We've had a lot of new additions to our Farm Stand list lately, and we wanted to do a quick reminder that we try to do a fairly accurate estimate of our next week's harvest so that we can make those crops available to our CSA and Farm Stand folks. BUT, we're always intentionally conservative with that estimate because we never want to pre-sell items that we won't actually be able to harvest. That said, you sometimes will see items at the market that were sold out on Harvie, that's just the nature of basing availability on an estimate and generally as the season goes on, we're able to harvest more and more of the summer favorites so that they no longer run out in Harvie...
We've been altering our weekly schedule for a while now as we wait for this heat wave to break. Though we have LOTS of planting to do, we can't justify shoving new seedlings into the currently very harsh outdoor environment. So instead, we're trying to get ahead on bed prep so that when we do have some slightly cooler temps, we can plug in a lot of seedlings fast and hopefully catch up! The other challenge that we've been focusing on is WATER!
On our farm, it's a tough thing to do to make sure everything gets enough water. First off, our soil is very sandy, so water applications need to be pretty frequent because water either percolates down below the root zone or evaporates out of the soil at a fairly quick rate. Another complication is simply the amount of water that we're able to put out. Our well can handle typical watering of our 4 acre area, but during these extremely hot days, we've upped our watering cycles to be twice a day to give plants more of a reprieve from the heat. Twice a day watering means that we're pretty much constantly watering something. Combine that with water needs for washing produce, clogged filters, malfunctioning timers, etc., and it can add up to a stressful situation! Needless to say, some rain and cooler temps will be most welcome!
For anyone who didn't get the memo on last week's delivery... We've started an unofficial custom of having 'open farm Fridays' from 2-5 on Friday afternoons. Of course, it's a pick up window for anyone that has a box delivery and chooses on farm pick up. It's also a great time for folks to come out to the farm for produce (we won't have a full market lineup, but we're sure to have some great crops harvested and available) or maybe to pick your own bouquet (we currently have sunflowers, but gladiolus and dahlias aren't far away!). It's also a time for CSA members or other regular customers to come on out and see where their food is grown. If you're curious about our growing style, what the farm looks like, or simply want to get a closer look, we'll have a self-guided tour sheet available for you if you'd like to go on a farm walk. Consider popping out on an upcoming Friday afternoon, 2-5!
It's time to get into your profile and customize (if you wish) your box for next week. In addition to the vegetables in our harvest estimate this week, we've got lots of great add-ons from other local producers.
Speaking of add-ons, we have some excellent local producers with great products to add or swap into your boxes. This week, we have:
- Artisan sourdough bread by Rachel at Pine Cabin Co.
- Farm Fresh eggs from the Miller Farm
- Pork from Double N Farms - ground pork, breakfast sausage, hot Italian sausage, bacon and pork chops! ** Warning - this is the last week for bacon for a bit! **
- Fresh pressed apple cider and apple butter from Farm to Market Store
- Honey from McLaury Apiaries
- Sunflower and gladiolus bunches from our flower patch as it starts to produce beautiful blooms this summer!
Have a great weekend, and as always, let us know if you have any questions about our farm or the nuts and bolts of using Harvie.
Cheers, Bonnie & Rudy
Pic above: We had a surprise visit from Hoot Owler Barry's wife Ruth today. She just happened to have 11 puppies in tow, so we got a welcome morning mood boost!
