On Wednesday and Thursday we received more than 2 1/2 inches of much needed rain. This was a nice change from the previous 4 weeks which had brought us less than an inch. The rain will help the crops that were showing a bit of stress during the recent spell of summer heat.
Life has been busy on the farm; lots of different tasks competing for attention, including:
- continued harvests of mid-summer crops (Basil, Beans, Beets, Chard, Cucumbers, Fennel, Kale, Lettuce, Summer Squash, and Zucchini)
- cultivation; a fancy word farmers like to use for weeding. As I work these fields for the first time this season I'm getting a better sense of which weed seeds/roots are in abundance in our soil. Purslane seems to be the weed of the hour. After the recent rains, cultivation will be a high priority for the week ahead.
- direct seeding of fall crops including: beets, carrots, spinach, tunips, etc.
- transplanting some of the last transplant of the season: collards, kale, and scallions.
And then there is the ever important time for observation and contemplation. This morning I took the time to take the camera into the fields and take a few photos of late July. The bees (bumble, ground, and honey) were active in the early morning taking in pollen and nectar from a wide variety of crops. Also, we received a heavy dew which provided some inspiration for a few photos. One of the farm names that didn't win was Over-dew Farm - seemed to not quite instill visions of hope and abundance, although it did focus on the importance of doing good work right here, right now.
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