Family Time

This week felt a bit like a step back towards winter. My father flew up all the way from Naples, Florida to catch his grandson on the playing field for high school varsity baseball. Of all the weeks to visit, this is the one where my son ended up sick in bed, missing two of his three games.Despite Murphy’s Law, it was nice for Eris and I to catch up with my parents and brothers over a glass of wine watching the cold and rain through the comfort of a cozy Italian restaurant. We even celebrated my big brother’s birthday who some of you may remember is a co-founder of Norman’s. Just a bit of farm market trivia for you.

Veggies on the Farm

Out at the farm, we are preparing the beds for our warm-weather veggies which arrive this week. We will be planting our first tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, peppers, eggplants, and zucchinis. We typically wait until the first week of May to avoid any risk of frost. We’ve actually been pretty lucky this season in that our last frost was early April, however many of our warm-weather veggies don’t like it below 50 degrees even if they can tolerate colder. In this way, they are just like me.

Fruit on the Farm

Since there has not been a frost during much of the bloom season of the fruit trees, we are expecting bumper crops of peaches, nectarines, and plums. At least that’s what we are hearing from various orchards in our area. The cooler temps and cloud cover over the past couple of weeks have been slowing down some crops such as strawberries; however over the next couple of weeks things should go gangbusters so whether you’re baking or preserving, I’d start getting those recipes ready. North Carolina blueberries are starting up this week at the markets and in the CSA. We will be following them into New Jersey over the next couple of weeks as they “migrate” north.

Congratulations Eris!

Lastly, I’d like to congratulate my wife, Eris Norman, and her cohorts for launching the ECN Group of TTR Sotheby’s, a collaboration of leading female Real Estate agents in the DMV area. I really can’t be more proud to be witnessing Eris’ meteoric rise and success as a superstar agent stemming back to a conversation we had one evening during perhaps the rainiest season on record. While feeling the impact of severe weather on both farming and operating outdoor markets, we felt a need to divide and conquer in order to support our family. Eris went on to launch a career in real estate but still helps out at Norman’s whenever she can. Even though it’s taken some adjustment, now it really feels like it was meant to be.

Just remember, Eris Norman & Norman’s Farm Market are here to put a roof over your head and food on your table. Have a great week everyone.

Farmer John