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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield
@joshmayfield.bsky.social
500 followers 160 following 530 posts
• regen market grower • ecology • built environment
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · Oct 18
Hello, I’m a market gardener in upstate South Carolina. I’m also a seed saver and an amateur vegetable breeder, mostly of tropical culinary pumpkins and butternuts. I also care deeply about our climate and environment. Hoping this is a platform that prioritizes connection over engagement.
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Reposted by Josh Mayfield
michaelburchert.bsky.social
Michael Burchert @michaelburchert.bsky.social · 16h
Whether building with wood is better or not depends entirely on whether there are idiots in the forest.
motherjones.com
Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 1d
In 1999, Bill Clinton announced that “the last, best unprotected wild lands anywhere in our nation” would be shielded by a new rule that banned roads and drilling.

Today, these lands could soon see chainsaws and logging trucks amid a push by Trump to raze these ecosystems for timber.
Outcry as Trump plots the plunder of US forests: "You can almost hear the chainsaws"
Public comments suggest repealing the Clinton-era "roadless rule" is wildly unpopular.
www.motherjones.com
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 18h
Thanks! I’ve been meaning to make a post or thread about this. I’m roasting up a couple later tonight, I’ll see if I can post about it then.
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 1d
I haven’t yet, I’ll probably wait until I’ve made selections and refinements in future years before naming them.
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 1d
🌱 The best day? Sources say ‘Yes’.
sansculottid.es
The French Republican Calendar @sansculottid.es · 1d
Today is Septidi the 17th of Vendémiaire in the year 234.
Vendémiaire is the month of vintage.
Today we celebrate pumpkins.#JacobinDay

More information on pumpkins
An old time-y illustration of a Pumpkins.
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 1d
Yep, really not bad!
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 1d
It’s somewhat dependent on temperature and latitude. With days too long these tropical pumpkins may not produce female flowers. Zone 5 seems feasible, not sure about any lower tho!
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 1d
🌱 Here’s one of the tropical pumpkin hybrids I bred last year. It was easy to grow, productive and very early. I harvested this one just 78 days after transplanting. It’s also delicious – incredibly sweet and nice balance of floral and savory notes.
Two halves of a pumpkin sitting on a table outdoors.
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 2d
*There were 2-3 exceptions, like the Seminole pumpkin, where OP squash about matched the hybrids. I’ll def be giving them more attention next year in my hybridization work.
joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 2d
One lesson I learned this year that I didn’t want to be true: hybrid squash always* out-perform OP squash when significant stress is applied. I want to develop OP squash that thrive here, but it really seems like F1 hybrids or genetically diverse “landraces” are the most resilient.
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 2d
Love the idea, but I wonder how they’re dealing with formaldehyde.
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 2d
If they’re consistently small in stores it’s more likely that they’re just buying the cheaper, smaller grades. Even in a short season, some plants will produce large and jumbo tubers.
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 3d
We grow our green onions the same way without issue, so hopefully this works equally as well. That being said, these are new permanent beds and have higher weed pressure than our established beds.
joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 3d
Looking forward to seeing how they do for you! Beginning of October our average highs are 25C, average low about 13C. I know if soil temps drop below 13C it can be bad for taste/storage quality.
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 3d
🌱 Sweet potatoes still averaging small thanks to our groundhogs and rabbit (our tabby got the rabbit). They grow slower with cooler temps, but I’ll push them another week or so.
Sweet potatoes of various sizes laying on the ground.
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 3d
I’m trying that with my short-day onions! Hoping to skip the fleece, will just depend on how harsh temps are when I transplant. Our leased land is in a floodplain, that’s why I’m only trialing onions there this winter. Everything else will be cover cropped.
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 3d
Onions
- Direct-sown
- Overwintered
- Open field
Research suggests this is very possible here, though it goes against local convention. Spring flooding is a risk too. Now I just need to wait until next June to find out if this will work.
Small onion sprouts just starting to pop up.
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 4d
Same here, cool and dry at the moment. Absolutely perfect!
joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 5d
Tiny Monster Seeds has a short-season hot pepper. I haven’t grown it myself, but it looks good!
www.tinymonstergarden.com?item=57
Pancho and Lefty Hot Pepper | Tiny Monster Garden
Bred here at Tiny Monster Garden, Pancho and Lefty's parentage includes Chimayo, Jimmy Nardello, Matan, Aleppo, and possibly more. This is a genetically diverse swarm, slightly shifting from year ...
www.tinymonstergarden.com
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 6d
🌱 Rounding out my favorite hot peppers this year, I love the flavor of these Syrian Goat Horn peppers from Commonwealth Seeds. They’re very sweet with a nice kick of heat. Well-suited to dry climates, but tends to wilt in rainy weather like most other hot peppers this year. Another breeding project?
Holding a handful of red peppers, 1 inch wide and 8 to 9 inches long.
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 6d
🌱 looking so good!
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 6d
Fall planting. I’ve been planting early October, but I’m changing to early November this year. I’m hoping it will result in thinner stems that dry down more quickly.
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 6d
I think so! I meant for it to be millet, but I grabbed the wrong bucket.
This soil has had a few seasons of winter cover crops and gotten some good compost, so it’s some of the best soil in our garden.
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 6d
Growing a quick cover crop that will serve as a mulch for our garlic. Either the frost will kill it or we’ll tarp it in one month. 
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 7d
These ones I’ll likely dry and turn into red pepper flakes and maybe a chili crisp if I find the time.
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joshmayfield.bsky.social
Josh Mayfield @joshmayfield.bsky.social · 7d
I was going to suggest roasting your own so you can buy the green beans for $5/lb. They’re up to $7/lb now.
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