“A small group of thoughtful people could change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead
Update on the farm
A few times a year I like to give folks a more thorough sense of how things are going and what we’ve been up to. It goes without saying that we work long days and are never even close to completing the to-do list. All in all, after a slow, wet, and cool start it has been a good season and most crops are looking great in the field.
Spring crops: The spring greens and radishes did quite well and will appear again later in the fall. The early brassicas were a mix with the cabbage and kohlrabi pretty good and the cauliflower and broccoli a bust. The peas were not great either this year. Lettuces have faired quite well.
Summer crops: Other than being late to go into the ground, most of these look super. Peppers and sweet corn will be in next week’s box and possibly some melons and tomatoes. The eggplant, beets, beans, and squashes are in abundance. Cucumbers faired poorly. Presently the tomatoes in our earliest planting have almost totally lost their leaves to early blight. With such a cool, wet, and late spring (and the fact we do not use any fungicides) this blight got a head start on the plant. Our next 3 plantings of tomatoes look progressively better. Our garlic crop is poor due to bad seed in the 2012 drought.
Fall crops: Our winter squashes/pumpkins these were planted late and we are having a very cool few weeks which is not helping. We hope there is enough daylight and warmth in the season for these to mature completely. Potatoes, beets, carrots and fall brassicas should do well and the lettuces and greens are still to be planted or transplanted.
Interns: We are again blessed with some exceptional young people who work hard and are great to have around. Julian, Jathen, Kim, Kevin, and Clay do a wonderful job to bring you fresh, local food to your table. It seems crazy that Kim only has 10 days with us before returning to college and Clay will be back in high school by months end. The rest of us are wondering how on earth we will be able to get by without them.
Farm visit: So this is a pitch to all of you to consider coming down to the farm. Both camping weekends and our two member workdays was a bust this year. We still have our fall harvest party Saturday, October 5th from 2-8. Please mark your calendar and plan to come and celebrate with us. We will have food, bonfire, hayride, pumpkin picking, the animals, field tours etc. Otherwise, you are always welcome to stop in whenever time allows – just give us a holler.
Farmer notes
- Sugar snap peas are few, but delicious – eat the whole thing
- New red potatoes are uncured. Eat them up or refrigerate
- Thyme on the potatoes or squash is something else, man
- Can you believe 3 weeks of green beans – we are picking in our dreams
- Last of the spring cabbage
- Are you guys tired of the beets yet?
- Maybe a stir fry with the beans, peas, squash and cabbage
- We could use some serious 80 degree days
- July we received only ½ the rain of a normal year
