The Story of a Plant's Life:
From Seedling to Harvest Season on the Farm
There has been so much eager anticipation to literally reap the vegetables that have been sown, we at CFTT want to take you on a journey of how our little seedlings cycle through their life and meet you at the dinner table. Waiting for plants to mature into veggies can be daunting for novice growers but farmers and those with a green thumb have confidence in the seedlings’ ability to get the job done.
After seeds have been sown, germination begins to occur usually within a few weeks. These tiny entities break open and release roots and shoots when conditions are right either on the farm or in the greenhouse. Under and above the dirt, there are a lot of unseen energetic interactions occurring that help these tiny roots grow and uptake much-needed minerals from the soil. Through the process of osmosis, roots absorb water from the soil that then travels up the xylem tubes to their spongy mesophyll cells and assists with the process of photosynthesis.
Meanwhile shoots grow towards the sun, allowing the chlorophyll in their green leaves to absorb photons from our beautiful Colorado sunshine. This triggers a chain reaction, while molecularly supplying energy to the plants in the form of ATP (literally the life force found in all living cells that allows organisms to function and grow) and signaling the plant to open their stomata. The life force molecule (ATP) combined with CO2, water (H20), nutrients and the sun are the basics for keeping these amazing interactions continuing under the naked eye.
With the help of an awesome group of volunteers - we’ve been germinating, planting, transplanting and hoeing here at the farm for the last three months. As we move closer to harvest season, you should begin to notice how the bountiful rows of green are beginning to take over the rich farmland. Taking in a variety of different nutrients from the soil, these budding veggies will soon begin the fruiting process. In turn, providing each species that CFTT grows with the components they need to produce that farm-fresh bundle of vegetables that we love. So, the next time you bite into your favorite farm veggie, take a moment and give thanks for how much work that little seedling took to get to your mouth. It’s been more than a journey.