If you haven't signed up for the Autumn Share yet, now is the time. Just go into your account and register. We are starting to plant our fall crops and it helps to know how many CSA members we will be feeding!
We never like a hurricane, and the very idea of a tornado fills us with horror. But this time the farms only got 2" of rain, unlike our farmer friends in Southern Maryland who were less fortunate. They got closer to 10" and their watermelons are underwater. We had time to prepare so we wouldn't get too far behind--we planted the first of our autumn kale and bok choy and rutabagas and we picked lots of ripe tomatoes so they wouldn't explode. We are relieved that this tropical storm didn't dump too much water on our farms, as tomatoes really don't like water at this point. The flavors get all diluted and the skins crack. Tomatoes love a drought once the fruit is established on the plant.
All the extreme heat in July took a toll on the chickens, and to some extent, the eggs. In years past we have struggled with eggs that got too hot even before we managed to collect them, and I fear there will be some waves of repercussions this year too. I am surprised, actually, at how few complaints there have been. Apparently when it gets this hot the proteins get "de-natured" and the yolks get really thin. We notice that the yolks can barely hold their shape during a hot spell. But, in general, the eggs themselves seem to be good. If you do get a bad box, just tell us and we will replace it. Sometimes the chickens manage to hide the eggs from us for a few days, and then we do have troubles.
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