Author: Bryan Housel

Hello Everyone! So, we have reached the end of another season. I know that for many of you the last share pickup is a sad event; knowing that it will six months before you can begin receiving fresh produce from the farm. For me and my workers it is a bit of a relief. My workers have been suffering with working outdoors through some very cold and damp days over the last few weeks. I know that they are looking forward to going home to their families and to a warmer climate. For me, it is relief from the worry about the crops and the weather and wondering if we will be able to finish out the season in good form. (more…)

Hi Everyone! It was a beautiful day today; after the frigid weekend it felt like summer was back! Too bad it won’t last. Another arctic blast will be blowing in tomorrow and is predicted to break lots of low temperature records. Here on the farm we are expecting lows in the mid-teens two nights in a row (brrrrr). (more…)

Hello Folks! So, that was quite a storm we had last week! We had nearly 3 inches of rain, which has set us back a bit with some of our fall chores such as sowing cover crop seed and planting the garlic. But the worst part of it was the wind, which blew through here like a freight train from hell. Fortunately and amazingly, we did not suffer much damage other than having the fences for our hens blow down and finding birds scattered all around the fields the next morning. They were safe in their coops overnight but there are automatic openers on the doors which let them out in the morning, and when they emerged they found that they were free to roam. (more…)

Hello Folks, I guess you probably noticed that it was a rainy Sunday! We received nearly 2 inches here on the farm and we are back to the muddy conditions to which we have grown accustomed. We are looking at some pretty cold nights as we head into the weekend, but then it will be November so it’s to be expected. The weather is the most critical factor in farming and of course it is completely beyond our control. After 25 years in this business I am still waiting for that perfect weather year! All we can do is make the best of what we are given. As the climate changes it’s certain we will face more challenges, but people need to eat, and so we will continue to adapt. (more…)

Hi Folks, it was a wet week here on the farm with just over 3 inches of rain falling between Wednesday’s torrential squalls and Sunday’s dismal drizzle. We also had our second frost of the fall season on Friday night. As previously mentioned, most of what is left in the fields is fairly hardy, and we try to cover a few crops to keep them going a bit longer. But as the days get shorter and the nights get cooler, growth becomes much slower. Beans, peppers and zucchini are now definitely done for this year. As the cold becomes more intense in the coming weeks, we will switch to covering hardy crops which, while not being outright killed by low temperatures, can still be damaged. (more…)

Hi Folks! So, we received just under an inch of rain this past week and the forecast is calling for a wet Wednesday. All of the crops are getting the water and the sunshine they need and are growing and maturing nicely. We have begun digging the sweet potatoes and they look very nice and more importantly they taste great too! (more…)

Hi Folks! So, on the weather front we have good news and bad news. We received 0.8 of an inch of rain which has alleviated the dry state we were in. Overnight on Friday we had our first frost of the season. This is about 10 days earlier than the average first frost for our area and was most unwelcome. It was a fairly light frost and we were expecting it, so we did what we could to protect some of the more tender crops. We covered some of the peppers, beans, and the summer squash and I got up in the wee hours to turn on the sprinklers to protect a few other crops. (more…)

Hello Everyone! We continue to experience dry conditions here on the farm. This past week we received a scant 0.2 inches of rain. We were hoping for a bit more overnight Saturday but it never arrived. I was anxiously watching the radar as bands of rain moved across Pennsylvania, but the storms either dropped all their moisture to the west of us or passed to the north. Our next chance for precipitation is on Thursday – fingers crossed. Meanwhile, we continue to move the sprinklers around the field to get the most important crops the water that they need. (more…)