Farmers always worry about the weather. Will there be too much rain? Will it rain enough I winter to fill up the irrigation pond? Can we set out the tomatoes, or is it likely to frost? The weather is our most important variable and the one we have no control over. Therefore, we make plans to adapt to whatever happens. Irrigation if it doesn’t rain. Raised beds so that too much rain can drain off. Shady areas, south-facing slopes, windbreaks to mitigate heat, cold, and winds. But we cannot protect the farm from the BIG ones.
In late May 2008, I stood in my barn and watched a hail storm drop 4 inches of rain in 20 minutes, quarter-sized hail, and roaring wind. At the end of the 20 minutes, the entire farm was destroyed, and plants lay in shreds. In 2018, Hurricane Floyd swept through, and a deluge caused water to overflow even the raised beds and damage most of the fall crops. More seriously, we had just thrown up beds for a winter cover crop, and lots of our topsoil was swept into the grassy area that we maintain so the Lasoil will not wash into streams.
Naturally, we were worried when we heard of the approach of Hurricane Isaias. We were not able to go into the fields most of last Tuesday; there were over 4 inches of rain, and the power was out for 8 hours. This, as you know, caused use to delay last week's delivery. However, all that rain came down over many hours, and our bed structure held up and drained it away from the plants. We were delighted.
We continue with lots of tomatoes. Remember, you can click on the link and get our pamphlet of Tomato Recipes This week, we recommend you try the Instant Tomato and Basil Soup, which is a cold soup you can make in a blender or Vitamix. There is no cooking. Another is a cold salad with chicken, tomatillos, and cherry tomatoes. It is called Summer Green and Gold Chicken Salad in the recipe collection because I initially used Sungold tomatoes. Red cherry tomatoes will also be delicious.
Wishing you delicious and healthy eating,
Judy for all the farmers at Harlands Creek Farm, LLC
