Farm News – August 26, 2019

Hello Everyone! So, the heat wave broke and now we have a little taste of fall. The nights have been a bit chilly up here in the mountains of NW New Jersey! The daytime temps will be creeping back up into the 80’s, but the nights will be dipping into the low 60’s. It seems that we might get a brief break from the frequent rain in the coming weeks, although this Wednesday looks to be a little wet. Somewhat drier conditions will be welcomed, as we have lots of potatoes to harvest, and the digger doesn’t work well when the ground is saturated. It may also give us a chance to do some work on the farm roads, which are deeply rutted in most of the low spots around the fields.

Beans are still abundant and will probably be so for quite a few more weeks. Colored peppers are also in high supply. The tomatoes and the melons have taken a beating from the rain, but we are hopeful that we can keep them coming for a few more weeks. Those who did not receive any melons last week should see them this round. Ditto for the eggplant. Zucchini and cucumbers are on the verge of making a comeback — you should see one or the other in the shares this week and hopefully both for a week or two in September. Sweet corn will continue to mature for a few more weeks — just keep in mind that the earworms become more prevalent later in the season. If you are squeamish, cut the tips off outside before you husk them or assign the task to someone who doesn’t mind so much. The damage is almost exclusively on the tips and the corn has been really tasty — it’s worth the bother.

The share for this week will be: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beans, leeks, fingerling potatoes, radishes or beets, melons (for some), eggplant, sweet corn, cukes or zukes, and choice of an herb. For “extras” there are hot peppers and okra. Premium shares will also include celery root, Swiss chard, and choice of cherry tomatoes or goldenberries.

The fruit share for this week will be: Red plums and peaches.

Enjoy! Farmer John