PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE

“Floating Row Covers” Produce Quality Crops at Cross Island Farms

Dave Belding and Dani Baker apply a length of “floating row cover” to a row of vegetable seedlings at the beginning of the growing season at Cross Island Farms.

Wellesley Island: “Floating row covers” are one of the special ingredients enabling Wellesley Island’s Cross Island Farms to produce quality gourmet certified organic vegetables without using artificial fertilizers or pesticides.

A floating row cover is a white, pressed fabric which is placed over a row of vegetables and secured at all sides by tucking the edges under earth, wood, mulch hay, or any thing else which will hold the edges down. Enough slack is left in the fabric to leave room for the plants to grow. As they do, they lift the fabric, which appears to “float” above them, hence the name “floating row covers.”

Floating row covers enhance crop production in several ways. Early in the season they provide some frost protection and help hold heat in the soil and air surrounding the plants, speeding germination and growth. In high summer, the white color reflects light so the soil below remains cooler and more moisture is retained. Rain penetrates the fabric but insect pests cannot, so the floating row covers greatly reduce the need for other forms of pest management. They also protect plants from the wind so leafy vegetables like lettuce, beets, Swiss chard, and broccoli remain moist and tender. When it rains, row covers block mud splatters, keeping the produce clean. In addition, the row covers prevent airborne weed seeds from landing on the soil, reducing weed growth. In the fall, floating row covers extend the growing season by retaining heat and protecting crops from light frost. They also hide plants from birds, bunnies, and deer.

Even though extra labor is involved in working in gardens covered in this fashion, the flavor and texture of vegetables grown “under cover” more than justify the extra work.

For more information, call Dave or Dani at 482-FOOD (3663), email at organic@crossislandfarms.com , or visit the farm’s web-site, www.crossislandfarms.com. In addition visitors are always welcome at the farm. Cross Island Farms offers its certified organic gourmet vegetables for sale at its self-service roadside stand at 44301 Cross Island Road, Wellesley Island. For those who prefer to “grow their own,” the farm also sells certified organic vegetable plants for garden or patio.