Hello Everyone, We have reached the end of another CSA season. While all years hold their own particular challenges for a farmer this one has been especially difficult. Most of the other farmers that I have had a chance to talk with agree that 2009 was the worst growing season they can remember.

Hello Everyone, We are forecast to have mostly clear skies this week, though somewhat brisk temperatures. I am hoping that abundant sunshine, which has been lacking for most of the season, will speed the growth of many crops which have been developing rather slowly.

Hi Folks, We will be sending out the last few peppers as an extra this week, and this marks the end of the summer crops. The cool weather crops are thriving and look beautiful, although not always growing and maturing as fast as I would like. A case in point is the broccoli, which is big and beautiful, but still heading up slowly and sporadically.

Hi Folks, We have gone very quickly from our first frost to our first snowfall, with about a half an inch of heavy wet snow blanketed the farm this past Thursday. While there was no concern about damage to the remaining crops from the snow by virtue of the temperature, I was a bit worried about damage to some plants, especially the lettuces from the weight of the snow and its potential to break off leaves and branches.

Hello Everyone, We had our first frost of the season this past Saturday night. I must confess that it caught me by surprise. I had last checked the weather websites on Friday and they were calling for a low of 37 degrees, giving a safe margin of error.

Hello Everyone, It was an unusually cool September, although the weather is so strange anymore it’s hard to say what is normal. I know I have been promising string beans for the past couple of weeks, but they have been growing slower than I’ve ever experienced in the past.

Hi Folks, We’ve been taking advantage of the dry conditions during this past week to dig as many of the potatoes as possible. The potato digging machine that I own does not work well when the ground is wet and up until now we have been digging most of the potatoes by hand. This is not only a slow and laborious process but leaves some potatoes behind and many that are damaged by being speared by the pitchfork.

Hi Folks, We continue to enjoy dry, but somewhat cool conditions here at the farm. This past Saturday night we came perilously close to having our first frost of the fall. But for now we have been spared and the temperatures are predicted to be more moderate for the next 10 days.

Hello Everyone, We received a good steady rain last Friday and Saturday that was, for a change, needed and appreciated. The fall brassicas crops are growing nicely and the many rows of seed I sowed during the dry spell have germinated well. In several weeks we will begin to have radishes and the white salad turnips as well as arugula and other greens.

Hi Folks, The dry weather this past week has finally allowed me to plant many of the fall root and greens crops that I have been trying to sow for weeks. Now of course a little rain would be appreciated to get them sprouted and growing. We have also been busy transplanting lettuces and brassicas for late season harvest.