Author: Bryan Housel

Hello Everyone! So, Solanaceae is the name of the family of plants that includes tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, as well as tomatillos and their cousins. You might infer from the “sol” in their name that they are sun and heat lovers, which is true (although the etymology is unclear). (more…)

Hi Everyone! So, we received some much-needed rain over the weekend. The broccoli and cauliflower are heavy drinkers lol. I also have a lot of seed in the ground waiting to sprout. (more…)

Hi Folks! So summer is here and the heat is on! Nothing too extreme on the horizon just yet- mid-80’s and dropping mercifully into the 60’s at night. This type of weather is tough on the lettuce, peas, broccoli, and other cool weather crops but it’s just the ticket for the peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and the melons. We should have plenty of sunshine now and hopefully a little rain from a passing thunderstorm now and then. (more…)

Hello Folks! So, it was a wet spring and the final week of the season was even wetter. It’s been a challenge to get our planting done and now all the moisture is starting to affect the crops a bit. We lost hundreds of heads of lettuce to rot before it was even close to maturity. The spinach is turning yellow. Anywhere there is a low spot in the field where the water collects the crop is stunted or has died. (more…)

Hi Folks! Just got in from the field; trying to get some winter squash planted ahead of the next round of rain. I’m late getting this update out so I will make it brief. (more…)

Hello Everyone! So, we have arrived at the week many of you have been anxiously waiting for – the first CSA share delivery. In spite of the weather-related challenges we have faced this spring, we have a nice share for you to start out the season. (more…)

Hi Folks! So, we have arrived at the end of another CSA season. While every season has its particular challenges, primarily weather related, this has been one for the books. While I’m not generally in favor of book burning I might be willing to make an exception in this case. Usually a particular type of weather is bad for some crops and beneficial for others. If there was any doubt, we can now state unequivocally that buckets of rain and days on end with no sunshine is not conducive to growing any crop. (more…)

Hi Folks – So torrential rains delivered another 4 inches of water this past Friday night into Saturday morning. By Saturday afternoon, the creek behind the house overflowed and flooded the part of the field where we have been trying to harvest the sunchokes. After last week’s unseasonable warmth, the fields were just starting to dry out a bit. We are forecast to receive more heavy precipitation from strong storms overnight and through Tuesday. The monsoon season heads into a fourth month! I’d like to cry, but I don’t want another drop of water to hit the ground. (more…)