October 1, 2011
This week's harvest:
Arugula
Kale
Salad Turnips and Greens
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Potatoes
Acorn Squash
Butternut Squash
Basil
Garlic
This week's farm news:
Well, we survived! (At least so far!) A whole week went by, and the farm didn't burn down, the animals are all accounted for, and we even made it to market with your veggies! Actually, it was a very calm week. We've had some cooler temperatures and some rain, but the big news is that we started digging SWEET POTATOES! We were eager to get them out of the ground, since they need to undergo a curing process before they are fully ready to show up in your baskets. So GET EXCITED!
Although we have definitely enjoyed the peace and quiet on the farm this week, it is just not quite the same without the family. They are an essential part of what makes Bugtussle BUGTUSSLE - and so are YOU! Meeting all of you and connecting with your lives and your families is a huge motivation to us for starting our own farm someday. This was an absolute LIFE-CHANGING year for us both, and we cannot thank you enough for being part of it.
~ Jesse and Hannah
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
2011 Fall Season, Week One
September 24, 2011
This week's harvest:
Butternut Squash
Acorn Squash
Kale
Salad Turnips
Arugula
Garlic
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
This week's farm news:
Happy autumn everyone! Well, last weekend's push to get the garlic crop in the ground was a success. It's all planted now - about nine thousand cloves of it - and the crew even got it mulched before the rain set in! Awesome! The crew also set transplants into our high tunnel for our winter harvests and Eric finished planting his forage crop into a garden that we are converting back to pasture for a few years in order to re-generate the soil's fertility. (To do this required first yanking our main tomato crop - about two hundred plants/cages/& stakes!)
This week, also, our five pigs were advanced into their forest paddocks so that they can begin to eat all of the scrumptious acorns that are now falling. We were pushing to get lots of these projects done this week because today, following market, the Smith family is heading South for our annual family vacation to the beach! We wanted to leave the farm feeling good about things! Superheroes Jesse and Hannah will be holding down the fort - their ultimate test to see if they really want to start their own farm!
This week's harvest:
Butternut Squash
Acorn Squash
Kale
Salad Turnips
Arugula
Garlic
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
This week's farm news:
Happy autumn everyone! Well, last weekend's push to get the garlic crop in the ground was a success. It's all planted now - about nine thousand cloves of it - and the crew even got it mulched before the rain set in! Awesome! The crew also set transplants into our high tunnel for our winter harvests and Eric finished planting his forage crop into a garden that we are converting back to pasture for a few years in order to re-generate the soil's fertility. (To do this required first yanking our main tomato crop - about two hundred plants/cages/& stakes!)
This week, also, our five pigs were advanced into their forest paddocks so that they can begin to eat all of the scrumptious acorns that are now falling. We were pushing to get lots of these projects done this week because today, following market, the Smith family is heading South for our annual family vacation to the beach! We wanted to leave the farm feeling good about things! Superheroes Jesse and Hannah will be holding down the fort - their ultimate test to see if they really want to start their own farm!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
2011 Season, Week 20
September 17, 2011
This week's harvest:
Butternut Squash
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Garlic
Onions
Salad Turnips with Greens
Basil
Potatoes
This week's farm news:
Well, folks, this week wraps up our "Main" season vegetable share for 2011! Many thanks to all of you that participated... Thanks for sharing your recipes, stories, and including us in your lives! Your involvement in our CSA nourishes us. In turn, we hope that our food has equally nourished you and your families! Blessings to you all!
So next Saturday, the 24th, will be the start of the fall season. There are lots of goodies in store for you! (There are also still shares available, if you haven't signed up yet and would still like to.) So, fall share folks, we'll see you next Saturday!
This week's harvest:
Butternut Squash
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Garlic
Onions
Salad Turnips with Greens
Basil
Potatoes
This week's farm news:
Well, folks, this week wraps up our "Main" season vegetable share for 2011! Many thanks to all of you that participated... Thanks for sharing your recipes, stories, and including us in your lives! Your involvement in our CSA nourishes us. In turn, we hope that our food has equally nourished you and your families! Blessings to you all!
So next Saturday, the 24th, will be the start of the fall season. There are lots of goodies in store for you! (There are also still shares available, if you haven't signed up yet and would still like to.) So, fall share folks, we'll see you next Saturday!
Saturday, September 10, 2011
2011 Season, Week 19
September 10, 2011
This week's harvest:
Pumpkins
Arugula
Basil
Garlic
Potatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Tomatoes
Onions
Sage
Eggplant - medium shares
This week's farm news:
Clearly, the big news of the week is that we had rain! Not just any old rain either, but a gloriously gentle rain that lasted for days and drenched the farm with nearly four inches. And, the entire rain event was so gentle that every drop soaked in! And then the cooler temperatures... well! That left us feeling soooo refreshed - like we were transported from the desert Southwest to misty Northern Ireland... just like that! We are so grateful!
So, remarkably, next Saturday wraps up the "Main Season" vegetable share! The summer just marched right on past, huh? Thanks so much to all of you who participated. We hope you enjoyed it! If you are not planning to continue on with the fall season, we ask that you please bring your basket back to us (as well as a bag for next week's goodies). Thanks!
If you are still interested in signing up for a fall share but have not yet done so, we still have plenty of space available. Just let us know! And now that it has finally rained, the fall share should be that much better!
This week's harvest:
Pumpkins
Arugula
Basil
Garlic
Potatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Tomatoes
Onions
Sage
Eggplant - medium shares
This week's farm news:
Clearly, the big news of the week is that we had rain! Not just any old rain either, but a gloriously gentle rain that lasted for days and drenched the farm with nearly four inches. And, the entire rain event was so gentle that every drop soaked in! And then the cooler temperatures... well! That left us feeling soooo refreshed - like we were transported from the desert Southwest to misty Northern Ireland... just like that! We are so grateful!
So, remarkably, next Saturday wraps up the "Main Season" vegetable share! The summer just marched right on past, huh? Thanks so much to all of you who participated. We hope you enjoyed it! If you are not planning to continue on with the fall season, we ask that you please bring your basket back to us (as well as a bag for next week's goodies). Thanks!
If you are still interested in signing up for a fall share but have not yet done so, we still have plenty of space available. Just let us know! And now that it has finally rained, the fall share should be that much better!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
2011 Season, Week 18
September 3, 2011
This week's harvest:
Potatoes
Tomatoes & Cherry Tomatoes
Sweet & Hot Peppers
Garlic
Basil
Eggplant
Okra
Arugula
Onions
This week's farm news:
Ohhhh... It's so dry here! And so hot, too. Not a good combination when we're already so far behind on the season's rainfall! Lots of our summer crops are shutting down - mostly the peppers and eggplant. (For this reason, this week your eggplant is hard and should be roasted and then scooped out of the skin, which we suspect might be bitter.) Even though your farmers' instinct right now is to also "shut down," we've got to keep rolling along as if all is normal... We've got to get the remainder of the fall crops in the ground, assess what's still alive and re-plant where necessary, and get empty fields sown to cover crops. There is such a good chance for rain this weekend, and next week so much cooler that this could prove to be our last planting frenzy for the season! Who knows, it could start raining and not stop until December! Ultimately, we've got to sieze the opportunities where we can, take a deep breath, and hope for the best!
This week's harvest:
Potatoes
Tomatoes & Cherry Tomatoes
Sweet & Hot Peppers
Garlic
Basil
Eggplant
Okra
Arugula
Onions
This week's farm news:
Ohhhh... It's so dry here! And so hot, too. Not a good combination when we're already so far behind on the season's rainfall! Lots of our summer crops are shutting down - mostly the peppers and eggplant. (For this reason, this week your eggplant is hard and should be roasted and then scooped out of the skin, which we suspect might be bitter.) Even though your farmers' instinct right now is to also "shut down," we've got to keep rolling along as if all is normal... We've got to get the remainder of the fall crops in the ground, assess what's still alive and re-plant where necessary, and get empty fields sown to cover crops. There is such a good chance for rain this weekend, and next week so much cooler that this could prove to be our last planting frenzy for the season! Who knows, it could start raining and not stop until December! Ultimately, we've got to sieze the opportunities where we can, take a deep breath, and hope for the best!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
2011 Season, Week 17
August 27, 2011
This week's harvest:
Arugula
Tomatoes & Cherry Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Potatoes
Garlic
Basil
Okra
This week's farm news:
There was a good chance of rain last weekend, so when we got home from market last Saturday, we set out a bunch of fall transplants and sowed another row of arugula. It's always a bit of a gamble setting transplants this time of year, since rain can be so spotty. Well, on this occasion, we gambled and won! We had a really nice rain shower on Sunday morning that settled in the transplants. The arugula was germinating in just a few days! Later in the week, however, when there was another decent call for rain, Hannah and Jesse set out some more transplants and this time we weren't so lucky. The rain never came and was instead very hot and dry! So, unless it rains again really soon, we are going to need to water-in the transplants ourselves. Oh well, you can't win them all!
The Smith family took a little excursion off the farm for a day to celebrate Cher's birthday. We went to Mammoth Cave and took a couple of tours and camped overnight. The cave was awesome (I've not been there before) and also very educational for our home-schooled kiddos. When we got home, Eric and crew jumped right into butternut harvest.
This week's harvest:
Arugula
Tomatoes & Cherry Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Potatoes
Garlic
Basil
Okra
This week's farm news:
There was a good chance of rain last weekend, so when we got home from market last Saturday, we set out a bunch of fall transplants and sowed another row of arugula. It's always a bit of a gamble setting transplants this time of year, since rain can be so spotty. Well, on this occasion, we gambled and won! We had a really nice rain shower on Sunday morning that settled in the transplants. The arugula was germinating in just a few days! Later in the week, however, when there was another decent call for rain, Hannah and Jesse set out some more transplants and this time we weren't so lucky. The rain never came and was instead very hot and dry! So, unless it rains again really soon, we are going to need to water-in the transplants ourselves. Oh well, you can't win them all!
The Smith family took a little excursion off the farm for a day to celebrate Cher's birthday. We went to Mammoth Cave and took a couple of tours and camped overnight. The cave was awesome (I've not been there before) and also very educational for our home-schooled kiddos. When we got home, Eric and crew jumped right into butternut harvest.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
2011 Season, Week 16
August 20, 2011
This week's harvest:
Sweet Peppers
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Hot Peppers
Garlic
Basil
"Drought" Cilantro
Watermelons - medium shares
Okra
Cucumbers &/or Yellow Squash - small shares
Eggplant
This week's farm news:
We are pushing 40 days without a real rain. We've only had about 3/10" total rainfall since July 12, our last rain event. We've longingly watched storms pass by the farm in all directions, leaving us all the more thirsty for rain. Storms have missed us so many times that Eric is convinced that "They are not just missing us, they are avoiding us!" There are moments of feeling a little desperate and grumpy, especially when seeing garden plants wilty and suffering, but we know in our bones that, yes, sometime again it will rain. Who knows maybe even today? (Trying hard to be hopeful!) The term "isolated thunderstorms" really has a whole new meaning for me now when in Nashville, just 70 miles away (and even in places a lot closer than that) rain has been plentiful!
Well, would you believe it? Just after writing this letter into Bugtussle rolls the thunder, lightening, and rain. Ahhhh! Yes, rain!
This week's harvest:
Sweet Peppers
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Hot Peppers
Garlic
Basil
"Drought" Cilantro
Watermelons - medium shares
Okra
Cucumbers &/or Yellow Squash - small shares
Eggplant
This week's farm news:
We are pushing 40 days without a real rain. We've only had about 3/10" total rainfall since July 12, our last rain event. We've longingly watched storms pass by the farm in all directions, leaving us all the more thirsty for rain. Storms have missed us so many times that Eric is convinced that "They are not just missing us, they are avoiding us!" There are moments of feeling a little desperate and grumpy, especially when seeing garden plants wilty and suffering, but we know in our bones that, yes, sometime again it will rain. Who knows maybe even today? (Trying hard to be hopeful!) The term "isolated thunderstorms" really has a whole new meaning for me now when in Nashville, just 70 miles away (and even in places a lot closer than that) rain has been plentiful!
Well, would you believe it? Just after writing this letter into Bugtussle rolls the thunder, lightening, and rain. Ahhhh! Yes, rain!
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