NEWS FROM THE FARM
June, 2011
The thought of the combination of the four varieties in a large basket at market makes my mouth water. Though whenever I think of beans I think of the incredible amount of time it takes to harvest them--a task that doesn't seem to take a great deal of strength or effort, but eats up a lot of valuable daylight hours. Don't get me wrong: beans are a joy and I'm grateful for them, but I'm always happy to have a friend or relative visiting who's happy to sit in a clover-laden path for a couple of hours in July and help me harvest beans. This week I'll get the soy beans in the ground, as well as the season's dried bean crop: calypso, cannelini, and black beans.
Today as I write, mid-June, I'm inside waiting for the rain to stop. Earlier this month we had temperatures in the 80s and swimming in the lake wasn't beyond the realm of possibility; this week has been in the 50s--about 20 degrees cooler than normal June temps--and damp. We've had the woodstove going for the last two nights. The bees are stuck inside, the meat birds are confined to their tractor and are eating with gusto to ward off the cool night temps. I did get out yesterday in a slight drizzle to transplant peppers, sweet and hot alike. Open pollinated varieties such as Carmen, Apple, Hungarian hot wax, Serrano, and Ancho are now tucked into a well-composted bed next to the newly germimated hills of summer squash. All is looking well out there, including the recenlty transplanted tomatoes which had a sad, tired, leaning quality to them for a few days until they took to their new home in the field. Soon it will be time to trellis them and prepare for the ever-surprising growth of the many indeterminate (climbing) heirloom varieties that I choose each year for their unique, beautiful, appearance and delicious flavor.
Father's Day is coming up, the weather forecast is favorable, and many market goers this week will no doubt be planning their weekend barbeques. While the bulk of the harvest has yet to arrive, there are lots of great salad fixings on the market table this week: french breakfast radish, cutting greens/mix, head lettuce, pea shoots, baby arugula, and edible flowers--the perfect combination of ingredients for a gorgous salad to serve alongside Dad's steak or burger.
I've tilled up an additional 3,000 square feet of garden space this spring to accommodate the late season crops: storage potatoes, brussels sprouts, and winter squash. I'll more than likely have to mulch the beds quite heavily as that is a substantial plot of garden for me to manage in addition to the 3/4 acre plot I current tend. I'll keep you posted on the battle of the weeds. Until then, a joyous late spring to you all.
Trish
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