August at the Farm

 

August is a time when the juiciest crops are at their peak ripeness!  The tomatoes are rolling in, the peppers are turning red fast, and the cucumbers are heavy on the vine.

Picking, picking, picking is mostly what we do!

The winter squash field is a sea of green, and underneath this canopy of leaves are the butternuts and the pumpkins and the acorns and the red kuris and the delicatas using this heat and sun to ripen also.  We harvest them after the vines have died down, in late September or early October.  I can't wait.

 But there is also something else going on in August: planning for next year, and the tractor work to prepare the fields for next season's crops.

 In the next few weeks almost ten acres will be planted with winter cover crops-- rye, oats, and clover.  These crops are not harvested, but are planted for the health of the soil, to be plowed into the ground as a kind of mulch or compost grown right in place.  It's important work, as essential as planting the vegetable seeds themselves.

 

 The crew this summer has been absolutely wonderful.  They are a joy to work with, and we are just what I dreamed we'd be by August: a well-oiled machine!  Young people eager to learn about CSA vegetable farming-- getting their hands dirty, learning from the successes and challenges the season offers.  It's a fun job.  If you know of anyone who wants to work with us next year, I start interviewing folks for paid apprenticeship positions in October.

Happy feasting!