Farm News – August 20, 2018

Hey Folks! “The sky is crying, Can’t you see the tears roll down the street” – Elmore James

So, we just can’t seem to get two days in a row without the heavens opening up on us! Oh well, we just have to tough it out and do the best we can. The farm is a muddy mess with puddles and deep ruts in the roads. Hopefully we will dry out soon.

We have an abundance of sweet corn at present so there should be enough for everyone this round. We are still learning how to grow corn, and we haven’t mastered the art of controlling the earworms yet. The conventional growers use GMO varieties which are created to kill these critters when they feed on the silks as they work their way in to the tip. The caterpillars (which is what they truly are, and it sounds much better than worms!) are more prevalent as the season progresses. So, to give you fair warning – there is a good chance you may find one or two in your ears. If you are particularly squeamish I recommend cutting the tips off before you husk.

We should also have melons or watermelons for everyone this week. And we are beginning to dig our regular potato crop even though the mechanical digger does not work well in wet soil. We have some arugula for you, and lettuce again, although the latter is a bit small. The hot weather causes bolting (a flower stalk shoots up though the center of the head) and we have to cut it small or lose it completely. The peppers are beginning to ripen to red and orange so we will be trying to ship colored ones as much as we can. We will be trying to get some ground cherries to those who have not had them yet. The plants have been destroyed by the rain and they will not ripen much more fruit.

The share for this week will be: Peppers (of color), tomatoes, radishes, leeks, potatoes, lettuce, arugula, beans, eggplant, sweet corn, melons, and choice of an herb (basil, savory, or parsley).

The fruit share for this week will be: Peaches and ginger gold apples.

Enjoy! Farmer John