FARM NEWS
We are in the thick of summer, which means fall is just around the corner for a farmer. It feels strange to be planting fall vegetables before the summer harvest has fully ramped up, but the consequences of assuming the heat will continue for three more weeks than average is not safe. The transplanting crew tucked in the first baby chard, kale, leek, cabbage and fennel plants. It can be safe to assume that in sixty days some of those crops will be ready – it will be September by then.A mistake I have made in the past is to live too much in each season, focusing on the harvest of the spring-sown crop, and not focusing on sowing of the fall crops. It is unfortunate for the “truck farmer” (as those of us who grow many crops are called) that these two events overlap. We should petition Mother Nature to allow us to focus on the summer harvest before we need to focus on planting the crops we will harvest in the fall.
Summer crops are well on their way to humming along. The tomato harvesting crew has made many passes through the field and the subtle slime of the tomato plants sticks to the hands and clothes of the crews. We planted five heirloom varieties this year – Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, Jubilee, Marvel and Vintage Wine. These varieties do well and each have their own unique taste.
Cover crop seeds have been ordered and are sitting in the shop. It’s better to have the seed two months early then to forget about ordering it and end up with it two weeks late!
Enjoy summer’s bounty while it’s here because as I say, fall is around the corner (at least in this farmer’s mind).
