Sunday, September 30, 2012

2012 Fall Season, week 1

September 29, 2012

This week's harvest:

Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Kale
Arugula
Lettuce
Salad Turnips
Sweet Peppers
Tomatoes
Garlic
Hot Peppers
Eggplant

This week's farm news:

Welcome to the fall season, friends! We missed seeing all of you last weekend but, boy, we sure had a nice vacation at the beach! The weather was just lovely and we really kicked back and relaxed. But, as much as we love (and need!) our annual vacation, we always look forward to coming back home to our beloved Bugtussle! Upon our return we found everything to be in "great shape," gardens growing and animals content and well tended. (Which is always a big relief!) Now our challenge is to maintain that "vacation attitude" in our everyday living!!!

We are moving forward with our plans with Jesse and Hannah. They are taking us up on our land offer so we recently had a parcel of 7 1/2 acres surveyed (which includes the high tunnel.) They came here on Friday to set some transplants and take some measurements of their cabin site. (Of course, it was a "harvest day" for us so they got roped into that as well!) By suddenly being asked to leave the farm they were on previously, their resources were sapped. They have started an online fundraising campaign to help get them settled in Bugtussle. Visit here to contribute.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

2012 Season, week 20

September 15, 2012

This week's harvest:
Kale
Arugula and/or Mizuna
Lettuce
Salad Turnips
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Garlic
Eggplant

This week's farm news:

What a whirlwind of work! We did the week's work plus an extra two weeks' worth so we could be away on our vacation! We transplanted another 500 lettuce plants, sowed a nice patch of winter carrots and spinach, harrowed our garlic patch in preparation for planting in October, harvested a couple hundred pounds of sweet potatoes to give them time to cure in the greenhouse so they'll be sweet for the fall share. In addition, we got two weeks' worth of paddocks set up so our friends can continue moving our livestock to fresh pasture. Ira got all of his critters set up in the barn so they will be safe from predation. We feel ready to go but we're exhausted! But knowing we'll soon have saltwater on our skin & a beer in our hand we know it's worth it! The kids sure are excited! Well, a big thank you to all of you for supporting us for another summer season and we look forward to the fall ahead! See you on the 29th!

[Note from Liz: Former Bugtussle interns Jesse and Hannah have set up an indiegogo page to help with the costs of building a home on the land Cher and Eric have offered them. If you feel moved to assist them, the page can be found here.]

Sunday, September 9, 2012

2012 Season, week 19

September 8, 2012

This week's harvest:
Arugula
"Patty Pan" Summer Squash
Assorted Sweet Peppers
Assorted Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Garlic
Greens Choice: Kale, Mizuna, Cut Lettuce
Okra
Tomatoes and Basil

This week's farm news:

With several inches of rain falling in several different rain showers this week (some gentle - some heavy!) the farm is definitely wet. All of the cover crops that were sown last week are doing wonderfully. It is such magic to watch the brown soil slowly transform into all shades of green. While not a lot of actual garden work was done this week, we found ourselves quite busy with preparing the farm for our upcoming family vacation. We also had a few lovely visits from dear friends throughout the week, including our 2011 interns, Jesse and Hannah. And it was a very special visit because they were here to look at a few acres of the farm that we have offered to sell them. After leaving Bugtussle last fall, they have been so eager to find their haven and carve out their own little homestead - and have been met with many challenges up to this point. Because they are so dear to us, we decided to offer them a little piece of Bugtussle... It looks like we might have some new neighbors! [For an update, check out Jesse and Hannah's post on Sunday.]

Sunday, September 2, 2012

2012 Season, week 18

September 1, 2012

This week's harvest:
Eggplant
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Onions
Garlic
Parsley
Sweet Potato Greens
Patty Pan Squash
A Few Tomatoes
Okra - small shares this week

This week's farm news:

It was a busy week again! Eric spent many hours on the tractor harrowing and rolling. He planted about 3/4 acre of cover crops, which included many food crops, too... kale, turnips, daikons, mustard, cilantro, kohlrabi, along with crimson clover, rye, vetch, and oats.

Then on Thursday Cher, Eric, and our friend Lindsay set out nearly 2,000 transplants: collards, lettuce, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, Swiss chard, and kohlrabi.

We're definitely feeling a sense of accomplishment having the gardens planted for fall and winter. Just in time before this next round of predicted rain (hopefully!) sets in!

We also spread compost for our 2013 garlic patch. Eric got it tilled in so now we'll be ready to plant that crop soon, too. With such a bustling and productive week, we're feeling pretty good about the fall share! We hope you'll join us! It's looking promising!

Saturday, September 1, 2012

2012 Season, week 17

August 25, 2012

This week's harvest:
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Tomatoes
Eggplant
Watermelons
Onions
Garlic
Cucumbers
Basil

This week's farm news:

So this week we would like to announce this year's fall season. It will last 8 weeks beginning Saturday, September 29th thru Saturday, November 17th. (We will be skipping a week at market in between the summer and fall seasons - Saturday, September 22 - for our annual family vacation.) Most of the deliveries will take place at the same market, but in November will move indoors to the "Love" building across the street as we've done in the past. Here's what we're growing for the fall share: kale, sweet potatoes, winter squash, arugula, mizuna, hakurei turnips, Chinese cabbage, Swiss chard, collards, kohlrabi, and cauliflower. We will still be planting lots more greens in the next few weeks - spinach, mustard, tatsoi, bok choi, etc. - and we will continue to harvest the summer crops until frost. The cost will be $175/small share; $275/medium share; $375/family share. Again, we will be limiting the amount of shares offered to 50 families. Thank you and we hope you will join us for this year's fall share!!