For the Love of Leeks

The leeks in the Local Food Project garden are thriving in all the rain we’ve been getting. Back in March, we ordered leek starts from Dixondale Farms, then planted them in four rows with six inch in-row spacing. After reading an inspiring article in Growing for Market about one farmer’s special leek-growing strategy, we decided to adapt it to our smaller scale. His technique of hilling soil around the base of the plants produced leeks with extra-long snowy white shanks that were a hit with his customers. We thought Airlie chefs would be equally as excited about tender, flavorful leeks so we’re hilling ours with a narrow-bladed hoe every 2-3 weeks. When harvest time comes, we’ll post a picture of the results!