I am so ready for this heat wave to break. Although I will say how quickly one can acclimate to it. Walking outside in the morning even feels good to me. Out at the stands this weekend we were so busy during the peak of the heat wave, that I didn’t think much about it except for the deep sympathies we received from our customers. Mind over matter though, keep plugging away and thinking about other things like unloading trucks and picking out watermelons and restocking displays until the next thing you know the whistle blows and I feel like Fred Flintstone sliding down the tail of his brontosaurus. Yabadabadoo.  Out at the farm these are long hot days. The picking seems endless. The crew wears long sleeves and long pants to protect from the sun and the prickly plants such as cucumbers, zucchini, eggplants and okra. Also it helps from losing too much moisture to evaporation, (I learned that in archeology field school ages ago). 

So currently we are just trying to keep up with picking. We are full swing on greenbeans, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, onions and tomatoes of all shapes and sizes from cherries on up to beefsteaks. Sunflowers are booming. We are also getting okra, shishito, poblano, jalapeno peppers and fairytale eggplant. Melons start this week. Good things grow in small packages which sums up the sweet and full flavor of our sugarcube cantaloupe. As for watermelon we grew a seeded variety called Crimson Sweet. Its our first year with them so let’s see how it goes.

In addition to all the picking we are doing, we recently planted our fall crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. Lettuce is getting planted too. Although on our tables at the stands and CSA we are taking a break, we are hoping to get back into lettuce in September. During the peak of the summer the lettuce bolts at the farm and wilts at the stand, so it’s just nice to concentrate on other things. Soon we will be getting our strawberry plants so we are preparing their beds. We ran soil tests which came back pretty good but are adding some organic matter in between crops. We are hoping to do some trellising of our blackberry and raspberry plants too as soon as we catch our breath.

What I am looking forward to most this week, however, is my anniversary and getting away for a couple days. It’s been a crazy summer of juggling the farm, the kids, and Eris starting a new career in real estate to boot. We will take a couple days to clear our heads and mark the occasion. For those interested in hearing how it all began, check out this edition of Farm Market Folklore.