Hello, I am very new to this forum, but not the site! Been lurking for quite a while as I settle into my new life in a new Country (Sweden).

I am starting a new business here, a CSA ran Farm and I am looking for all and any advice that might make my life a little bit easier?

I have a plan in my head, a rough scribble on paper and a LOT of interest from the locals. Now I am just waiting for my council to release the field to me. Annoyingly I can go and look at it, but that is all I am allowed to do at the moment.



I have some catalogues coming and I would like to get started asap on sowing seeds at home in my seed trays (the 180 cell ones) and I wondered if I could start edible flowers now?

I can not really start vegetables as I am not sure when I can transplant them too the ground, plus I need to find some hoop houses for the veges. Flowers I presume can wait till next year to go into the ground, or are they better direct sown?

Welcome to the forum! Your project sounds exciting, and I hope someone here can help. I live in quite a different climate and have no real experience with vegetable farming or edible flowers. Good luck!

Thank you Porkpal,

I held an allotment for a lot of years, and it's really just an upscale version.

You still need to do lines of veggies to ensure you have plenty of variety for the weekly/fortnightly baskets! :D

Edible flowers is a new thing for me, nasturiums is about all I have managed before now, but I am super excited to try other varieties.

Good luck Claire!

It looks like you'll have plenty of sun and lots of room there. I'm envious! But it might take a lot of time and work once several families start to depend on you.

And thanks for posting. I hope you keep letting us know how your CSA project is progressing.

Most vegetables, I would start in 72-cell trays or even 50-cell trays. (I don;t have room to pot-up, and try to transplant directly from the cells into the soil. Maybe lettuce does well in a tray as small as you mentioned. But I'm not very experienced with starting large numbers of vegetable seeds.

I think of Sweden as being "far North" and cold, but does the Gulf of Bothnia moderate your weather? I'm just curious: when is your average first-frost-date?

First frost date is Oct 15th.

I am South Sweden, so my climate is akin to North Scotland. When its cold, its COLD and there is lots of snow, but when Summer does arrive (last frost date is Mar 15th) it comes in full force. Just last week we were hitting 29c and it was glorious!

Yes, I have some 84 cell trays on order, and I am hoping for a polytunnel to start most things off in cells, then I shall plant out in the hoop house or direct depending on the produce and time of year. Salads I hope to do all year round, as well as most herbs.

I have done a lot of market research and it seems (surprisingly) that most people want carrots, potatoes and tomatoes. All good croppers so I should be okay, and they are fabulous to use in good rotation. (Beans followed behind in 5th as most wanted veg).

Some exciting news happening next week as well... I shall keep you all posted!

Thanks. That's only 11 days earlier than my average first "Frost" night 32F / 0C (Oct 26).

However, if I consider instead a 50% chance of a HARD freeze, (28F = -2.2C) , I have until Nov 22 in an average year.

Good luck! I'm keeping this thread "Watched" so I can follow your progress.

Urgh - Politics! My good news has to wait another week, but it comes with an added bonus!

Sojali said:Urgh - Politics! My good news has to wait another week, but it comes with an added bonus!

Oh how sweet!

Start... Your... Tractors!!

http://www.sojali.com/2015/09/...

I took the plunge and jumped in with both feet to ask for help!

https://www.gofundme.com/sojal...

Quick update - The GoFundMe page is going nowhere!! Not a single donation.

On a plus, the field was finally ploughed today, me and my rake are going to start tackling it this weekend.

Wow! That looks to be a major project.

Thank you - it will certainly be a lot of hard work, but I am really looking forward to it.

As the donations are not coming in, it will all have to be done by hand. End of the month, if the snow hasn't arrived, I will buy a rake and see if I can't get at least some garlic in.

Hoping to get the Spring bulbs in too, but not holding my breath on that front.

Just received word that the fence is finally going up!

I missed the last chance to sow my garlic, but at least now I can get onto the field and do what I want without fear of people walking across it when they feel like it.

www.sojali.com

If your soil is not frozen, you could still sow garlic.