Ten days ago we were preparing for potential flooding and damage from Isaias, but the storm was relatively gentle on us. Isaias brought 4 more inches of rain on our farm, filling the pond we use to irrigate (a kind neighbor allows us to use it when it is abundant enough!) and not destroying any plants. Some plants may be stressed a bit right now from getting more rain than they prefer, but the damage should be minimal (it often takes days for the full plant stress to reveal itself) and we're heading into another notoriously dry time of year with water in the pond. So, all in all we are calling the past 10 days a period of blessings for which we are grateful.
Over the past two winters we have installed much needed underground drainage systems in a few places around the farm. This storm was one of the first real tests of these drainage improvements and we are happy we invested in that work.
Crop updates: Our Salad Mix is out of season for the month of August, but we've spent the past six years trialing methods for having Lettuce to harvest in August. Last year was our first year with the results that we wanted, and we scaled it up this year so that we have hundreds of heads available to harvest over the next three weeks. (Granted, rain was also needed to allow these plants to stay alive, and now that we've had blessed rain, we all get to enjoy Lettuce - in August!)
Okra, Eggplants, Beans, and Cucumbers are all currently yielding smaller harvests than we expected, so the numbers for those crops are smaller. Tomatoes, a variety of different Peppers, and Flowers, as well as the Lettuce, are all doing very well.
For our every-other-week members: In other exciting (but tiring) farm news: A quick trip to the gravel yard last week before Isaias for a load of gravel for a last-minute erosion prevention project found us practically being handed a pair of newborn kittens. The kittens were in the middle of the gravel yard with no evidence of the mama cat visiting them for a couple of days, and the employees were very worried about predation and the approaching potential for 6 inches of rain. We got the trailer load of gravel, picked up a can of kitten formula and two bottles, headed home to spread the gravel where needed, and settled into the comfort of our home with the tiny kittens as the storm winds picked up and the rain dumped. We're happy to report that the kittens are gaining weight nicely and show all signs of health. We'll keep you informed, and we hope these two become excellent farm mousers.
Blessings on your meals, and keep masking up and washing your hands ~
