Category: News

Hello everyone, Happy Labor Day! It seems we will finally see some abatement from the prolonged dry spell. At this writing we are receiving light rain and more and heavier precipitation is predicted over the next 36 hours. Hopefully, we will be graced with the wet stuff with more regularity as we head into autumn. It also appears that the extreme heat may be mostly over for this season. Now we must hope that the first frost does not come to early and that it will not begin to rain too much! (more…)

Hi everyone, So, we received about ¾ of an inch of rain a week ago.  It was certainly welcome and helpful, though not nearly enough.  We are coping as best we can, moving the overhead irrigation from crop to crop.  I am planting lots of spinach, turnips, arugula, and other mustards right now and they all need moisture to germinate.  The corn and the winter squash need water to mature their fruit and the fall brassicas need the wet stuff so they keep growing rapidly.  It seems we have a 50% shot at showers tomorrow and then again on Sunday.  Pray for rain! (more…)

Hello Folks! So, we received a small amount of rain today, and hopefully there is more on tap for Monday evening and Tuesday. For some crops it may be too little too late – particularly for our winter squash and pumpkin crop. Many of the vines have died and the rest are already maturing very small fruits. I am hoping that if it starts raining with more regularity, they may begin to grow and flower again, but there is not much time left. (more…)

Hi Folks, So the heat has broken, but still no rain. It seems we will have to wait another week for a 40% chance of precipitation. The drought is rally starting to hurt us, despite our best efforts to keep everything sprouting and growing. For now, the shares still look great. (more…)

Hi Everyone, I wish I had better news for you, but after various chances for rain over the last week, we are still very dry here on the farm.  About two hours ago it became dark, and the wind picked up, then I watched the radar as a small storm cell moved to the north of us.  We have another shot at some precipitation tonight and tomorrow, after that we will have to wait until next week.  We are doing the best we can to keep everything growing or at least keep new transplants and newly sprouted seeds from burning up, but there is just not enough water to go around. (more…)

Hi All! “Hot” and “dry” continue to be the best words to describe conditions on the farm. The few rain events that were forecast turned out to be duds, delivering only a few scattered drops. We are doing our best to keep water on the most important crops and keep newly sown seeds moist so that they will sprout. Just as they say about elections, drought has consequences. Our string bean crop has been languishing in the heat and producing small misshapen pods. Fortunately, we have some pole beans which have drip irrigation on them. These are an heirloom variety called the Rattlesnake bean (down south they call them Preacher beans). They are a flat pod type with some purple streaking and are generally quite sweet and tender. (more…)

Hi Everyone, I hope you all have managed okay with this weekend’s scorching heat. It was hard on my workers, but, as always, they stoically endured it. Had it not been for the rain earlier in the week, it might have been devastating for the crops. We were hoping for some more precipitation today as cooler air moves in, unfortunately we got a scant tenth of an inch. Temps this week will be a little more bearable, especially with nighttime temperatures dropping into the sixties. Hopefully, there will be more rain soon. (more…)

Hi Folks, So, we have received some much-needed rain and are expecting more on Monday evening. Thus far we have not experienced the high winds or hail often associated with these summer storms. This will enable us to get back on our planting schedule and relieve us, at least temporarily, from the task of moving the sprinklers around the fields. We are still waiting to see whether my recent planting of carrots will germinate sufficiently to merit care or will need to be abandoned. Carrots sprout and grow very slowly and require extensive hand weeding. If there are not enough plants present in each row, it is not worth the effort, and I will need to replant. (more…)

Hello Everyone!  As long-time members will attest, I am wont to whine about the weather.  Thus far there has been little to complain about, but it has now been more than two weeks with no precipitation.  It is becoming very dry, and with temperatures heading into the nineties, dry conditions make everything more challenging.  We have been moving the sprinklers around the fields to aid newly seeded crops to germinate and to keep the broccoli and cauliflower crops moist at a critical time – as they begin to form heads.   (more…)

Hello Folks, I hope you all had a pleasant Independence Day and a relaxing long weekend.  Of course, here on the farm our weeks do not end – there is just too much work to be done.   Although it is officially summer now, we have some wonderful spring onions for you this week.  These are a sweet, heirloom variety – Ailsa craig – which we send with the tops still attached.  Some of the greens can be used like scallions, or you can use them to make a soup stock.  They are not good keepers, so keep them in the fridge and use them within a week or two.   (more…)