Here is what September looks like on the farm …

Plenty of vegetables still growing.

Plenty of weeds growing too – here in the pepper patch. And because it’s September, we don’t care 🙂

Goldenrod blooming around the pond and along the railroad.

80 tons of mushroom compost has been delivered – and needs to be spread!

Sage is a big compost fan!

We have begun to harvest winter squash. The fruit is cut from the vines and put in piles, ready to be hauled to the barn.

Pulling edamame pods off the plants – a boring job, but we do get to sit. A welcome rest after picking squash!

Waiting on the pawpaws. (They are at least a couple of weeks away from harvest yet.)

What’s in the box?

Chinese kale or flowering broccoli, edamame, zucchini, sweet peppers, garlic, salad greens.

• Chinese kale (left) or flowering broccoli (right) will be in the box this week.

• Back in week 2 of our CSA we included Chinese kale (also called Chinese broccoli or Gai Lan). This Asian vegetable resembles broccoli in flavour, but is perhaps a little sweeter. Every part is edible – stem, leaves, flowers. Enjoy it raw in a salad or cook it – steam, boil, stir-fry or grill. Traditionally it is boiled whole until tender (1 or 2 minutes) and then served with oyster sauce and fried garlic (green garlic). It is excellent drizzled with oil and grilled whole on the BBQ for a few minutes. Finish it with a sauce – combine 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp maple syrup. Flowering broccoli is similar in that the entire plant is edible but it’s stem & leaves are thinner and softer. This broccoli has a mild mustard taste and can be enjoyed raw in salads or lightly cooked in stir-fries or soups. 
• Our 2nd planting of edamame (fresh soybeans) has been harvested. Edamame are full of protein, fibre and loaded with vitamins & minerals – a very healthy vegetable. And they are easy to prepare! Simply boil the pods in salted water for 3-5 minutes. Remove from the water & drain. Then squeeze the pods to pop out the beans and enjoy as a healthy snack. Delicious! We like them sprinkled with lime juice and salt. Or they can be added to soups, stews, salads, noodle dishes …
• This will be the 10th time that zucchini has been in the box this season. This is also the last time! Our 3rd planting has succumbed to disease. Today’s pick included big & little, oddly shaped & perfect, yellow, green & multicoloured fruit – a sure sign that the harvest is finished. (Next week we switch from summer squash to winter squash.)
• Sweet peppers, garlic and a salad green complete the box this week.

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Around the farm this week …

Drive-by tomato picking on the golf cart.

What’s in the box?

Patty pan summer squash, blackberries, green beans, sweet peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, beets, carrots, garlic.

• Patty pan summer squash – similar to zucchini, but with a different shape. Our plants suddenly kicked in with a plethora of these bright yellow, flying-saucer-shaped summer squashes. Most of them are on the larger side (still delicious but not quite as tender as the tiny ones). Slice and grill them on the BBQ. Or cut into pieces and roast in the oven. They also make great soup. And of course zucchini bread or brownies. Our zucchini/patty pan season is quickly coming to an end. The plants looked great last week, but after Saturday’s storm they are covered in mildew and declining rapidly.
• Blackberries are also finishing. This will be the final week for them.
• Green beans, sweet peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, beets, carrots, & garlic complete the box.

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Around the farm this week …

The tables at CSA pick-up last week.

Still lots of vegetables to come …

Some random “before and after” pictures…

Flat tire … new tire.

A beautiful bed of lettuces, beets, kohlrabi & carrots ready for harvest, and the same bed after a week of harvesting. It is not worth spending the time, energy or money on keeping things weed-free at this point. The weeds are not harming the crop – but it sure looks messy!

Saturday market at Georgetown – it takes us about half an hour to set up the canopies & tables and unload all the produce & supplies off the truck. Then we begin creating our display.

One busy hour later set up is complete and we are ready to sell!

Amy with some of the blackberries we took to market, and Amy with empty boxes after selling most of those berries!

What’s in the box?

Edamame, green beans, sweet peppers, shishito peppers, beets or carrots, blackberries, tomatoes – large & small, salad green.

• Edamame are fresh green soybeans with a history of over 2000 years, originally grown in China and then in Japan. There, it is a traditional bar snack eaten lightly steamed and sprinkled with salt. Edamame are full of protein, fibre and loaded with vitamins & minerals – a very healthy vegetable. And they are easy to prepare! Simply boil the pods in salted water for 3-5 minutes. Remove from the water & drain. Then squeeze the pods to pop out the beans and enjoy as a healthy snack. Delicious! We like them sprinkled with lime juice and salt. Or they can be added to soups, stews, salads, noodle dishes …
• We waited a long time for the green beans to start producing – now they are going strong!
• Sweet peppers this week – choose from a green bell or a red shepherd.
• Shishito peppers are the vegetables that keep on giving – so you keep getting! Each plant produces an enormous crop of delicious peppers.
• There will be a bunch of beets or carrots in the box this week.
• We continue to pick a lot of blackberries – but the canes are emptying fast. Another week or two and the season could be done. While the quality remains good, the size of the berries is rapidly decreasing.
• Our tomato plants are looking great for the end of August – better than usual. We are optimistic there will be tomatoes for some time yet.

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Around the farm this week …

I enjoy eating all the vegetables we grow … except for green beans!

I don’t like the taste, I don’t like the texture, I don’t like the way they squeak when I bite them.

But I’m in the minority. Green beans are very popular with our CSA folks and market customers.

So we grow them. A lot of them! This season we seeded 14 times, 200 feet each week – which makes a row of beans more than half a mile long! A lot of green beans for sure!

But there have been beans in the CSA box only once so far this summer.

What happened?

The short answer is weeds & weather. We got behind on the weeding early on and this, together with some bad-bean-growing-weather from Mother Nature reduced the harvest considerably.

Until this week! This week we finally have green beans again!

Here are some photos of our next plantings. The potential is there for yet a plethora of beans.

Nobody enjoys picking beans. It is a tiring, back-breaking chore.

To make it easier & simpler we choose varieties that produce most of their crop all at once. Then when the majority of beans are the perfect size, we cut the whole plant off, bring them into the barn and sit & pull the beans off the plants. It works great!

Rosemary loves playing in the plants once the beans have been removed. The empty plants are thrown on the compost pile.

One way I will eat green beans – and enjoy them – is this recipe (adapted from Simply in Season cookbook) …

Thai Green Beans

2.5 cups green beans – steamed for 8-10 minutes or until bright green & lightly crunchy.

1/4 onion chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger – peeled & minced

1-2 cloves minced fresh garlic

In wok or frying pan, heat 1 tsp sesame oil and sauté about 5 min until onion is tender.

1.5 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon Thai sweet chilli sauce
Add to taste.

Add the steamed beans & stir to coat with the sauce.. Simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Serve over rice. Garnish with cashews, sesame seeds, or slivered almonds.

What’s in the box?

Green beans, basil, yellow zucchini, blackberries, tomatoes – large & small, lettuce, garlic.

Extras – eggplant, kohlrabi, hot peppers.

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Around the farm this week …

We received 66mm of welcome rain this weekend! The ground soaked it up quickly.

It was a busy Monday here on the farm.

We had big picks of tomatoes and blackberries.

We accomplished some much-needed weeding.

We transplanted several beds of vegetables including lettuce, green onions, beets, herbs …

Picking, planting & weeding are our 3 main jobs for much of the summer.

Planting is the one that surprises a lot of people. They assume we plant the farm out once in spring and we’re done. Then we spend the rest of the season picking.

We wish it were so!

But it is a bit more complicated than that.

Some crops are indeed planted just once. Tomatoes, eggplant, peppers get started in the greenhouse mid-winter, are transplanted to the fields in spring and we harvest them until frost.

Most of our vegetables are started in trays – in the greenhouse in early spring & fall, and outside during the summer – and then transplanted into the field when they are a few weeks old. This allows us to control moisture & temperature and makes for better seed germination.

All the salad greens (including lettuce, spinach, arugula, baby kale, bok choy) and herbs (dill, cilantro, basil) are planted weekly. Green onions and beets are biweekly. Kohlrabi, fennel, edible flowers are seeded every 3 weeks. Edamame every 4. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage & Chinese cabbage are seeded once or twice in spring & fall, not in the summer – they don’t like the heat & humidity. We usually have 2 or 3 plantings of zucchini & cucumbers.

Radishes & salad turnips are seeded directly into the field in early spring & sometimes in fall – usually 2 or 3 times. Green beans are seeded into the field every week – usually 12 or 13 times. Sunflowers are seeded twice a week – 100′ of row every Monday & Thursday.

If it all sounds a little complex & confusing, it can be. We have spreadsheets, charts, calendars, notes. But mistakes still do happen. And of course the weather can mess things up as well – or fix things up!

But for those of us who get a thrill from planting seeds and watching them sprout and grow, it’s a wonderful time, a miraculous time … a busy time!

What’s in the box?

Green peppers, blackberries, head lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, shishito peppers, cucumbers, garlic.

Extras – Eggplant, jalapenos.

Fruit share – final week! – mixed fruit

• The 1st of our green sweet peppers are available this week. Yellow, orange & red peppers have been a struggle for us in recent years. They tend to rot or get eaten as soon as they start to colour up. We’re still working on finding a cost-effective and labor-efficient way to grow quality coloured peppers. Until then our peppers will be green!
• Our blackberries are amazing so far this season! Enjoy them for a couple of weeks yet.

• A beautiful patch of head lettuce is ready to harvest – including mini-romaine and summer crisp.

• There will be another bunch of carrots in the box. That will finish up this bed – more carrots to come hopefully before the season ends.
• Tomatoes of every size and colour, shishito peppers, cucumbers and garlic finish the box.
• Eggplant and jalapeno peppers are available for those who who like them.

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Around the farm this week …

The driveway patrol on duty!

Loving the dahlias we’re growing this year – not to sell, just for our own pleasure!

A brief thunderstorm rolled through the farm late this afternoon. Just enough rain fell to freshen things up, and water the vegetable seedlings I transplanted earlier in the day.

(By the way, in case you did not notice, I have not mentioned the weather here for 3 weeks now – not since week 8! This is a big deal for me!)

The hot & humid weather these past weeks has been challenging for the plants as well as the people on the farm! While the summer crops – tomatoes, peppers, eggplant – love hot weather, sometimes they will not set fruit when the temperatures are this extreme. Often the blossoms simply fall off and the crop can be affected later, in a few weeks. But the plants themselves are mostly thriving and producing well right now.

Vegetables that prefer cooler temperatures and more moisture – all the salad greens, green onions, fennel, beans – are having a harder time. For example, the lettuce doesn’t taste as sweet nor are the leaves as tender. The spinach harvest is much smaller as many plants dried up. Green onions are short and barely green. Green beans are taking forever to mature.

We still have a lot of great produce to harvest, but what ends up in our CSA box or on our market tables may differ from our original plans. The timing of the vegetables can also change. But these variations are normal. The weather always dictates our course, and we adapt accordingly. This is why we grow so many different crops and varieties. Some may fail while others flourish. It makes farming exciting!

So …

What’s in the box?

Carrots, blackberries, shishito peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, salad green, fresh garlic.

Extras – Eggplant & zucchini.

Fruit share – a mixed basket of peaches, nectarines & blue plums.

• Our 1st carrots of the season are ready to harvest. Fresh carrots are hard to beat for flavour!
• We picked an abundance of blackberries today. And they are beautiful! Large, dark & delicious – a bit sweet & a bit tart. The only way to eat a blackberry is to pop the whole thing in your mouth. Try to take a small bite and you will be covered in dark, staining juice. While best eaten fresh, blackberries also make great jam, juice, sauce & ice cream. (Lorie has her homemade blackberry jam for sale in the barn.)
• *Please note that we do use pesticides on our blackberries. For many years we did not. That was one of the good things about growing blackberries – no spraying necessary! Then along came the spotted wing drosophila. Spotted wing drosophila is an invasive vinegar fly that has the potential to cause extensive damage to many fruit crops, especially soft and dark coloured fruit – like blackberries. In the last number of years it has been found throughout much of southern Ontario and most of the fruit-growing areas of North America, and has become a chronic pest in berry and tender fruit crops. Effective biological controls are not yet available. There are cultural practices that we use to help reduce the insect populations, but the only effective control right now is chemical. And so we spray regularly to try to kill the spotted wing drosophila and protect our blackberries. We would rather not! But then again, we would rather not have worms in our blackberries either!
• Shishito peppers are back again! These are small, bright green peppers, with a sweet, fruity flavour and thin, tender, wrinkled skin. What makes a shishito exciting is that 1 in 10 peppers could be slightly hot! They are simple to prepare and delicious – char them in olive oil in a cast-iron skillet or other heavy pan over medium-high heat. Cook the peppers whole, turning occasionally, until they begin to blister on all sides. This only takes a few minutes! Sprinkle with salt & pepper and a splash of lime juice and some parmesan cheese, and serve immediately. Eat the whole pepper – except the stem. Charring shishitos on the BBQ also works well, or try them in the air fryer.
• Our 2nd planting of cucumbers is producing. These, together with tomatoes (large & small), a salad green & garlic complete the box.

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Around the farm this week …

Our 2nd zucchini planting is already succumbing to disease. Fortunately the 3rd planting is close to producing, and we will continue to have zucchini to harvest.

Rue learning to hunt from the best!

Our farm is a fun place!

At least the coyotes think so.

We are used to them stealing Sage’s toys from Amy’s yard – we find them all over the farm. But the other night they had a blast in the new row of zucchini that we recently planted. They tossed the straw mulch around, tore up sections of the insect cover, & tromped on the tender, little zucchini plants. And shrieked and howled loudly while playing – we heard them! Fortunately they only damaged the one end of the row.

Our farm is a great place to call home!

At least the groundhogs think so – though this newly excavated opening under the barn is larger than the holes they usually make.

Our farm grows tasty vegetables!

At least the mice and rabbits and … think so.

Critters have been munching on the beets especially, and now they’re enjoying the tomatoes too. This is the downside of farming next to the railroad. All sorts of animals and bugs live in it’s wild, unkept edges.

But I guess the farm should be big enough for the animals and us. We’ll try to get along and coexist peacefully together.

What’s in the box?

Blackberries, kale or Swiss chard, fresh garlic, fresh herbs, lettuce mix, arugula, tomatoes, beets, zucchini.

Extras – Eggplant.

Fruit share – Nectarines & early blue plums.

• The blackberries surprised us today! Usually they start slowly and gradually increase in quantity – but today was the 1st pick and we already harvested enough for CSA tomorrow. For those not familiar with blackberries, they are a bit sweet & a bit tart. If they aren’t quite ripe they can be sour. Too ripe and they are soft & mushy – but incredibly sweet. We try to pick them as ripe as possible but still firm. Unlike raspberries, blackberries are not hollow but have a soft edible centre core. The only way to eat a blackberry is to pop the whole thing in your mouth. Try to take a small bite and you will be covered in dark, staining juice. While best eaten fresh, blackberries also make great jam, juice, sauce & ice cream. (Lorie has her homemade blackberry jam for sale in the barn.) Enjoy your 1st taste – there will be more next week! (and the week after …)
• *Please note that we do use pesticides on our blackberries. For many years we did not. That was one of the good things about growing blackberries – no spraying necessary! Then along came the spotted wing drosophila. Spotted wing drosophila is an invasive vinegar fly that has the potential to cause extensive damage to many fruit crops, especially soft and dark coloured fruit – like blackberries. In the last number of years it has been found throughout much of southern Ontario and most of the fruit-growing areas of North America, and has become a chronic pest in berry and tender fruit crops. Effective biological controls are not yet available. There are cultural practices that we use to help reduce the insect populations, but the only effective control right now is chemical. And so we spray regularly to try to kill the spotted wing drosophila and protect our blackberries. We would rather not! But then again, we would rather not have worms in our blackberries either!
• Two new greens this week are kale & Swiss chard. You will find 1 of these in your box. We are growing both curly kale and dinosaur or black kale and the rainbow chard.
• Garlic was a hit last week in the box! Remember – it is fresh and not yet dried. Once the bulb is broken open, it should be stored in the fridge and used within a few days. Until then it can be kept at room temperature, and in a place with good air circulation.
• Herbs – choose from fresh dill, cilantro, parsley and basil.
• This week’s salad greens are lettuce mix & arugula. Lettuce is not a fan of this hot weather. Germination is difficult. (Right now we’re germinating lettuce in the cold storage!) It struggles to get established when we transplant it to the field, and it struggles to grow in the heat & humidity. So we overplant in hopes of getting enough for CSA and market – with some success! Where we are falling short right now is with the mini-romaine. But we will have it again soon (we hope) and also the beautiful heads of summer crisp lettuce!

• Tomatoes, beets & zucchini finish the box this week.
• We are getting big picks of eggplant these days – it will be available as an extra for those who want it.

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Around the farm this week …

Last week at CSA pick-up.

Our market stall on Saturday in Georgetown.

A couple of random thoughts …

Let me begin with an apology and a thank-you.

It concerns these guys.

I’m sorry that they insist on sprawling out on the driveway during CSA pick-up and you have to drive around them.

Not sure what their game is, but the Flynns definitely know when our CSA members will be arriving and they park themselves where they shouldn’t. They only do it on Tuesday & Thursday afternoons, not other times during the week. And now they are encouraging Rosemary to join them! (The new kittens are secured away safely during CSA as they yet have no fear of vehicles.) All 3 have colouring that makes them difficult to see on the gravel which adds to the danger.

Thank you for driving cautiously and looking out for them.

Secondly, Lorie will be heading to BC soon to see this little guy … our newest grandson Beau.

So there will be someone else at the CSA tables Thursday and next week – likely Amy or Ron. If you need to change your pick-up day or time please email thefarm@thiessenfarms.com or text Amy at 905-359-2672 rather than contacting Lorie.

What’s in the box?

Tomatoes, fresh garlic, shishito peppers, jalapeno peppers, lettuce, zucchini, eggplant.

Fruit share – Peaches.

• Tomatoes are increasing – in both size and quantity. We picked our 1st beefsteak tomatoes today. Find cherry tomatoes as well as larger tomatoes in your share this week.

• The aroma of fresh garlic filled the barn today as the students hauled in the newly harvested bulbs and placed them on the drying racks. The garlic will air dry for several weeks. When it is fully dried & cured it will keep for months at room temperature. But we can enjoy the incredible fresh flavour now. Just remember that once the bulb is broken open, it should be stored in the fridge and used within a few days. Until then it can be kept at room temperature, and in a place with good air circulation.

• Shishito peppers are one of our favourite vegetables. They are a small, thin, bright green pepper, with a sweet, fruity flavour and thin, tender, wrinkled skin. What makes a shishito exciting is that 1 in 10 peppers could be slightly hot! They are simple to prepare and delicious to eat! While you can use them as you would any other sweet pepper, they are best eaten charred in olive oil in a cast-iron skillet or other heavy pan over medium-high heat. Cook the peppers whole, turning occasionally, until they begin to blister on all sides. This only takes a few minutes! Sprinkle with salt & pepper and a splash of lime juice and some parmesan cheese, and serve immediately. Eat the whole pepper – except the stem. Charring shishitos on the BBQ works well or try them in the air fryer too.

• Jalapeno peppers – not something we usually include in the box. But why not add some spice to your food!
• Lettuce mix, zucchini & eggplant complete the box this week.

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Around the farm this week …

Blackberries are just a couple of weeks away.

An amazing crop of pawpaws this year! Look for them in October.

There were many trays of seedlings waiting to be planted in the fields this morning.

Some had been waiting a long time. They should have been planted last week, but the soil was too wet, thanks to the rain from Hurricane Beryl.

Today the soil conditions were good and planting was progressing well – until it rained again.

But rain is good! Sunshine is good too!

We need both to grow our crops and so far this season we have received a goodly amount of each. Just not always at the right time – at least according to our wants & wishes.

And so we adjust. Rainy & too wet to plant? We’ll harvest in our rainsuits, catch up on equipment maintenance, work in the office, seed in the greenhouse, run errands … At least I don’t have to water anything today! When it is sunny & hot, we weed, seed, transplant, harvest, drink a lot of water & ice coffee and hope for rain! It all works out.

Until it doesn’t!

Too much rain? The kohlrabi can split. The broccoli rots. The cauliflower turns black. The lettuce turns to mush. The cucumbers & zucchini get disease. The weeds overtake.

Too much sunshine & heat? The lettuce turns bitter. The spinach shrivels. The tomatoes & eggplant drop their blossoms instead of setting fruit. The weeds overtake.

We have experienced all of this in the last week or two. While it can be stressful, none of it is unexpected or unusual. The weather always affects our crops. That’s why we grow 40+ different vegetables, herbs & flowers, and multiple varieties of each, and why we seed & plant weekly. We know somethings will always be thriving and somethings will always be struggling. The goal is to have enough great vegetables to keep the CSA boxes full & the market table sagging.

So far, so good!

What’s in the box?

Tomatoes, green beans, spicy salad mix, arugula, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant?

Extras – kohlrabi & garlic scapes.

Fruit share – peaches.

(Peaches are from our neighbours at Pineview Orchards. That’s their barn in the picture below, as seen from our farm. If you did not sign up for fruit, we encourage you to visit the fruit stand at Pineview and purchase your fruit there. Along with their fruit & vegetables they offer baked goods and ice cream. Ask Lorie for directions when you pick up your vegetables. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/pinevieworchards.)

• It’s tomato time! We have been picking a very few cherry tomatoes these last few weeks, and now there is finally enough to include in the CSA box – not a lot, but enough for a good taste. There should be more each week now and the larger tomatoes are beginning to ripen as well.
• Our 1st green beans are ready too. Beans are something we seed every Monday (except when it’s raining – like today!). We have had some issues with a few of the plantings (ie. weeds – totally our fault), but beans are something you can expect to find in the box often from now on.
• Spicy salad mix is this week’s salad green. We call it spicy because arugula, mustard, mizuna and kale are included along with our lettuce mix. These give it a boost of extra flavour. Spicy salad mix is not only a delicious salad, but it’s great on sandwiches too. At market, it is our most popular green and we sell out every week.
• The sharp, peppery taste of arugula adds excitement to salads, sandwiches, wraps, pizza … This healthy green is high in vitamin K and calcium.
• We’re quite pleased to have had cucumbers in the box for several weeks already. Those of you who have been a part of CSA for a few years know we often struggle to grow decent cucs. But this year we pulled it off and we are perhaps just a little proud. The patch has about given up now, but we have a 2nd planting coming. Fingers crossed we continue to have success with our cucumbers this season!

• Zucchini rounds off the CSA …
• … Unless we have eggplant – and chances are pretty good that we will. We harvested an ample amount for market on Saturday and it looks like there will be enough for the box this week. We won’t know until we pick them tomorrow. While eggplant is never the most popular vegetable, those who like it really like it! So give it a try. Fresh eggplant is quite delicious!

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Around the farm this week …

The garlic leaves are turning brown & drying up which means it is almost ready to harvest. Then we will let it dry & cure for a few weeks before offering it in the CSA boxes.

The first dahlias are blooming.

More variety & more colour on our tables each week at market.

What’s in the box?

Salad turnips, cucumbers, zucchini, kohlrabi, salad greens, green onions.

Extras – garlic scapes

Fruit share – peaches, yellow (Early Golden) plums

This will be the 1st week for fruit – for those who signed up for fruit on their application. Peaches and early golden plums from our neighbours at Pineview Orchards are in the box.

If you did not sign up for fruit, we encourage you to visit the fruit stand at Pineview and purchase your fruit there. Along with their fruit & vegetables they offer baked goods and ice cream. Ask Lorie for directions when you pick up your vegetables. Or check them out at https://www.facebook.com/pinevieworchards.

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Around the farm this week …

Some of our fields are already looking empty. These were filled with vegetables earlier. After they have been harvested we mow everything down. Sometimes we might need to grow a 2nd crop here but usually we try to let the ground rest until next year.

Recent plantings in other fields. The heat, humidity and lack of consistent rain of late make it difficult for these little seedlings to take hold and grow. We have been giving them extra water to help them along.

Zucchini & peppers (above) and tomatoes (below) are loving this weather! We are picking a few tomatoes now and should have enough for CSA in a few weeks.

Eggplant too.

Enjoying the neighbour’s mustard field.

Searching for ripe tomatoes!