We’re back on the hay wagons again. Since there isn’t any second cut hay in sight we’ve returned to first cut, making squares out of some overly mature grasses that will keep the horses well fed this winter. Long ago seem the days that we dreamed of getting three cuttings off of the fields this year.
If you haven’t heard the news yet, late blight is back in the area. Showing his ugly mug in Clinton county, as well as south of us. We’ve just started spraying the tomatoes with copper, which is the only approved organic treatment for late blight. Despite it’s being naturally derived, it is still really bad for you to ingest, breath, touch or get in your eyes. We’ll rinse the fruit before the share but you should make sure to wash it carefully before eating (this includes the Sungolds that you pop in your mouth on the way home). The zucchini plants are just downwind of the tomatoes and suffer from spray drift so wash these carefully as well. Late blight first showed up four years ago in some starter plants in the box stores, and has reappeared each year since. It looks like it may be here to stay. If you have tomatoes, potatoes or eggplants at home check them daily for spores and lesions. Bag up the plants and take them to the dump immediately if you find any signs. lateblightusa.org [ed: Seems that this link is not valid, but you can try usablight.org] has photos and information on how to detect the spores.
We’re still low on eggs so we bought in several dozen from Sunset Farm in Willsboro. They are free-ranging and organically fed.
In happy news, the dry beans are kicking along, the Halloween pumpkins are giant and already changing color and the winter squash crop looks killer this year.
In the veggies share: fingerling potatoes, green peppers, melons (yellow watermelons, cantaloupes and diminutive muskmelons), sweet onions, green beans, loose-leaf lettuce, mesclun mix, carrots, red and green cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, swiss chard, basil, cilantro and dry white beans. We’re doing our first sweet CORN harvest today, there should be plenty for the share. Beets are back next week. We sample a lot of the produce that comes in, but please give us feedback on the things we can’t see inside (melons, corn, etc) so we have a full picture of the crops.
In the meat share: beef, pork and chicken in the freezer.
Sara Kurak
Full and By Farm
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