in nature and perhaps even plant a few seeds on a windowsill in preparation for outside planting later on. Thanks for keeping us grounded, Ted.
Carrot Day Massachusetts 2022 