July has come and gone with unusual temperance this year and we have
been enjoying the warm days and cool nights.
Although many of our summer crops would prefer a little more heat the
first blush of tomato season has begun.
It is still too early to get much of a harvest out of our first tomato
planting but the handful of reddening fruits give us hope that it will be a
good tomato year. For weeks we have been
eyeing the dense and nearly waist high carpet of green that is our watermelon
patch. The canopy is so thick that we
haven’t been able to see much of the fruit hidden beneath. To harvest these summer time treasures we
must move through the crisscrossing vines with slow and ginger steps so as not
to damage any still ripening melons. We
cultivated our fall cole crops last week and they look to be off to a fantastic
start. With a little extra TLC it just
might be a banner year for cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage. I am particularly eager to grow some
exceptional brussel sprouts this season!
Some of our youthful volunteers. Thanks guys! |
July and August are frantic months for us on the farm. Harvest takes up fully half the day while all
other planting, cultivating, weeding, seeding, and maintenance tasks get crammed
into the afternoons. Even working extra
hours and weekends we can’t get to every task at once and we are forced to
prioritize. July and August can also be
very satisfying months as each task we cross off our “To Do” list brings us a little
closer to being back in control. We have
had some really fantastic, motivated and friendly volunteers who have helped us
over the last few weeks when we really needed it most. I would like to thank these deputy growers
again for their incredible efforts.
Russ, Ross, Sam, Rob, Mark, Stella and everyone else who has pitched in,
you guys have been invaluable not only as great workers but also as great
motivators for our crew. Your spirit and
enthusiasm has invigorated all of us. Sandy you have been a lifesaver. And to all of our members, it is a pleasure
to be growing for you. Enjoy the week!
What’s in the share? Lettuce, escarole, Alisa Craig onions, cucumbers,
cabbage, zucchini and summer squash, potatoes, Marini’s sweet corn, P
YO flowers and
sunflowers, beans and herbs
What’s new? Green peppers
and aquamelon