“Go ahead and climb out on that limb, that is where the fruit is.”
Mark Twain
Drying out
This past week we finally arrived at a point to be able to do several important tasks that we have been semi-patiently waiting to complete. Needless to say, the 4th weekend was spent in the fields:
*Driving a tractor onto our fields to cultivate most of the crops. Many of our crops like potatoes, sweet corn, cucumbers, squashes, garlic and our new strawberries are in single row beds and I have an old Farmall cultivating tractor made to do this task. However, the first sweet corn was already too high and would just be broken off, in the garlic patch the weeds were already too big within the row to be smothered out by the ground thrown over them during the cultivation process, and the winter squash was already sending vines out. Many tasks on the farm are about timing in order for a process to have its desired effects. I also have a rear cultivator that is on a toolbar on my three-point hitch that I use between the beds, but it does not get near the crop rows
*Transplanting some crops like fennel, 3rd sweet corn, romaine, and 2nd basil that have been just chilling in their trays and slowly turning yellow. Also seed planting fall carrots, beets, 2nd bush beans, 2nd cucumbers, radishes and rutabaga. A few crops like 90 day dry beans and edamame that I just had to set aside for next season since there was not enough daylight left this year for them to mature. Some of these already have had a ½” rain on them and other plantings should get a watering on Friday morning.
*Putting up our first cutting of hay. I have about 10 acres of hay ground that the neighbor cuts and bales and we each receive half. It was very tall thick and stemmy, so he put most in round bales a 300 or so in small squares. We will probably only get one more cutting since this first one was so late. I will plow up about half an acre of this hay ground for my fall brassicas, scallions and hardy greens soon.
Farmer notes:
- CSA camping weekend Friday July 18 – Sunday July 20th. Reservations are required – check our website or call for details
- Finally we have some drier and sunny weather
- Wash all of the produce please
- Shelling peas did not make the box this week – everyone will get some in their next box
- Raspberries are coming into their own – full shares only this week
- Braising mix can be eaten as a cold salad, or braised/stir fried
- Chard is running it’s course for this first planting
- Basil is fair, but lighter green from sitting in wet soil
- Garlic scapes are interesting and fun little buggers. They are great in a stir fry, with eggs, or with about anything really
- Pac choy and Napa cabbage are done until a fall crop
- Cucumbers and squashes are busting with blossoms
- Seriously consider coming down to visit us sometime this season
