Hi Folks, Batten down the hatches! We’re going to have a blow! For the second time this season we are counting on a tropical storm to bring us some rain. I am reminded of the lyrics of a Michael Franti song- “…when rain didn’t have to mean a hurricane”. We just hope it does not come too hard, too fast, and that the winds do not do much damage. At least you will not have to read my complaints about how dry it is for a while!

Hello everyone, we received about 6/10 of an inch of precipitation this past week from 2 light overnight rains.  It seems Mother Nature is doling out the moisture with an eye dropper!  These light rains help a little, especially when they occur at night and have a chance to seep in.  We really need a good soaking rain, and our best chance for the week is tomorrow – 50%.

Hi Folks, I guess I do not need to tell you how hot and humid it is!  It’s July in New Jersey!  We are once again waiting and hoping that some summer thunderstorms bring us some much-needed rain.  In the meantime, we are moving the sprinklers around and laying out old drip tape to trickle some water on a few crops and help the germination of recently seeded plantings.

Hi Everyone, we received 3½ inches of rain on Friday from Tropical storm Fay.  It is a lot of water in a short time, but fortunately it fell at a steady rate here on the farm and was not accompanied by heavy winds.  The ground was very dry after a month with almost no rain, and it soaked it up easily.  We are now able to get back to planting and caring for the tomatoes and other crops without the added burden of moving sprinklers around.

Hello Folks, So we still have not received any rain.  The 90% chance of precipitation we had on Friday did not happen.  The storms moved to the north of the farm, and we got only a brief dust storm.  The storms that we thought we might get Monday afternoon also passed around the farm.  We are working hard to keep everything growing and newly planted crops germinating.  I have purchased more sprinklers, and we are reusing old drip tape to trickle water onto seed beds and crops on bars ground.  We will be mulching certain crops with straw to retain…

Hello Folks, Since my last writing we received .3 inches of rain.  While this was welcome, it was not even close to what we need.  We typically look for 1” per week of precipitation, so 3/10 of an inch over three weeks along with significant heat, has left us very dry.  We are moving sprinklers around constantly, laying drip tape over newly planted seeds and generally trying to keep everything possible alive and growing.  We just do not have enough water to irrigate everything.

Hi Folks, Happy Summer Solstice!  Summer has officially begun, and the heat is on.  The scattered thunderstorms, which are our best chance of rain currently, have so far been scattering to the south and scattering to the north.  In my travels I have driven through torrential downpours various times, only to return to the farm and find it dry as a bone.  Hopefully, one will cross our path soon! 

Hello everyone, pass the peas, please!  As you may already know from my recent request for volunteers, the pea season has begun.  Having been raised on canned vegetables, the first time I tasted fresh peas was a revelation.  Who knew how sweet and delicious they were; bearing no resemblance to the gray balls of mush to which I was accustomed.  Much like tomatoes, the season for these delicacies is far too short.  They do not tolerate hot weather, and since spring only seems to last a few weeks anymore, they will be with us for 3 or 4 weeks.  We…

Hi Folks, So we have arrived at the week for which you have been waiting – the first delivery of the season!  My crew and I have been working hard for you over the last 2 months. We have lots of great veggies in store for you in the weeks ahead.  The first shares are typically on the small side and usually heavy on greens and this year is no exception.  There are loads of peas hanging on the vines, but we need to wait for them to fill out.   The summer squash crop looks great and should begin…

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