From the Farmer ……..
August – the time of year when the bounty of the gardens is everywhere. Pepper plants loaded, tomatoes just beginning to ripen, sweet corn ear full – and more babies. Just as I sat down to write looking out my home office window, I was amazed to see the two Bourbon Red turkey hens that refused to sit on eggs while the turkey tom was here – and now that that he is gone – have hatched two baby poults from eggs that I was sure were infertile. They are so proud, carefully watching their feet so as not to step on the tiny new lively babies.
It is very dry here at the farm – in the midday heat many of the plants are showing signs of wilting. Interns, Sam and Sarah worked much of the day today, getting up our drip irrigation going. They rolled out many feet of blue 2” layflat hose along the edges of the field, then carefully connected each drip tape line laid long ago under each row of plastic mulch – then turned on the emitters which will allow the water to flow only along five rows at a time. Then I made connections between sections of layflat and the hose connecting the layflat to the hydrant – using a lot of hose connector clamps. There are quite a few leaks and drips and even sprays, but the first four rows of thirsty tomatoes are drip by drip getting a good drink of water. We will shut those four rows off after about six hours of irrigating and turn on the next four or five rows. And so on until everything is watered and we start all over or get a good soaking inch of rain.
This past week, I have been working on getting all of our farm livestock on automatic waterers. With a smaller number of people taking care of critters, we need to make things easier and it is also nice for the animals to always have a source of fresh, clean water. I have also been moving animals around and changing feeding patterns to make animal chores more efficient as our work crew gets smaller and smaller.
Intern Hope left two weeks ago, and is back in California Minnesota
Until next week…………… Robin Raudabaugh
What’s in your share this week:
Potatoes Norland
Onions Walla Walla
Hot Pepper El Jefe Jalapeno, Serrano Del Sol
Sweet Pepper Gypsy (yellow), Islander (purple)
Summer Squash Assorted green, yellow and pattypans
Cucumbers Raider, Calypso
Eggplant Classic (purple), Galine (lg. purple), Dancer (pink), Thai Green
Beets Red Ace, Bulls Blood
Turnip Scarlet Queen Red Stems, White Egg
Basil Genovese, Thai, Lime
Swiss Chard Northern Lights, Fordhood Giant
Sweet Corn Ambrosia
