While we are happy to not have drought conditions like the western US, all the live beings on the farm have been happy to see a bit more sun this past week. It is July and we are in a season of growing and ripening.
And growing is happening. The ridged hoophouse is a jungle with summer squash, tomatoes, cukes, and tomatillos taking over nearly all possible growing spaces and climbing high! Some are ripening beautifully and are in the farmstand for you to enjoy!
The tomatoes and tomatillos are enjoying the sun and doing great. The plants don’t seem as concerned as the farmers with the new reports of late blight already in some potato fields in Vermont. We will keep treating them well and hope we don’t see that blight anytime soon!
Everytime we look at some of the orchard plants the apples are bigger, the elder flowers more spectacular and the currants closer to ripening.
Fortunately, since all things grow in these conditions, it is great that our team is on top of the weeding in the annual crop fields and the beneficial flowers and lovely herbs in the understory of the orchard are doing their job for the young fruit trees.
And not to mention our 2 and 4 legged friends. The piglets and Dixie chicks are scarfing up grain, milk (thanks to Fat Toad Farm!) and all the treasures they find on pasture from comfrey to bugs and roots and growing well. Our newest arrivals, the turkey poults and youngest chicks are also growing fast — ready to explore beyond the bounds of their brooding spaces.
Now, we think of our sows as having grown big, but on 4th of July, we got to see our colleague Analiese with her steers in the Roxbury Parade. They looked great!
Whew…it must be time to eat. Looking forward to some of the fresh treats!