Sorry this Newsletter is late. Life has been too busy trying to get everything planted before the days get shorter.
The Field Crops
We are so happy to see the end of many of the summer crops. The melons are all picked; the squash are finished, and the cucumbers are done. All of these fields are mowed, the black plastic has been removed and the fields are plowed and the cover crops have been planted. We are rushing to get everything out that can be gotten out so that we can plant the pea and oat mix that is very beneficial for the soil. It must be seeded in the ground before the 15th of October. SO… we are really pushing hard to clean things up. All the tomatoes are out except the last planting. We are still picking green beans.
All the winter squash, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and storage cabbage will remain until November. Then if the weather is good we will plant winter rye in those area.
All the peaches, plums, pears are picked. We are still picking a lot of raspberries plus hardy kiwis.
We are harvesting pumpkins and winter squash.
All the winter squash, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and storage cabbage will remain until November. Then if the weather is good we will plant winter rye in those area.
All the peaches, plums, pears are picked. We are still picking a lot of raspberries plus hardy kiwis.
We are harvesting pumpkins and winter squash.
The Tunnels
The spinach and lettuce in the new tunnel are doing very well. We will soon be picking it for markets. The salad we are selling right now is still from the field. The spinalch had a tough start because, if you will remember, we had some 90 degree days in early September and spinach is not a hot weather crop. It is looking better now and we should have spinach by November.
The cherry tomatoes are still being picked.We are slowly pulling the plants out. One row comes out each week so that we can prepare the beds for winter lettuce and spinach for February.
The leeks are being harvested as we speak – big or small- they are coming out to make room for more chard and winter lettuces. The kale and chard in the tunnels look great! We have been harvesting the red beets from the tunnel and also the arugula.
The cherry tomatoes are still being picked.We are slowly pulling the plants out. One row comes out each week so that we can prepare the beds for winter lettuce and spinach for February.
The leeks are being harvested as we speak – big or small- they are coming out to make room for more chard and winter lettuces. The kale and chard in the tunnels look great! We have been harvesting the red beets from the tunnel and also the arugula.
Greenhouse Seeding
We are seeding the last batch of lettuce for the winter. It will be planted in December in the tunnel for March harvest. We seeded bok choi that will be planted in the tunnel in December. Hopefully it will be ready for a March harvest. Now the greenhouse is empty, so we will winterize it and be back in it again in February.
CSA
The CSA is into the eighteenth week. We are now into apples, cider, and the fall crops and winter squash
Canning, Gardening, Grilling and Preserving
I am still canning a few things yet for this winter. Last week I canned some apple juice. I will hopefully can a few more quarts for the winter. I can it with no sugar by using a sweet apple like Gala or Ambrosia. I made ketchup two weeks ago. The homemade ketchup does not taste at all like Heinz. I am used to it because I grew up with it and never had store-bought ketchup until later or if we went to a restaurant. Since my husband do not grow up using homemade ketchup, he prefers Heinz, but I still make it to use on meatloaf as a glaze or in recipes that call for “1/2 cup of ketchup”.
Last weekend I made some delicious tomato soup with some dinged tomatoes that were not sell-able. It was delicious especially with homemade crusty bread and butter. It is time to start thinking about soups, stews and hot bread! I made apple dumplings the other day. They are so good! The prefect dessert for this time of year. Being of Pennsylvania Dutch stock, we eat them for breakfast, lunch and dessert!
I always plant all the herbs that do not sell in the spring and now my flower beds are full of purple basil, lemon basil, and Thai basil that have gone to flower. The bees are going crazy with it. So are the yellow jackets also:(
I finished pruning all the berries that need to be cared for now. The grapes have all been picked. We sold a lot of them and I canned 12 half gallon of grape juice to finish out my supply for the winter. There is nothing like WARM grape juice as I sit by the wood stove reading in the evening.
The hardy kiwis are coming ripe now. They are very good fresh. I hope that you get a chance to try them this fall. They are something of a rarity because on certain years when there is a late frost we do not get them at all. Enjoy!
Last weekend I made some delicious tomato soup with some dinged tomatoes that were not sell-able. It was delicious especially with homemade crusty bread and butter. It is time to start thinking about soups, stews and hot bread! I made apple dumplings the other day. They are so good! The prefect dessert for this time of year. Being of Pennsylvania Dutch stock, we eat them for breakfast, lunch and dessert!
I always plant all the herbs that do not sell in the spring and now my flower beds are full of purple basil, lemon basil, and Thai basil that have gone to flower. The bees are going crazy with it. So are the yellow jackets also:(
I finished pruning all the berries that need to be cared for now. The grapes have all been picked. We sold a lot of them and I canned 12 half gallon of grape juice to finish out my supply for the winter. There is nothing like WARM grape juice as I sit by the wood stove reading in the evening.
The hardy kiwis are coming ripe now. They are very good fresh. I hope that you get a chance to try them this fall. They are something of a rarity because on certain years when there is a late frost we do not get them at all. Enjoy!
Farm Stands and Markets
The St Luke’s Farm Stand is open every Saturday from 8 – 1 pm. Come out and support the local farm on Saturdays!
The Belle View Condos Farm Stand is open on Thursdays from 2 – 7 pm.
East Columbia Library Farm Market is open on Thursdays from 12 noon – 6 pm.
Fairfax Community Market is open on Saturdays from 8 – 1 pm .
Have a Great Day!
