As you might know this is a Monarch butterfly in it's caterpillar stage. Part of the stewardship we practice here at DragSmith Farms is creating or saving habitats for good bugs and wild life. The pasture areas are full of common milkweed. We don't even pull them out anymore in the flower gardens. The flowers are quite lovely and we maybe able to rejoice at the sight of a Monarch butterfly fluttering around us. The areas encircling each field that we have divided into approximately 1 acre plots have lots of dandelion in the spring and white clover in the summer. The bees are happy and we can drive on these areas to pick up our harvests etc.
The past week was hot and sunny. We harvested, rotovated between the rows for the weeds were popping up after the heavy rains, and worked on some season extension in Greenhouse 4. Peppers, tomatoes and salad greens are all in the plan. Gail spent most of Saturday in the field seeding the winter radishes ( watermelon, purple, white and green daikons), red, gold and chioggia beets. Fall and winter crops will be important too.
