Wednesday, July 27, 2011

BIG PLANS FOR FALL!!!

We are psyching ourselves up for fall planting....and it is a stretch to imagine tender seedlings flourishing in 105 degree heat ! Our strawberry plant growers called to check on our order for October. They are in Canada and it made me feel cooler just talking to them from way up North where there are glaciers and iceburgs. The Farmer is not deterred by a little scorching drought, a few more feet of drip irrigation here and there should keep the crops green. Every living thing on the farm is moving at a slow crawl as the heat dome envelopes us day after day. Even the composting worms in the worm hotel only show signs of life when they are stirred with a stick. We are grateful to those who brave the heat to come to the farm for their supply of milk, eggs, honey, meat, soap, etc.  and the limited variety of produce we are harvesting at this time. Fall is just around the corner, and that will mean salad greens, green beans, squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant. Our market hours are Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 pm. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support !!!

Friday, July 22, 2011

HOT? IT'S NEVER TO HOT FOR OKRA!!!!

How this heat resiliant plant just keeps on producing day after day, is beyond my comprehension!! It is take your breath away hot, even the Farmer says it is hot. He has been in blazing infernos with 100 lbs of bunker gear on, and does just fine. But this continuous heat wave is taking its toll on him and the farm. Our daily mission is to keep what crops we are growing watered, keep the animals sprayed down and watered, keep us hydrated and cooled. It is only July, we have yet to plod through the endless days of August. We still count our blessings, grateful that night time comes, and a reprieve, grateful that we had the forthought to drill a well for water, and ever so grateful that we do not live in New Jersey where it is 110 degrees! The dairy goats are taking the heat in stride. We spray them a puddle of water under the big oak trees in the morning and they all find a spot to wallow and laze away the day. The milk production is holding steady, as long as they can stay cool and drink all the water they want, it should remain so. The market hours are Friday, and Saturday from noon until 4:00 pm. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

A SAVING GRACE OF A LONG HOT SUMMER!!!

Visions of desert sand, a palm tree oasis, Arabian Nights, swirl through my head during my brief summer fling with figs. They are a perfect fruit. Never a worry if they are sweet enough, never filled with worms or bugs, easy to freeze, dry, or preserve.  A perfect cure for a childs sweet tooth! Surprisingly enough a lot of people have never experienced the taste of a fresh fig. I had some in the market this weekend and asked several visitors if they liked fresh figs. The general reply was, " I don't think so!" ( Never confuse a fresh fig with Fig Newtons) So, I asked them to try one. " Oh, My!" was the comment that was repeated over and over. "I did not know that they would be this good!" Gratefully, with the heat, the fig season is upon us, I am gathering all that I can while the crop is flourishing. There will be more fig preserves in the market, as well as fresh figs for the snacking. The second planting of sweet corn will also be ready for this weekend's market. The crops that we are irrigating are holding their own, and we are still harvesting lots of melons, some squash and cucumbers, peppers, a few tomatoes, eggplant, the different varieties of peach trees are ripening sporadically, and of course the sweet corn. We planted pumpkins this week! If we can keep the maurading grasshoppers at bay, we may have some pumpkins this fall! The MARKET HOURS: Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 pm. Special appointments can be made for dairy pickup through the week. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

MY POT OF GOLD!!!

Corn flakes, cornbread, corn oil, corndogs, cornpone, corn syrup, popcorn, and ever so yummy buttered, hot, sweet corn on the cob, and now fuel!!! What ever would we do without corn! Yes, there is a big controversy about feeding some animals corn, namely cows, but telling LuLu that she is not supposed to eat anything but hay and grass, is like telling a teenager don't use cell phones, or you will get a brain tumor! They are thinking, I think I will just take my chances. She loves her watermelon and cantaloupe. The heat is taking its toll, but we are keeping everything going that is on irrigation. This week we will be harvesting lots of corn, and it will be available for bargain prices.... by the sack full or the bushel. The watermelons have been small, but very sweet. The cantaloupe are just starting, and we will be doing taste testing on some of the odd varieties that I planted to see if they will get a repeat performance next year. The goat milk supply has slacked a bit, but we still have plenty. The cow milk is another story. We are going to turn Godiva dry to get ready for her calf in the fall, so we will have a trickle from LuLu. It is time to start putting up her calf, as she is getting the three gallons that we should be getting. She is not going to like it! MARKET HOURS: Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00pm. Special appointments can be made at other times for dairy pick up. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!