This week was a scorcher with some hit or miss storms popping up in the afternoons. The lightening and cloud formations were like natural fireworks just in time for the 4th of July. Sipping an ice cold beer at the local watering hole with some old family friends after touring the farm was an enjoyable way to end the afternoon. We were just in time to watch the U.S. clinch a spot in the World Cup Final. That’s when I get the call that while I am out touring the farm, big storms and torrential downpours are touring the stands and CSA.

The farm is in full swing. While watching the crew work their way harvesting a row of zucchini from the vantage point of the hilltop you can appreciate how small the crew and herculean the task of working the entire patchwork of land. There has been staking, trellising, picking, planting. There is mowing, weeding, and setting up irrigation. Every row seems to require something. Up close you see the bushels of squash and greenbeans assemble in rapid pace, but from atop the hill our harvest truck resembles a tortoise slowly making its way down a long road ahead of him. Everything looks great. It’s impressive what can get accomplished with persistence and perseverance.

Lots of crops are coming online this week. We are picking so many squash and cucumbers we had to find a source that would take our surplus. We harvested about twenty bushels of greenbeans last I checked, and twenty bushels of sweet onions as well. Eggplant, okra, and cherry tomatoes all kicked off this week and sunflowers too. Peppers and heirloom tomatoes are next on the agenda. That’s all for now, signing out from Norman’s Ratatouille & Gazpacho Farm.