Author: Bryan Housel

Hi Folks!  So you might think that by now things would start to ease up a bit here on the farm, and I would have time to write these updates and get them out to the members in a timely manner.  But it never really slows down much until November.  We are still busy transplanting fall crops, such as lettuce, and direct seeding other crops like spinach and radish.  We are cleaning up fields that have produced their crop and planting oats and peas as a winter cover crop.  And we are preparing ground for planting garlic in late October and early November.  (more…)

Hello Everyone, we have another nice share for you this week, including another round of sweet corn.  Last week the corn we sent was Silverqueen, an old standard variety.  This week we are sending an heirloom variety called Luther Hill.  This is a variety that is well renowned in the tristate area, with its fans known for seeking it out.  It was actually one of the parents that were used in creating the hybrid Silverqueen.  It has rather small ears but boasts excellent flavor without the cloying sweetness of the new supersweet hybrids.  A few groups were shorted their Silverqueen last week and will receive it this time around and the Luther Hill for next week.  Everyone will receive some corn at least twice this season.  We have one more planting but it is uncertain how well it will yield.  There is a low incidence of earworm but it is still possible you may find one on the tip of some of your ears. (more…)

Hi Folks, Happy Labor Day!  I hope you enjoyed it however you spent it!  Of course, there’s no day off for us here on the farm — the show must go on!  My workers don’t mind — they are here to work and earn money to help their families.  And I get my vacation time in the winter.  Speaking of winter… it feels like it will be here soon!  We have had a few very chilly nights up here in North Jersey.  The long range forecast doesn’t call for frost until sometime in Mid-October; I hope that will be the case.  The fall crops are loving it, and the warm weather crops are hanging in there (excepting the melons and tomatoes, which were done in by the rain). (more…)

Hi Folks, So I have some good news and some bad news; which would you like first?  The bad news you say; well it seems we will have a short melon season.  The rain was just too much for these delicate plants — the first planting did not produce a second crop and the second planting is probably not going to produce much of anything.  The watermelons are a little hardier and we will be trying to get some to all groups that have not yet received any, over the next 3 weeks or so.  The good news is that we are back in lettuce harvest mode, and should have it in the shares for most of the rest of the season.  We are also beginning to pick from the second planting of beans, so beans should be abundant for the next month. (more…)

Hello everyone, I am a bit under the weather at present so I will, with apologies, skip the usual complaints about the rain and get right to the part of the update that most of you probably skip to anyway.  Lol! (more…)

Hi Folks!  So, we begin, as always, with the weather report.   We received a whopping two and a half inches of the wet stuff over a 12-hour period last Friday.  Fortunately, it fell mostly at night and did not rain on any of my weekend markets. Also fortunate is that we have well drained sandy soil.  (more…)

Hello Everyone!  So, a couple of weeks ago I was at a training with a bunch of my fellow farmers.  Some of them were discussing the wet season we are having and one said “yeah, but farmers never complain,” and everyone laughed.  It’s true though, we only complain when it rains too much or when it doesn’t rain enough; when it’s too hot or too cold!  I’m sure that some of you are tired of my griping about the rain, but who else will listen, if not my members who are impacted by the weather in terms of what they receive in their shares? (more…)

Hi Folks!  So the weather this past week was copacetic.  Most of the rain that was forecast didn’t materialize, and the cool temps were a relief from the heat.  I am hopeful that the week to come will develop similarly; as it stands now rain is in the forecast every day from Wednesday until Wednesday next except for Sunday.  (more…)

Hi Folks!  Well, it continues to rain, but at least this round brought us some relief from the heat!  It looks as though the temps will be more moderate this week; the humidity not so much.  So, summer is officially in full swing now — the tomatoes have begun to ripen!  While we won’t have enough to distribute this time around, we should by next week. (more…)