As a gardener, I love talking to other gardeners. There is always something new to learn. Recently, my husband and I enjoyed a long weekend in New Hampshire. While there, we took the opportunity to visit Brookstone Gardens in Candia, NH (USDA Gardening Zone 5). Brookstone is a charming small-scale market garden operated by the husband-and-wife team of Jeff and Misty Rowell. What is impressive about Jeff and Misty is their enthusiasm, efficiency, and goals for their garden. In this article, I highlight what Jeff and Misty are doing to be as efficient as possible.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Brookstone Gardens sits on 3 acres of land which includes their home, a quarter-acre vegetable garden, fruit trees, bees, chickens, maple syrup making, 4 compost piles, a greenhouse, and their farm stand. As a result of inspiration from friends and family, Jeff and Misty began their farming journey in 2017. Because the productivity of their garden has grown each year, Jeff and Misty now operate a roadside farm stand. Also, I should mention that Jeff and Misty have full-time jobs outside their farm. Misty is a teacher and Jeff is a partner in a dessert business.
Brookstone Garden Background
As you arrive on the property, you first notice the charming farm stand built by Jeff. There are bins for all the in-season vegetables, fresh eggs, maple syrup, and a few home-baked items. Because the stand is adjacent to the vegetable garden, restocking is extremely convenient. The stand is typically open on Saturday’s and the vegetable produce routinely sells out. In addition, Jeff and Misty take orders on their Facebook page.
Steps away from the farm stand is the vegetable garden. The garden consists of 20 rows. Each row is 100 feet long and 30 inches wide with 18 inches between rows. Within the quarter-acre plot, a variety of fresh produce and flowers grow. Produce includes potatoes, green beans, carrots, radish, onions, summer squash, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplant. Two of the 20 rows are dedicated to flowers which include zinnias, Mexican sunflowers, and cosmos.
In managing the garden, Jeff and Misty follow organic practices. This includes leveraging a no-till approach to managing the beds, applying a 2–3-inch layer of compost each spring, and avoiding the use of synthetic chemicals. One of the keys to their success is a rigorous fertilization program. The three main types of fertilizer include Tomato-Tone organic fertilizer, Garden-Tone all-purpose vegetable fertilizer, and Plant Magic organic powder concentrate.
Keys to an efficient small-scale market garden
When managing a charming small-scale market garden of this size while also having full-time jobs, efficiency is vital. Now, let’s look at 4 items Jeff and Misty implemented to be as efficient as possible.
First, to manage weeds, weed mats are used over the entire quarter acre, including both beds and rows. Misty mentions that endless hours of weeding are saved leveraging this approach. As a result, weeding is only needed between plants. While the weed mats can be time-consuming to set up, the time saved during the season is well worth the effort. At the end of the season, the weed mats are cleaned, rolled up, and stored. Therefore, extending their useful life.
Second, Jeff set up a working sink within the garden area. This is extremely useful for washing vegetables and eggs and filling mason jars with flowers. Who wouldn’t love a sink like this in their garden?
Third, Jeff and Misty use automation to run their drip irrigation system. As a result, adjustment of the irrigation schedule is easy and efficient. Depending upon crop and weather, the irrigation runs every other day for 20 minutes. As an added benefit, water comes from their on-property artesian well.
Forth, a lovely, efficient, and multi-season greenhouse (built by Jeff) sits adjacent to the garden area. The greenhouse has potting benches, grow lights, ventilation, water, and heat. Thus, all seedlings get their start within this structure. From the greenhouse, it’s just a few steps to the garden beds.
Goals for Brookstone Gardens
As far as goals for the garden, two projects are underway. One, Jeff is building a small cottage/store that will allow an extension of the selling season. In addition, Jeff and Misty plan to partner with other artisans in the area to stock additional items for sale. Two is the completion of a hoop house or enclosed growing space. The hoop house is being constructed from tubular steel and will be covered in heavy-duty plastic. Therefore, the hoop house will provide frost protection allowing an extension of the growing season.
The biggest piece of advice from Jeff and Misty is patience. Mother Nature is forever changing and patience is necessary. I think all gardeners can relate to that advice.
In conclusion, if you happen to be passing through Candia, NH, or live in the area, consider stopping by the charming small-scale market garden at Brookstone Gardens. Check out their Facebook page for hours of operation and other updates.
Additional Information
You may find these posts to be of interest as you plan your vegetable garden.
- Creating and maintaining an organic vegetable garden – Part One
- Creating and maintaining an organic vegetable garden – Part Two
- How to use floating row cover in your organic garden
- Managing garden pests with an integrated approach
- Companion planting for pest management in the vegetable garden
- Install a solar-powered fence to keep groundhogs out of the garden
- Getting started with seeds, 4 secrets for successful seed starting
- Community gardens: their history, structure, and benefits
- What has become of scarecrows in the garden
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