Wednesday, July 8, 2015

2015 Season, week 8

July 4, 2015

This week's harvest:
Garlic
Basil
Cilantro
Dill
Yellow Beans
Yellow Crookneck Squash
Cucumbers
Red & Green Cabbage
Hot Peppers
A few mixed Tomatoes
Eggplant - free choice

This week's farm news:

Well, folks, this was a different sort of week. First of all, it rained. A bunch. We likely had six inches over the course of a few days which resulted in a lot of high water on the farm. We get a little stir crazy when it rains like that... But all of the time being indoors helped us adjust to this other little bit of news: Cher fell and broke her ankle early in the week. At first we thought it was just a sprain, but after 2 days of doctoring the injury and there still being a spot of pretty intense pain on the back of my ankle, we decided to go and have it x-rayed... broken, indeed. So. It's a little bit overwhelming, but we're trying to adjust as best we can. I think the hardest part is having to sit still! I'm not very good at that! So, have a happy 4th and be sure to watch your step! I suppose it will be a few weeks before I make it back to market... But keep your fingers crossed for me and my ankle's speedy healing so I can get rid of these darn crutches... 6 months pregnant on crutches is not the most graceful sight!

Sunday, June 28, 2015

2015 Season, week 7

June 27, 2015

This week's harvest:
"Indy Gold" Yellow Beans
Yellow Crookneck Squash
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Carrots
Basil
Tomatoes!
Garlic

This week's news:

Another hot week, this one! And really, no more rain fell either... Maybe a few drops. Supposedly, though, according to the weather man, rain (and cooler temperatures!) is on the way. I hope so!

This week, despite the heat, we spent a good deal of time harvesting our garlic crop. We are about three-quarters finished and hopeful about getting it finished early in the week. Looks like your garlic future is secure... And you'll have to pardon your farmers if we reek of the stuff! Fresh garlic is irresistible and we have eaten a lot this week. We hope you enjoy it, too! The first of the tomatoes are coming in now which, to me, really heralds the beginning of summer. So happy summer to you!

2015 Season, week 6

June 20, 2015

This week's harvest:
Yellow Crookneck Squash
Red Lettuce
Fresh Garlic!
Cucumbers
Eggplant (medium shares this week)
Broccoli
Garlic Scapes (Spanish Roja)
Hot Peppers
-A Random Choice-
And some Basil

This week's news:

Well, it was a hot one this week! We had a few brief rain showers that didn't amount to much but it's raining again right now so we are hopeful about the farm getting soaked. We did a little more planting this week, setting out our late tomatoes, summer lettuce, tomatillos, lime basil, and okra. We also seeded two varieties of lima beans to trial so a good rain would sure help all of that get settled! And as usual, we did a lot of tractor cultivation, hoeing, and weeding this week, too. Those tasks are kind of like sweeping the floor or washing dishes... Just when you think you're all done, it's time to do it all over again!

We had a few days off the farm last weekend (after market!) for a short trip to Dale Hollow Lake. To read more or to see some photos, read Cher's latest blog post on the Radical Farmwives Website.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

2015 Season, week 5

June 13, 2015

This week's harvest:
Snow Peas
Kohlrabi
Swiss Chard
Beets
Green Garlic Scapes
Mint
This week's choice: choose between Lettuce, Broccoli, Baby Squash, Radishes, Hakurei Turnips, or Red Russian Kale

This week's farm news:

We had more good rain on the farm this week. We were expecting the rain to come in isolated showers but had a lovely surprise of a full day of mostly steady rain (Monday, I think!). Once the weather fronts moved through, though, somebody turned up the heat and humidity! The gardens were ready for more cultivation by the end of the week... And, boy, is there ever a lot to cultivate right now! (Which, for your sake, is a good thing but makes for weary farmers!)

With the heat also came the demise of some spring crops, but we're not quite (almost though!) to the deluge of summer crops, so that puts us squarely in that awkward in-between-season-place of a somewhat sparse harvest this week. Oh, but so much goodness is on the way... Squash and beans, tomatoes and peppers, cucumbers and onions and potatoes are just around the corner. Hang in there!

2015 Season, week 4

June 6, 2015

This week's harvest:
Snow Peas
Kohlrabi
Kale
Swiss Chard
Lettuce
Beets
Garlic Scapes

This week's farm news:

The week started off cool and rainy. It certainly did not feel like the beginning of June! We were so thankful for the rain, too... We needed it! And after the rain, the days of overcast skies and cooler temperatures really gave the moisture a chance to soak in. Once the garden soil dried out a bit, it was back to cultivation and weed pulling. Toward the end of the week the sun came out and the days started warming up and it began to feel like summertime. We transplanted some okra and sowed some zucchini and Roma beans. The deer found our tender, newly planted sweet potatoes, so we had to set up a deer fence around them to halt the nibbling. It seems like we've got to stay on our toes!

2015 Season, week 3

May 30, 2015

This week's harvest:
"Devil's Ears" Lettuce
"Lacinato" Kale
Cilantro
"Bright Lights" Swiss Chard
"Easter Egg Radishes"
"Cylindra" Beets
Mint
Garlic Scapes

This week's farm news:

A few rain showers moved through the farm this week, the first of which fell just after we finished planting our sweet potato crop... What a blessing that was! The farm was really starting to need some rain, too. We wouldn't complain about getting a little more though... We also planted parsnips, more carrots, & summer lettuce in the garden and started some trays of lettuce, okra, tomatillos, lime basil, and our late crop of tomatoes in the greenhouse. The main season tomato patch is mostly caged and mulched, too. And lots of cultivation work was accomplished so it was a pretty busy week!

And now, unbelievably, here we are already on the threshold of June! And I'll say, I'm not sure I have ever been so eager for summer crops! I can hardly wait for that first batch of salsa! That first melon! Oh my! All of the summer crops are looking good and growing fast - thank goodness!

2015 Season, week 2

May 23, 2015

This week's harvest:
Oakleaf Lettuce
Cylindra Beets
Swiss Chard
Cilantro
"Red Russian" Kale
"Easter Egg" Radishes
Garlic "Pigtails" Scapes

This week's farm news:

The week was lovely and remarkably cool. We had slight fears of getting a frost on Friday morning, but thank heavens all is well. We set out some more transplants: more melons, basil, squash, and lettuce. A whole lot of cultivation was done as well, both by hand and with the tractor, so the gardens are in pretty good shape right now.

This week we also sheared my ten Shetland sheep, thanks totally to our good friends at Hill and Hollow Farm. (I'm so excited to have a giant pile of wool to play with! I plan to keep some for hand spinning but hope to send some off to a mill to be made into yarn... who knows? Maybe I'll even have some for sale at market one of these days!) So our friends came with their handy-handy electric shears and made short work of all those sheep. With my hand shears it probably would have taken me days to finish the task! So me (and my back) are super thankful for the shearing helps!

Have a great week, y'all, and happy Memorial Day!