Written by Jay Rosenberg | 14 February 2011

During Friday's class on Permaculture Strategies at Hayes Valley Farm, we were lucky to be joined by farm volunteer Andrea Cohan and her friends, who were about to launch a new free farm stand in the Bay View.

We embarked on a harvest walk that was equal parts site tour and workshop. As we discussed the history of the site, we also covered some techniques for proper harvesting and pruning.

Permaculture Strategies - Join us on Fridays at 1pm.

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We worked for about 30 minutes just down the hill from the old on-ramp. We spread out along one path and began to cut down and chop up the fava beans that were the tallest, had the most flowers, or were showing signs of rust on the leaves. The technical term for this technique, "chop & drop."

We found ourselves muching on the young green leaves, and as we cleared out the favas, many vegetables were growing strong and ready to be harvested. While we collected delicious lettuces, broccoli, kale, cabbage and collards, we also tended to each of the plants, making selective prunes for their health and longevity.

We weighed the harvest a few times, and agreed it was 16 pounds of fresh local veggies.

The next day, the new Veggie-Table was launched on 3rd and Palou in the Bay View. Andrea reported "all the veggies went in 30 minutes flat. Raging success!" The pictures tell a great story. Thanks to all who conjured another magical moment in San Francisco.

For more information about The Veggie-Table at 3rd and Palou, including upcoming volunteer days, harvests, and veggie tables, visit The Veggie-Table on Facebook.

Photos by Andrea Cohan, Matthew Tucker, Crystal, and Jay Rosenberg