Monday, December 17, 2012

Decemeber 20th

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

 
As I type, the first snow is falling.  It is a lovely cold light snow and is making for a beautiful base for the winter.  (We won't talk about the fact that it will rain 2 inches tomorrow.)  The warm weather has pushed many of my winter tasks back a bit--just yesterday I packed away all the implements and tools.  And just last week I mulched the strawberries and raspberries.  Tasks that usually take place right around Thanksgiving.  Warmer weather is certainly easier to work in and I have been able to get many things accomplished that I wouldn't normally.  But I have to admit I was hoping for a good freeze and plenty of snow to squelch some of those nasty bugs and diseases that have been building up over the years with warmer temps.     

 
Mulching was a joint effort between all 4 cats, three ducks, Simon and myself.  The cats romped and played and tackled each other over the towers of bales piled in the truck, the ducks futilely searched for worms in the dry oat shafts, Simon alternated between searching for mice and chasing the cats just for fun and I...well I actually mulched the berries!

 
The ducks are pretty hilarious.  They are certain that any movement on the farm is an effort to find worms for them.  They see me in the hoophouse, they come in looking for handouts.  They hear the tractor flipping the compost, they waddle over.  They see me shoveling snow...and they all truck over hoping for some straggling bug.  Alas, while I was mulching the raspberries with wood chips, I do believe they found a few morsels to settle their craving. 
 
All of the seed catalogs have arrived!  I have already been leafing through and am anxious to start my ordering.  Thank you to all who have signed up for 2013 and have paid in full or have given a deposit--it will certainly make ordering much easier! 
 
If you are thinking about signing up for 2013--get in the full spirit of Community Supported Agriculture--now is the time to pay down some money so I can purchase seeds and amendments for your veggies!
 
 
December Share Pick Up
Thursday 20th from 3-7
 
carrots, potatoes*, beets, onions, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, red/green cabbage, chinese cabbage, tat soi/pac choi?, garlic, turnips...
 
*the December and Winter share taters are from Crystal Spring Farm (organically cert).  I had a low yield this year so I traded other veggies over summer for winter taters! 
 
Recipes:
I will admit, we haven't been cooking much lately (instead allowing my mother, who is a great cook, to feed us).  We are redoing our kitchen and currently are living in a dusty, stoveless, sinkless mess.  I usually just search online for recipes for veggies I think you all might have trouble finding new things to do with.  There are usually several modifications of the same recipe, so if the one I post does not fit your fancy try another search to find a different recipe to suit your needs.  And of course the whole reason I opened up a facebook account for the farm is for you all to share recipes, so please fb it up if that is your thing.  Good Luck, have fun and Enjoy!  Blessings on your meal, Keena
 
 
Mashed Carrots, even kids will love!
 
Butternut Squash Lasagna
 
8 Winter Beet recipes
 
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

November 15th: Thanksgiving Share

Fall on the Farm

 
It's been two weeks since I have had a pick up and our daily task list has certainly changed course.  I have already been on a planning path for next year: making field maps, looking at seed varieties...It's been fun, but much of that takes place in front of the computer and days seem to just fly by.  Planning is essential and thankfully fun.  Usually I don't get into the nitty gritty until January, but this year I think my body wanted rest a little earlier than usual.  So after a week of being a computer geek, I headed back outside. 
 
The first task was to fill my little straw barn with straw.  300 bales this year.  Many farmers use black plastic for mulching.  It's cheap, weed free, a solid weed barrier, fairly easy to install (if you have the right equipment) and it heats the soil up, which some crops love.  Straw mulch is very expensive, can be full of weeds, it takes time (and strength) to load/unload/lay and it doesn't serve as a weed barrier if laid too thin.  However it adds great organic matter to the soil, I am supporting another local farmer and at the end of the season I don't have to pull it up and throw away a big ball of plastic trash.  Ah, now that feels nice.
 
 
The first photo was of the mulched garlic bed.  I will also use it this fall to cover parsnips and strawberries.  All of these crops need mulch to protect them from heaving out of the ground over the winter and to protect tender berry buds that were formed in the late summer.  I am also thinking of using it to mulch my asparagus this fall as a weed barrier.  We spent near 80 man hours this summer weeding the asparagus!!!  And I am hoping the expense and time mulching will be way less than weeding in the future. 
 
 
GREENS!  It has been so mild this fall that I have loads of greens for this year's Thanksgiving Share!  Many of these greens were meant to be for the summer share, but for some reason they decided not to mature in time.  So I have been covering and uncovering them for several weeks to try and save them for this week.  And it worked!  Strangely enough the kale, which is supposed to be able to over winter, was severely damaged by the sleet we had last week.  But the pac choi, tat soi, chinese cabbage, kohl rabi, chicory and chard all survived!
 
 
Thanksgiving Share Pick up! potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, leeks, beets, carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, pie pumpkins, butternut/acorn squash, garlic, lettuce, chicory, chard, asian greens, parsley, sage and thyme.  Plus: apples, cranberries and potato rolls!
 
And don't forget:
EGGS
cheese
honey
jam
maple syrup
and other great gifts!

Monday, October 22, 2012

October 23rd and 26th: End of Summer

New Beginnings

 
 
Well here it is, the end of the Summer Share.  A season full of intense heat, insects, 9 inch rains, weeks of dry, wicked humidity and still, in the end, our bellies are full of gourmet, hand grown, succulent, earth rich fruits and veg from our little farm.  It may be the end of summer, but for me, this marks a new beginning.  For one, I went for a walk in the woods with Simon for the first time since March.  And last week I worked 50 hours instead of the usual easy 80.  And little green spinach sprouts are just starting again in the hoop house for the Winter Share.
 
I am feeling a flurry of emotions as we wrap up another growing season...an unbelief that it has passed by already, an urgency to harvest and wash literally tons more veg for storage, a whirlwind of thoughts and plans and changes to make next season even better, an intense desire to lay on a massage table and shear thankfulness that I have a community of shareholders who support me and allow me to be a farmer. 

 
We hope that you will be joining us for the Holiday and Winter Shares and of course again in 2013!!!

This Week's Harvest:
lettuce, chickory, tat soi, pac choi, onions, garlic, winter squash, sorrel, fennel, carrots, potatoes, herbs, chinese cabbage? and ...
 
 
Last Night's Dinner
 
Eggplant parmasean with tat soi.

Modified Chicken Satay
 
On the side: sauteed peppers and pac choi in peanut and sesame oil

Sunday, October 14, 2012

October 16th and 19th: fall

Harvesting, Washing, Cleaning, Packing for Winter

 
 
I spend most of October and early November on my knees in the cool damp soil harvesting the last of the veggies for winter storage (carrots, beets, turnips, rutabagas, celeriac, leeks, potatoes and cabbage) and planting garlic.  If all I had to do was harvest, the fall would be easy!  But alas, after the veggies are harvested many hours are spent in my rain gear washing, washing, washing.  Then the veg must go into a container and placed into the walk in cooler for the winter.  Some veggies like onions and potatoes store better unwashed, but still we sort through and "clean" them as much as possible.  Since these are dry products, they are the last items to get packed into the walk in for winter storage.  The winter harvest is looking bountiful, so hopefully there will be space!
 
Fall always amazes me.  Late September comes with cool nights and a few frosts and I always think "ok this is it, no more growth".  But wow!  cool loving crops like broccoli, cauliflower and greens are still inching along and looking so vibrant and tasty.  Friday night brought a low of 24 degrees here.  A cold too cold for the PYO flowers, peppers, tomatoes and tomatilloes.  A cold too cold for even a few broccoli and cauliflower plants.  Most of the greens I have protected and when I flipped up the cover today to take a peek they looked like little green gnomes lined up in perfect formation....just waiting to be eaten!
 
I may give you a few "weird" greens these last couple of weeks...chicory, tat soi and pac choi.  But I hope you can find a way to love them, to love what Maine fall growing brings to our table.  I know eating locally and seasonally is a life change and a challenge that some of you don't even want to take.  But I hope that being a part of a CSA this year has at least brought you a little closer to realize what bounty and greatness our short growing season can bring, even if some of it is a little strange!
 

 
Extra Pumpkins $.35/lb!
Help yourself to the wagon to decorate your home..or make more pumpkin goodies!
 
The next couple of week's harvest:  will be a smorgasbord of veggies from the fall fields......lettuce, tat soi, pac choi, pan di zucherro chicory, fennel, peppers, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, leeks, cabbage, butternut squash, beets, chard, parsley...(broccoli, cauliflower, spinach you may not all  see these 3 items when you come, but I will try and mix them around so you all get a taste).
 
RECIPES
 
pan di zucchero chicory
"sugar loaf" in Italian. This heirloom chickory is sweeter than most bitter chickories.  The center will be the sweetest, with the outer leaves being a bit more bitter.  Use the center leaves raw in salad and try sauteing the outer leaves with olive oil, garlic and even the tat soi or pac choi!
 
greens and beans
1 head pan di zucchero chicory (about 4 cups, chopped)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3T olive oil
1 ½ cups cooked white beans (cannellini, great northern, or navy)
2-3 cups vegetable broth (or water from parboiling the chicory)
salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes
grated cheese
chop the chicory into coarse big pieces and boil for a minute or two in a pot of water. remove, drain (reserving some water for later if you don’t have handy broth) and dry off (blotting with a clean towel works fine)
meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a large cast-iron or other fry pan, add the garlic and sauté just until soft (not brown) add a pinch of salt, black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes
add the greens and sauté until very tender (4-5 minutes)
add the beans with the broth and warm them through
drizzle with a little more olive oil and serve with fresh grated pecorino or caprino romano (sheep or goat romano)
(for a non-vegetarian version, start by cooking a little bacon in the pan before the garlic and use beef or chicken broth)
 
TAT SOI/PAC CHOI (aka Bok choy)
Grilled Bok Choy/Tat Soi
Time: 10-20 minutes heating grill, 5 minutes preparation, 5 minutes cooking

1 head of young bok choy or tatsoi per person
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Slice the head in two lengthwise and wash thoroughly for any sandy soil that may reside in between leaves.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and soy sauce and sprinkle on a light coating of salt and pepper on the cut side.
3. Grill the bok choy, cut side down, over very hot coals for 4-6 minutes or until the greens are browned but not burnt. Serve immediately.
 

Yummy Tatsoi Recipe (or use pac choi!)

Ingredients
6 cups tatsoi, chopped
1½ cups carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 additional tablespoon
1 tablespoon season oil
¼ onion, chopped 5 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Egg noodles

Directions

Sauté oil and garlic for 5 minutes. Add carrots and onion sauté for 5 mintues. Add tatsoi and sauté till tender. In a bowl, mix together peanut butter, white wine vinegar, and soy sauce. Poor over vegetables and fry for a few minutes. Serve over egg noodles
 
FENNEL

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

October 9th and 12th: Pumpkins

PYO Pumpkin Party!

 
The BIGGEST Pumpkin Ohmy!  Zach is in competition with our neighbor, Pete, on who can grow the biggest pumpkin.  Coincidentally Pete couldn't make it to the party this weekend because he had to go "hunting".  We think he knew he lost ; ) 
 

  
Fireman's pass of the pumpkins over the broccoli.  All the orange globes just fit on the wagon...but barely, we needed spotters on the drive back to the barn.  Fun was had by all and it turned out to be a gorgeous day!!!! 
 
 
This Week's Harvest: lettuce, tat soi, fennel, beets, potatoes, carrots, hot peppers, tomatoes, parsley and a pumpkin!
 
Tat soi...Remember this super Vitamin green from the spring? Use it just like you would spinach or broccoli.  Lightly cooked. 
 
Beets:  Roasting them whole rather than boiling them allows beets to keep their color, flavor and all of their nutrients.
 
BEET SALAD
beets--toss with 2 tbs olive oil and a pinch of salt roast them whole at 400 covered with foil about 40 minutes set aside to cool, you may remove the skins...I never do
 
Combine olive oil, 6 tbs sherry vinegar, 2 tbs honey (i used maple syrup), 1 thinly sliced shallot (i used leek).
 
Stir in beets, cover and refrigerate up to 12 hours
 
Drain dressing, crumble feta cheese (i used feta cheese from Winter Hill that i sell) on top along with 1/2 chopped arugula
 
...the recipe also calls for toasted pumpkin seeds on top.  toast cleaned raw seeds over med heat, stir constantly until puffed and brown, about 10 minutes.  Drizzle with oil and salt
 
 
 
 

Monday, October 1, 2012

October 2nd and 5th: Farewell

OCTOBER!!

 
 
Wow I cannot believe it is October!  And it turned fall almost instantly this weekend.  Fall is my favorite season.  Crisp air replaces the humidity, fall colors paint the trees and then the ground. This fall I just feel like I cannot keep up with the harvest.  I'll agree it is good problem to have, loads of food, when you are a farmer....and for you as the consumer : ) 
 
By the Way--now is the perfect time to sign up for Holiday and Winter Shares, Turkeys and 2013 Summer Shares!!!
 
 
 
The piggies have been loving fall as well.  The last couple of years we have been finishing them in the woods--they just love it in there.  Every day I go out to feed them there is a new log (seriously BIG logs) moved out of the woods and into their pasture...true bulldozers.  This year Zach planted a patch of corn for them.  It was about 100'x100' square and they gobbled it up in about 3 days.  No joke!  I think next year we will plant 2 corn plots for them.  Now I am feeding them any apples I can scrape up from the neighbors yard (if you have any, bring them on over) and corn stalks from my field.  These 9 critters (inlcuding Blind Melon, the blind pig) are pretty special.  And we will miss them when they go this Sunday.  Sending out a big appreciation to them and to the bounty of our land.
 
This Week's Harvest: lettuce/spinach for Tuesday folks this week (Friday folks got it last week), beets, colored carrot medley, chard, onion, winter squash, pac choi, peppers, tomatoes, turnips, parsley, dill, cilantro...

A great greens description, including pac choi:
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/seasonalcooking/farmtotable/visualguidecookinggreens

Monday, September 24, 2012

September 25th and 28th: Greenhouse

A Greenhouse Weekend

 
 We toughed out a drizzly Saturday morning and got all 4 layers of plastic on the greenhouse!  (2 on each end and 2 on the top)  Blessed with no wind, although taking a couple of hours longer than I hoped, the process went pretty smooth. 
 
We put the end plastic on first.  I decided to try and put 2 layers of plastic on the ends.  It won't be airtight, but I am hoping it will add a bit more insulation.

Next we put on the top 2 layers.  There is a blower that will blow air between these 2 layers to add insulation.  Then we cut out holes for the doors, vents and fan.  Then we reattached the vents and placed the exhaust fan. 
 
I still have a few more steps to go: build 2 doors, lots of benches, run electric and hook up the heater/propane, but I am getting there...and I THINK it will be done before it's time to start seedlings again next year. 
 
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HELPED--WHAT A CREW!!!
 
 
 
PYO PUMPKIN PARTY
October 6th from 10-2
Potluck Lunch
 
 
 
This Week's Harvest: lettuce, sorrel, leeks, potatoes, beets, fennel, turnips, tomatoes, peppers, dill, cilantro, sage, oregano 
 
FENNEL RECIPES:

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Sept. 18th and 21st: Patting the Pigs

We've all got the Fall Itch

 
 
 
 This is a great way to rub down callouses and dry skin on my hands : )
 
 
This weekend was a wonderful beginning to fall.  We spent lots of time with the animals moving them around and of course scratching them behind the ears.  Well maybe not the turkeys... and the cows don't let me pat them but I did feed them a few apples : )
 
 
 

Fall brings beautiful peppers!!!
 
This Week's Harvest: lettuce, cabbage, chard, onions, garlic, hakueri turnips, carrots, edemame, sweet and hot peppers, tomatoes, last of the cukes/summer squash, dill, cilantro, parsley and lots of basil!

Sunday, September 9, 2012

September 11th and 14th: Bugs

Fall Caterpillars

 
Even though the air is still warm, fall certainly feels like it is moving in.  At least by looking at the gardens I can tell summer is coming to an end.  The cukes and squashes are all getting tired.  The green beans are slower to mature and veggies like potatoes, carrots and onions are calling out my name, asking to be harvested for winter storage.  It is the time of year that my body naturally starts to slow down and I welcome the darkness earlier in the day.  I sometimes let my guard down to weeds and insects, but am on high alert for warnings of frost. 
 
Fall brings a whole new set of farm tasks...and bugs.  There is much much much to clean up in the fields this fall...many bugs like to overwinter in plant debris. And with this year's record insects, I want to give them as little chance as possible to survive.  I have always been sensitive to insect bites and stings.  Nothing life threatening, but I generally swell up, itch and look hideous for a few days.  Some of you may have seen my neck a couple of weeks ago--swollen, bumpy and oozy from a Hickory Tussuck caterpillar that landed on my neck.  Well Saturday that was topped by some Brown Tail hairs that landed on my shirt and were inadvertently rubbed onto my eye.  Yowza do i look like a goon!  I will spare you a photo...and hopefully by Tuesday's pick up the swelling will have subsided enough that I can actually see.  May you all blessed never to cross the path of  either of these hairy little creatures:
 
 
Hickory Tussock

 
Brown Tailed  
 
 
Now these next few photos are of caterpillars I see in our fields often but luckily are not hairy or dangerous to humans and I find pretty spectacular!  (well touching is ok, but I wouldn't eat them!)

 
Black Swallow Tail
I find this guy on my parsley and dill plants.  When you get too close to them they put out 2 little orange antennas from their head and omit a funny smell. 

 
Tobacco Hornworm
Many of you were introduced to these this year on your tomatoes.  They love, no devour, anything in the Solanaceae family--peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, tomatilloes

 
Monarch
Luckily for us we have lots of milkweed in our back field so we always have these guys around.  This year there are more than usual and they are all over the PYO garden.  Beautiful.
 
Note that all of the bad bugs, critters or diseases in my blogs are refered to as him, he or guys : )
 
 
This Week's Harvest: lettuce, leeks, potatoes, beets, greenbeans, edamame soybeans, cukes, summer squash, tomatoes, dill, parsley, basil, mint, sage and caterpillars (just kidding)
 
 
Last Nights Dinner
 
Sorry no photos, but we ate yummy gazpacho and summer squash soup with parsley mint pitou
 
 

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Sept 4th and 7th: end of summer

The Last Summer Planting

 
So this is it, the last transplants of the year.  Hopefully they will have time to grow nice and sweet for the last month of pick ups.  I have been spoiled by warm falls and an extended growing season these past few years!  I must say the warmth has been welcome and I am not looking forward to frosty mornings and having to cover plants.  Not yet anyway.  Maine goes by the September 15th rule, meaning this is the potential date for the first frost.  It makes the season seem so short!  Lately though we have been golden until about mid October, a whole extra month of growing for sensitive crops like basil, tomatoes and squashes.  I am hoping for that extra month this year as I had to replant the winter squash this year, putting in in the ground quite late, and although there are nice sized squashes out there they are far from being mature...
 

 A Weekend of Relaxing!


Zach and I (and Simon) were able to get away this weekend and celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary!  We always try and celebrate with a little camping/canoeing trip and this year we were blessed with warm sunny weather and calm winds on Pierce Pond.  We saw tons of loons, a bald eagle, a Cooper's hawk and an otter (we think, it was from pretty far away).  Lots of swimming, reading and paddling...hence the very late blog post : )
 
 
This week's harvest: carrots, peppers, tomatoes, chard, lettuce, greenbeans, summer squash, cukes, hakurei turnip, dill, cilantro, parsley, basil and corn for full shares 
 
Last Night's Dinner:  A camping feast worth having at home...potatoes, greenbeans, peppers, sausage, a bit of cheese and a bottle of wine of course


Tuesday, August 28, 2012

August 28th and 31st: Greenbeans

Green bean Picking Machines!

 
 
"Plunk, plunk, plunk!"  That is the sound (well sort of) that green beans makes hitting the bottom of a empty bucket.  Yesterday we picked over 200lbs of beans...it took us 5 hours!  Despite the fact that the deer have nibbled nearly all the leaves off, this planting pumped out beans this week.  We never even made it to the other 400 feet of beans.  I made a few phone calls and hopefully there will be a gleaning crew here today (although it's raining) from Lots to Gardens in Lewiston.  If they do come and pick, they can easily get 80lbs 

 
I love picking beans (my farmer friend in NY thinks I'm nuts: ).  At this time of year the soft plants and fruit are a nice relief from prickly cucumbers, summer squash and zucchini.  They don't turn you green like tomato plants or make you feel like you are in a maze like the corn.  Although I certainly do not need 200lbs in a picking, I really wanted to pick these 3 rows so they will keep producing nice beans for a few more weeks.  So.....
 
Green bean it up!!!
 
Pick up will be big this week.  Please just take what your family can eat.  Whatever is left goes to the foodbank.  For those of you who have friends and family drooling over your fresh produce, there will be beans and summer squash out for sale for $2/lb which you can purchase for them.
 
This Week's bounty: beans, beets with greens, hakurei turnips with greens, onions, summer squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, melons, dill, cilantro, parsley, basil, sage, and a few ears of corn!
(corn is not as productive as I would like...you may have to scrape it off the ear to add it to a dish, or suppliment from the market if everyone in the family wants an ear.)
 
**The lettuce may have to skip a week or two.  And the zukes are s..l..o..w..i..n..g down.  I realize the ones in the bin look a little shotty--they are fresh I promise, it's just that time of year.
 
Last Night's Dinner:
Scalloped summer squash and potatoes.  Sliced summer squash, potatoes, zucchini, onions layered with cheese and a bit of milk.  Topped with tomatoes and cheese.  Baked,covered, at 350 for an hour, then broiled a few minutes to crisp up the top.

 
Emailed from a shareholder...I must say Paula's presentation and lighting is much better than any of ours!!!  I believe all of these veggies were tossed in olive oil and herbs then roasted.


Sunday, August 19, 2012

August 21st and 24th: The Fields

The Fields

So this week I thought I would give you a virtual tour of the farm! The pictures do not nearly give it justice, so please feel free to walk around the farm on your own. You are more than welcome to.

Most fields are half an acre in size...about 100'x200'.  Some vary a little here and there, but for the most part I try and keep them the same for planning, planting and reuse of fabric (it can all be cut to the same length and used interchangeably).  I am starting to get a little greedy and want for more space, so some fields have gotten a little wider.  This does not effect my reuse of fabric so much, but it does make the irrigation header a little short.  Shoot.

Each field has a name.  This again helps in planning, but it also helps when talking about what work needs to be done and where, data recording as to where things have been planted, sprayed, fertilized, irrigated, harvested etc.  

The farm is divided into what we call "the Front Field" and "The Back Field".  The front field is where the community barn, hoophouse are and the back field is up over the "little ridge".  We will start with the Front Field first...


Martha's Field
This field is one of my favorites.  It can get a bit soggy in spots, but for the most part it has nice soil and is pleasant to work in. It was supposed to be resting this year, but our 9 inch rain storm early in the season threw me for a loop and I had to move some things around.  It now has some winter carrots in it and the 2nd planting of green beans.  The tall corn looking stuff is a cover crop called sorghum sudan grass--great for adding organic matter and competing out weeds. Martha's field is located just behind our neighbor's house from whom we bought this property. It had been in Martha's family for generations and farmed out in different capacities: hay, corn, chickens and gardens.  Sadly, Martha died nearly 4 years ago today and she is greatly loved and missed.



The Sink Hole
This field is located right next to Martha's field, close to the "little ridge".  It is quite rocky/gravelly and looses nutrients quickly.  And right in the middle of the field there is a wet spot that people (and tractors) have been known to sink in.  I am not sure if the water just drains there from the ridge or if there is a little spring, but when everywhere else dries out enough to walk/drive in it is still treacherous.  This year it's growing your onions, parsley, chard and winter squash.

Now onto the Back field...

The Flat Field
This field, pictured on the right and where the pigs are.  It is our flattest field, hence the name.  This field was in PYO strawberries for the last few years and became very weedy.  I was excited to put the pigs here this year and am excited to have this field back into production in 2013.

The Long Field
This is the field pictured on the left.  Named the long filed because it is 270' in length on the left and then narrows back down to 200' on the right. This view coming up over the little ridge is usually one of my favorites.  Again the photos do not do it justice.  This is where I had the garlic this year and now I have plastic over it trying to kill a few of those jerky nematodes.  But it is also growing your broccoli, beets, melons and corn.  


The Sandy Field
This field is in the way back corner and is SUPER sandy.  I for some reason put all my important crops in it this year (beans, tomatoes, zukes, cukes, carrots) and after I seeded it all worried that it would not grow since it is so dry.  But behold! the new irrigation gave it some water and it has been pumping out nice veg for the last month.  Thank goodness!!!


The Pine Tree Field
Apply named since there is a pine tree growing right in the middle of it : )  The tree was huge and is right beside an enormous rock, so rather than moving it, we worked around it.  This field is also in the way back beside the sandy field.  It has some sandy parts, but is not near so much as the sandy field.  It holds the asparagus, potatoes and peas.  Some of it is in cover crop after the rain washed all the corn away and had to be reseeded in the Long field. 

That's it, the virtual tour...but do come walk around, it is much more pleasing to the eye than pixelated computer color.  

 Ahhh this cooler weather has felt sooooooooooooooo wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The humidity was wearing us down (dog, cats, people, plants...).
And that nice rain--whew!
We needed it. 1.55 inches over 3 days, very nice.


RASPBERRIES!!! 
There are still a few out there. 
Glean for free, walk and graze, eat 'em up!!!


This Week's Harvest:  lettuce, cukes, zukes, ss, chard, kale, melons, peppers! cabbage...

soon to come...corn!


Last Night's Dinner:
(well side dish)
Chopped summer squash (raw), cukes, peppers, onions, dill, cilantro and basil, olive oil and salt
crunchy, refreshing, yummy!!!

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

August 14th and 17th: The Totes

Crates, Buckets and the Ford 

(ahh if only I could have captured the aroma of this harvest in the picture!)
This time of year harvesting is a daily task: cukes, zukes and melons.  Tomatoes and greenbeans every 3 days.  Zach brought home a pile of pickle buckets from a deli and I would argue that they have been the most used item on this farm.  We fill them with everything; weeds, rocks, soil, seed, compost, nutrients...and the clean ones are used for harvesting beans, cukes, zukes, melons, corn, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli and peas.  Then the items are gently placed or poured into the black crates.  These crates are my prize possession.  Good harvest crates, at a reasonable price, are hard to find, and I lucked out with these.  Although I would love to get about 100 more of them!  And then the there's the Ford. This truck was my grandfather's, equipped with the works: power steering, windows (although one is broken), locks and A/C.  It's been a great truck and my preference between the two I have, but when it rains it gets stuck, really stuck and I have to move to the 4x4.


The turkeys are out and loving it!!!

This week's Bounty: lettuce, carrots, greenbeans, summer squash, zucchini, melons, chinese cabbage, beets, parsley, basil, dill, cilantro, potatoes, tomatoes and cukes!


Last night's Dinner:  Angel Hair Pasta Primavera.  Mmmmm!