High and low temperatures, high and low spirits
Our towering, tasseling golden sweet corn stalks tumbled and flattened in a matter of minutes this week, bringing our morale down with them. Sweet corn is an undeniably satisfying crop to grow. It is historically miraculous, seeming to gain half a foot of growth daily this time of year. We selected fast growing, early maturing varieties this season, got to planting relatively early, and were satisfied with their aforementioned exponential summer growth. But this week, as she is know to do, Mother Nature threw us one of her infamous windy, fast-breaking curveballs.
Our row crops live in 50 foot or 100 foot long, gently sloping columns, each with four feet of width. Our earliest corn planting was established in a 50 foot long row in our spring garden. The short-lived severe windstorm we experienced this week flattened this particular row completely. In our summer gardens, we planted three 100 foot rows. The microburst left only half of these plants standing. After the hot temperatures early this week, the subsequent exponential growth of our summer crops, and the motivational optimism we experienced as a result, waking up to a carpet of sweet corn and not a forest was at least discouraging.
But it seems all hope is not lost. In the last few days, the crop has displayed a truly heroic effort to rise again and our confidence has returned that before too long, we will be busy picking ears. Thanks again to our shareholders for lending yours this week for our weekly update!
For this 8th week’s CSA share, we plan to harvest the following fresh vegetables for y’all:
Red Spuds or Blue Adirondack potatoes, our remaining green cabbages, more sweet onions, fresh cucumbers, cherry tomato varieties, mild green peppers including shishitos, hot wax & jalapeno peppers, available herb offerings, flowers, and eggs.
Our summer crop production continues to accumulate. It’s the time of year when it becomes difficult but necessary to constantly harvest in order to keep plants producing and catch the fruits while they’re still young and properly tender.
We will reliably distribute each variety when we’ve reached sustainable inventories. In addition to Red Okra, pepper varieties, and gradually ripening tomatoes, new harvests this week include cucumbers and green beans!
As you all know, we are not simply vegetable growers. We are striving to create a regenerative, sustainable, complete homestead stewarding plants and animals alike. While the focus of much of our correspondence has been in regard to our crop production, we don’t want to imply that we’re neglecting our livestock.
We continue to move our animals, chickens and sheep, to new pasture daily. Our flock of nearly two dozen sheep and lambs are happy and healthy as they maintain our biodiverse paddocks and grow naturally and grain-free.
Meat shares will soon be available and we will be reaching out to those of you who have expressed an interest in participating.
Have a great week, folks. Thank you again for your support and participation in our project. We could not do this without all of you.
Erin & David