SNEAKY SUMMER!!!

Cucumbers and Squash in April? This has been a zany spring! The blackeyed peas are already up and going. Unheard of! The 90 degree weather has fooled the crops into thinking it is summer, so they are rushing to bear . The Farmer has been cutting and hauling hay to prepare for the winter. Rest assured we will not have to plunk down our hard earned money on outragously priced hay, if there is a drought again this summer.We have been blessed this spring, with neighbors who just want their pastures mowed, and will give us the hay if we haul it off. With all of the good rain and sunshine, lots of premium grass. Lulu was giving a tail swish and a nod, everytime the hay trailer passed with a load of neatly rolled bundles. The end of strawberry season is in sight as the heat takes it toll on the plants. We will probably be picking for a couple more weeks, but only on Fridays, and Saturdays. Open picking will start at 9:00 AM both days, until pickout, which usually takes a couple of hours. We only pick in the mornings when it is cool, as the berries tend to soften in the heat. Ours are on black plastic mulch, which absorbs the heat ( a blessing in the middle of January) so they tend to mush a little if you pick them when they are warm. The baby chics are here and doing well. Took a gamble with dollar a chic straight run. Hopefully we don't have a brooder full of roosters.  The blackberries should be ripening the middle of May. They will be sold by the gallon bucket again this year $15. Finally we are starting to harvest a little produce for the market. The bulk of our crops will be going to the CSA, but we will have an assortment in the market on Saturday. This week we will be concentrating on watering and bugs. One good point of a hard, harsh winter is that it eases the bug problem a bit. Using all natural methods of control is a challenge and is constant when they are so plentiful. I do not think that ladybugs and Tricci wasps stand a fighting chance this year! MARKET HOURS: Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00PM. Call ahead if a dairy pickup is needed during the week. From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!!!