Many apologies for the email getting sent out late this week! I had to take me laptop computer in for "repairs" late last week and just got it back this morning.
Hope everyone survived the heat wave over the weekend! We are very fortunate to have a very deep well to have the ability to irrigate as needed. The crops are look like they all made it okay but are still a bit behind "normal" schedule. They are looking pretty good though!
The Farm is getting a little more high tech. We are conducting research with Iowa State University experimenting using Insect Netting over Winter Squash as a physical barrier to insect pests. We will be recording data about harvest numbers (both "marketable" and "culls") and weights. There are fancy sensors in there that report temperature and moisture, both above and below ground, that we can access from a smart phone. The sensors are neat, but I'm more excited to see how this insect netting will work as Squash Vine Borer Moth, Squash Bugs and Cucumber Beetles are very serious pests! As you can see from the photo, the installation was extensive but hopefully we'll see some positive results!
Have a great week,
Ben
