Harvest Your Observations

As autumn approaches, the frantic pace of the growing season is finally slowing. Before putting the tools away for winter, there’s one last, crucial harvest to bring in: our observations.

The market gardening season is a whirlwind that overwhelms our memory. The lessons learned in the heat of July become hazy by the time winter arrives. It is now, while everything is still fresh, that we must document this valuable knowledge before it’s lost.

You have to turn anecdotes into actionable data. Don’t just write “the carrots were nice.” Instead, ask: Which variety had the best germination rate in the cool spring soil? Where was weed pressure heaviest? Documenting these details anchors the lessons for the future.

The real power of these notes lies in their context. A note specifying, “Mildew on ‘Marketmore 76’ variety, in bed 4B, appeared the week of August 10th” is a gold mine. Next year, this information allows you to take informed, preventative action based on documented facts from your own farm.

For years, I juggled dirt-smudged notebooks, lost photos, and complex spreadsheets. The problem was that this information was always disconnected. Piecing together a crop’s history felt like detective work.

This is where good farm management software becomes indispensable. A modern farm app allows you to link every note to a specific planting, crop, and bed. With the right crop plan tool, you can attach photos, add tags, and find any piece of information in seconds. This is how you build your farm’s institutional memory. Don’t let this valuable harvest go to waste; organize it with a good farm application and get ready for your best season yet.

– JM