My Favorite View
Walking over the little ridge into the back field always fills me with joy. I know everyone knows it's there now, but to me, it is still a hidden little secret. A secret full of delight.
Even though today was MIERABLY hot and humid, the plants tell me fall is here. The cukes, zukes and summer squash are getting tired, the garlic finally dried it's outer wrapper, and the onion tops have fallen. All summer the green leaves of an onion grow and grow, each representing a layer of the onion itself. When the "neck" of the onion softens and bends over, it's the sign telling me that the onion is done growing and is ready to cure for storage. At this point, we harvest all the bulbs in shallow crates and set them to dry in the upstairs part of the community barn. Drying out the outer skin, giving it a protective coating so that it will last well into June. Not all onions are storage onions, some skins will never fully dry and therefore need to be eaten sooner rather than later. The sweet onions that you have been enjoying the last coupe weeks are one of those types.
Fall is so full of harvest and this year the crops are looking robust. It's a farmer's goal to have something to harvest, but if you ask one, they will probably tell you that harvesting is one their least favorite parts of the job. Kind of strange, I know, but I think it is because harvesting takes so much time. When one is in their 4th hour of picking the same crop, it's hard not to think about all of the other farm tasks that need to be attended to as well. However, if you ask a volunteer what farm task they would most want to do, it would probably be to harvest! ....keep your ears open, I may ask for a volunteer or two in the coming couple of months : )
Anniversary Get Away
Thanks to a lot of help from my employee, Jean, her husband and several work shares, Zach, Simon and I were able to escape the farm for the weekend and celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary. It felt great to paddle around a couple of ponds, the Penobscot Bay and read in the waning light of day. Simon loved it too...although I think every day is a vacation for him : )
This week's Bounty: lettuce, Chinese cabbage, corn, peppers (hot and sweet, I believe), zukes, cukes, ss, broccoli, beans, onions, melons, tomatoes, cilantro...I think that is it, but I may have forgotten something
Next week...red cabbage! kale? more corn? ....last of the melons...
