The Heat is here!
From continuous extended cool clouds and rain to hot sunny weather!!! We knew summer weather would be coming at some point and now it's here. We're so glad to get some sun and warmth. Now we need to acclimatize.
We spend most days outside but even so, the abrupt weather change has put a shock to our systems. We have to keep reminding each other to drink more water and we even need to irrigate outdoors to keep the plants growing healthily. Water requirements for the plants have gone up too in the high tunnels so we need to water more frequently and for longer periods. But that's because the sun is out and things are growing again!!! Hurrah!!!
Summer Rhythm is Upon Us
For the next 40 days or so we'll be at peak day length which means maximum sunlight and peak growth rates for the plants (and weeds unfortunately). This is hustle time for us. Long daylight hours means long work days as we finish up the foundational work for the CSA season. Getting trellises built for pole beans, keeping weed-free, keeping tomatoes pruned and trellised, getting 5,000 sweet potatoes planted, continuing with weekly succession plantings, even starting fall broccoli and cabbage transplants, and harvesting, harvesting, harvesting for your weekly boxes of course! This is what we love to do, so we're glad to do it. This is the busy season!
I feel like the closer we get to nature, we see a natural rhythm to life. Plants and animals "get busy" (figuratively and literally) this time of year. Life is bursting all around us and the bees, well, they're really busy right now! So we hit it hard from sun up to sun down, knowing that 14.5+ hours of daylight only lasts so long. I gotta be honest that there's no way we could keep up this pace 12 months out of the year. Part of what makes it possible to enter "beast mode" and crush it in the field is the hope of a future harvest, the knowledge that days will get slower, that cold, quiet winter will be here before we know it and we'll have plenty of time to relax, play board games and sip coffee. But those days are not now! So, if we're a little slow in responding to correspondence, just know that it's because we haven't had time to sit down for some screen time.
What's in the Field
Sugar snap peas are coming on strong now. We're making as many available as possible to start with based upon our estimates, but as we get closer to harvest, we'll probably be able to add more to the availability, so if you don't have peas to start with, check back Monday and there may be more available then.
Cherry tomatoes are increasing exponentially and the first of the beefsteak tomatoes are starting to turn!!!
Lettuce heads are looking fabulous and beets and fennel and tons of carrots are getting close.
The broccoli and cabbage have been a real disappointment. We're still harvesting broccoli and broccolini but the yield is 20% of what it should be if things had gone better in spring. I think those hard frosts early on just set them back too far to start with. No worries, we're seeding again now for our fall crop. Hope it works out better. You win some, you lose some!
Going on Vacation?
Isn't it wonderful that there are options this year to do something but stay at home? Never really considered that such a blessing until last year. What to do if you are heading out of town? Well you can send a delegate to pick up for you (it's like the best way ever to get a friend hooked on CSA!). Or you can log in to Harvie and put any individual week's share on "hold" which really means to skip it. You do have the option to "reschedule" that share and in fact, in order to get to the point in the software to put it on hold, you'l need to hit the "reschedule" button first. But putting a share on hold really means to skip the box and the charge that week. If you haven't already tried it, there are some screen shots to guide you through here: https://harvie.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001542514-How-to-reschedule-change-a-delivery-location-and-hold-a-share-
Bread and Cheese this week
Bread: Raisin Walnut Artisan Loaf
Cheese: Brother's Keeper Block, 6oz (this is a super sharp, nutty aged cheddar)
There will be additional Bread and Cheese available as an add-on items.
Have a great week!
Dave and Sheri
