Saturday, August 31, 2013

2013 Season, week 16

August 31, 2013

This week's harvest:
Arugula
Potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers and/or Eggplant
Hot Peppers
"Patty Pan" Summer Squash
Okra
Basil
and a big hunk of Watermelon!

This week's farm news:

The weather this week was hot and dry - but it felt pretty normal for the end of August. In the garden this week, more areas were prepared and sown to mixtures of fall greens and cover crops. Ira has been a huge help to Eric with of this planting. He's been driving the tractor while Eric rides on the harrow to give it some extra weight. As they go along at a slow pace, Eric can hop off of the harrow to uproot any grasses that the harrow's tines have missed, and then hop back on. Ira never has to slow down or stop. If Eric were doing this by himself, he would have to constantly stop, get off the tractor, pull weeds or unclog the tines, and then start up again. By doing this together, the work is so much more efficient and the teamwork makes it so much more enjoyable for Eric. And I think Ira feels good to be really helpful with something so important. So when you're eating your greens this autumn, you can say a little Thank You to Ira and all of his hard work! Hooray!

Saturday, August 24, 2013

2013 Season, week 15

August 24, 2013

This week's harvest:
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Potatoes
Hot Peppers
Onions
Garlic
Patty Pan Squash
Sweet Potato Greens
Basil
Okra

This week's farm news:

Just a reminder that fall share signups are happening now. If you have any questions, or need more information - just holler at us!

This week finally felt like summer. It's the most summer-like weather we've had since June, I think. The hotter days coupled with lots of sweat and dirt made the creek feel divine. In the garden we got a lot more seeds sown for our fall crops and Eric's frenzied pace and strong instinct "that it's time!" was rewarded with a very isolated and gentle rain. We sowed arugula, hakurei salad turnips, kale, cilantro, daikon, etc. In soil blocks we started Swiss chard, mizuna, more kale, and more lettuce. We also sowed about 600 row feet of Walla Walla onions with the hope of over-wintering them. And Eric corralled and sorted the sheep and pulled out about 20 (mostly young rams) which we took to a livestock auction in Bowling Green. Some of our dear fellow farming friends were doing the same thing so we met at the auction facility and then went for coffee at a lovely locally owned coffee shop in downtown Bowling Green - "Spencer's". It was a fun treat.

And finally, Farmer Cher is taking a little break from market this weekend to celebrate her big 4-0(!) birthday! Oh my! See you next week a little older and hopefully a little wiser...

Saturday, August 17, 2013

2013 Season, week 14

August 17, 2013

This week's harvest:
"Sangria" Watermelons
Assorted Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
"Patty Pan" Summer Squash
Basil
Okra
Garlic
Onions

This week's farm news:

First off, we want to announce this year's fall share. The fall gardens are taking shape nicely. All of the transplants are looking good. We see lots of butternut squash, just beginning to blush a bit. The sweet potato vines are a rampant carpet of vines which we project will yield abundantly. Pumpkins and other winter squash are setting lots of fruit. We have ample onions and potatoes in storage. And Eric stayed home from market today to broadcast-seed more fall greens and turnips in with our cover crops. He finished the ground work on Friday and wants to sow the seeds before more rain. And with the fall share, we will continue to harvest the summer crops until frost. So if all of this whets your appetite, please join us for this year's fall share! It will last 8 weeks: from Oct. 5 - Nov. 23 (the Saturday before Thanksgiving). The cost will be $175 for a small share and $275 for a medium share. The fall season is typically abundant and is our favorite! Just let us know if you are interested!

Saturday, August 10, 2013

2013 Season, week 13

August 10, 2013

This week's harvest:
Assorted Tomatoes
Assorted Sweet Peppers
"Patty Pan" Summer Squash
Potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Sweet Potato Greens
Assorted Hot Peppers
Okra
Basil

This week's farm news:

Another rainy and mild week. Remarkable! Soil conditions were dry enough on Tuesday to get some garden work accomplished. We set out hundreds of fall transplants: Chinese cabbage, Bok Choi, and collards. We direct seeded some cut lettuce mix, and more Tuscan kale. Tatsoi, lettuce, and cilantro were started in soil blocks. We cultivated thousands of feet of fall crops that are doing so nicely! We weeded the ginger and eggplant (by hand) that were in some pretty serious need of attention. Now they seem much happier.

Eric spent a good deal of time on the tractor turning under all of the sweet corn stubble and many other early summer crops that were finished. Once the soil has time to digest all of that plant matter, we will be ready for planting more cover crops and fall vegetables/greens. The season is moving right along!

And finally, Farmer Eric isn't with us at market today because it's his birthday! He and Ira are going to a local auction to look at some fishing poles and hand tools! So a big happy day to Eric!

Sunday, August 4, 2013

2013 Season, week 12

August 3, 2013

This week's harvest:
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Basil
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Choice between: Patty Pan Squash, Okra, Eggplant, and/or Carrots

This week's farm news:

The season thus far has been remarkably pleasant. Last week after market, we hustled home and Eric hopped right onto the tractor to get some ground ready for a round of fall transplants. We knew rain was coming (again!). We were able to set lettuces, cauliflowers, loads of celery, and leek transplants, as well as direct seeding 3 types of kale, arugula, more carrots, & Roma beans. And then it rained... hooray! Some of these seems have already germinated and the transplants look fabulous. We also started more seeds in soil blocks for later transplanting Chinese cabbage, collards, Pac Choi. Eric also seeded the potato patch to a cow pea cover crop, and it, too, is already germinating. And while the rain was coming down, and gardens too wet for tending, we spent time in the kitchen putting up some of the bounty for winter.