While we are not experiencing the drought that has struck New England and even Montgomery County, MD this season, it did start to get dry on our farms in the last few weeks. Dry enough that the ground was hard and crunchy in the carrots, dry enough that we had to relent and start irrigating again. Just a little bit of water goes a very long way in keeping the soil alive, keeping the microbes in motion, and keeping the plants from wilting in the heat of the day.
We watch the weather forecast for lots of reasons, but mostly to see whether we will get some rain in a timely manner or if it will bring all our work to a stop. This most recent rain has been so perfect. We just finished getting water to all the baby plants, so the soil was ready for more water. If the rain comes down in a downpour on soil that is like cement, the water just pools on top and then starts to erode and wash away entire beds of soil. This time the seeds and plants got a very good drink and now we will be able to weed with much less pain and struggle.
Meanwhile, we have just about finished bringing in the last of the winter squash. There are giant bins full of butternut and butterkin curing in the greenhouse. There is so much spaghetti squash in the coolers, more than we have ever seen, so we hope you still have some recipes you want to try out. Next week we start digging sweet potatoes!
We have ten more weeks of CSA, and so many new vegetables are on the way. The next season is looking delightful. Thank goodness for rain.
