The hot summer weather last weekend drained our soil of anything resembling moisture once again. We’re back to the dry, dusty fields, wilting leaves and daily trips to monitor the spring. We made a rushed effort in the beginning of the week to seed down two of our newly turned three acres to a cover crop for the winter. Hoping to capitalize on the small rainfall Monday night to germinate the seed.
Field Improvements
This field, up behind the current vegetables, is unrecognizable from it’s state three years ago. It had been a rutted up, log strewn, weed covered wasteland. A relic of the big logging operation that had been done on Bouquet mountain. Crossing the field was a huge effort that first year—a series of stumbles, more than walking upright.
The pigs initially did the work, fighting through the weeds and rooting up all of the old logs and stumps so you could see what you were tripping over. We began plowing last fall and have been discing, harrowing, filling in skidder tracks and slowly working the soil into a beautifully flat, even, finely crumbled surface. Most of the field received a summer cover crop to smoother weeds, break up the lower layers of soil and to introduce more organic matter. The furthest western section was spread with compost last week and is now ready for next year’s summer vegetables!
Food Preservation
There are lots of canning and freezing opportunities right now for winter eating. Basil, zucchini, green beans, cucumbers and tomatoes are all abundant, and most are easy to put up for winter. If you are interested please email to let me know what you want and I will put you on the list.
Farm Shares This Week
In the veggie share: pole beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, melons, carrots, beets, chard, lettuce, mesclun mix, cabbage, potatoes, garlic, and basil. Eggplants and peppers will be back, fall kale is coming soon. This year’s pick your own flowers had been delayed and are not nearly as decadent as last year’s, but we will open them up tonight for cutting. There are also Sungolds, Romas and tomatillos ready for picking, so give yourself a little extra time tonight. Please bring plastic bags to refill the bin.
In the meat share: pork, beef and chicken cuts in the freezer. More bouillon, chicken organs and leaf lard.
Sara Kurak
Full and By Farm
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