First Spinach Harvest Demonstrating a Few of the Virtues of Raised Beds

We harvested our first spinach this morning while it was still cool and the plants were fully hydrated.  The leaves were exceptionally robust and juicy.  To harvest them we simply pinch off the largest leaves near the base of each plant and then place the floating row cover back over them until the next harvest.

This image of my wife harvesting spinach is also a good illustration of some of the benefits of raised beds, especially for older folks.  Note that (1) she is using the bed to give her support, (2) because the bed is raised up eight inches, she doesn't have to lean down so far to pick the leaves, and (3) she can use the bed to help her stand up when she is finished.