Saturday, July 9, 2011

April Turned Into July

Yup, it has been awhile! A one woman show has limitations, sad but true, all of it I can not do. That said, I try like crazy anyway. Sooooo, after a record breaking Wet Spring we did manage to get stuff in the ground, and later to market.

The sugar peas surprised me at their longevity and superb quality, note to self: grow more. Pea tendrils are elevating sandwiches, omelets, salads, and whatever is in the fridge. Of course garlic scapes make fast friends at the market table. These ephemeral delights cause some unusual gushing, ooohing and aahhing over their flavor. Lettuce, radishes, beet greens, and carrots all made an appearance.

Failures occured. The first planting of beans were so stunted I pulled them out. Two plantings of spinach were lost, first to leafminers, second to bolting during 2 weeks of mid 90 temps. YUK! Two plantings of carrots were lost to dry weather, I mean bone dry down 6".

The weather is always a priority topic. After waaaaaay to much rain we had burning waves of heat for 2 weeks, complete with suffocating humidity. And NO RAIN!! For several weeks. Nice start to the growing season.

Thank you to all the CSA members who signed up this year-your support is crucial for our little farm. I have the privilege of working with two young women who aspire to farm on their own. Emily who is returning from last season, and Clara; two bright lights of intense quality. They help with weeding, planting, seeding, and just about any task that needs to be done.

I have much to be thankful for, indeed I am.

3 comments:

Kyla said...

I so wish to do as you are doing! I have a little 50 acre farm, but we don't have the money to grow anything on it (isn't that just a waste) except our garden. We're just starting out, anyway, so we know very little of what we're doing. We have squash and cucumbers coming out our ears; tomatoes are going crazy (finally); our corn looks like it will be done soon; our okra has one, lone little pod hanging from it so far; the cantaloupe has lots of developing melons, but none of them are finished; the bell peppers only have flowers on them; the pumpkin vines look good, though I haven't spotted any buds; the green beans are shaded by the GIANT squash, so we have no clue how they'll do; we have a "volunteer" watermelon plant with no melons on it as of yet; and the carrots are going crazy.

Lol. How's that for a first year garden?

Anyway, thanks so much for sharing so much of your experience. It is invaluable to a budding gardener/farmer like myself. Have a great day, and happy growing!

Kyla said...

As an FYI, I'd like to add that I did a post of blogs I love and your blog was mentioned. I linked them over here to you. I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to share your organic farming with everyone I know.

If you'd like to check it out, here's a link:

http://kylasnotnormal.blogspot.com/

Have a great day!

Julie said...

Hey Kyla,

The entire thing to keep in front of you is GRIT and DETERMINATION!! Those two words can see you through lots of adversity and sorrow. I am a great believer in following your dream. Best to you in all that you strive to accomplish. Never give up!

Julie