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The heat has really brought on the flowers! It also hasn't hurt the tomatoes or squash so the fruits won't be so far behind. All the flowers, and well the fruit too since it is what a flower develops into, makes me hopeful for saving some of the seeds and having some available this fall, especially those that you want to sow before winter and let the cold wake them up, with most available next spring! (it may seem odd to already be thinking of next seasons plantings, but it's pretty usual for a farmer. The best time to plan for this time next year is this time this year as everything I wish I did different, and why I should, is fresh in my mind) It's gonna be a hot day for both markets, so it's a great time to pre-order online. That way I can keep your items in a separate chilled cooler so they stay fresher and it's a quick grab-and-go for you to get you back into the shade sipping lemonade or enjoying some air conditioning right away! And remember, masks or shields are required to come in and shop or pick up your order at the market. If you can't wear a mask, at The Farmers Market at Libby there is a special parking space near the Market Manager tent where you can park and a volunteer will pop down to me to get your order so you don't even need to get out of your car!  A little bit of beauty out of the chaos I'm never quite sure what bouquets will end up being like when I start preparing them, how I will combine the colors and shapes. I plant and harvest beautiful individual flowers trusting they will look good together but sometimes the combinations are more captivating than I imagined.   Some of the first tomatoes will be available at the Troy Farmers Market (sorry Libby, Troy can't always get the leftovers :) ) but there's more coming so I should have some available online soon! But until then, if you really want a box, you'll need to pop down to the Troy Market on Friday. Current ones are Napa Chardonnay (pale yellow), Napa Blush, and Atomic Grape (stripy ovals) with a lot more varieties just ripening.  The hens are beating the heat by staying in the shade, drinking plenty of the cool water I bring them, and staring me down to give them chilly leftover greens from the walk-in cooler.  With more goods to bring to market, I need more space. Look for the Dragon Wagon cruising the streets and highways carrying lots of those farm fresh goodies to the markets!  That's one cool cat sitting amongst the flowers at the break of dawn What's available this week?
Where to find it all?
I'll be at the Farmers Market at Libby, this Thursday from 3-7pm! I'll be at the Troy Farmers Market, this Friday from 330-630pm!
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Tis the season of blooms! I was originally scolding myself that this week and the next few will be lighter on veg, except greens, because I forgot a few seedings, but now that the flowers are basically exploding, it turns out I did good. The less veg to tend to right now means I can get all those blooms at just the right moment for harvest for the longest vase life (the stage of harvest varies from flower to flower) and all done before the heat gets too, well, hot since a flower (or veg) harvested in the heat won't last as long as if it was harvested in the cool of dawn and you can plunge a head of lettuce into s bucket of cool water, but not so much with a flower, unless 'drowned rat' is the floral aesthetic you like. That also means most of the field chores are done before the heat sets, except irrigating as that goes for awhile, so I can check on the chickens, ducks, and guineas often to make sure they have plenty of water and haven't spilled it all, fouled it, or just need a cool refill if they are struggling to not overheat. I really appreciate all my customers wearing their masks and other face coverings so we can all stay safe and healthy! And if you can't wear a mask/shield or just don't feel comfortable coming into the Libby market, you can order and pay online or email/message me for a preorder and use the special designated parking space right next to the Market Manager tent to let them know you're there to pick up your order and we will bring it out to you! Of course you can order for the Troy Market too!  The Old Girls don't scratch and peck the ground much anymore (as evidence I give you the jungle that is their run) but they like to eat the grass seed tops and hunt for a few crickets, but mostly they like to be let out during the day and sit on the cool, quiet porch.   The big roosters aren't as easy to keep cool in the heat as their giant bodies hold it in, but Elvis is demonstrating one of the two cool down techniques of holding your wings a bit away from your body to ventilate. The other option is panting, just not as drooly as a dog.  Warm days call for a light lunch of salad with a little spicy microgreens and spicy flowers to top it off! If you wanna enjoy some of the edible flowers and learn a little about them while having a yummy meal, check out the "Vegetables of the Season" class August 3rd at the Gracious Table. I'll be there with the edible flowers for a fun and socially distant class and a great meal! Check it out at GraciousTableMT.com   The only problem with having the tomatoes in the dome reaching for the sky is that there is a limit to that sky! And then they need to be 'lowered and leaned' on their trellis strings which means they like to 'lean' into the middle so moving through means a very intricate dance among and beneath the stems and fruit, who new years of yoga and rock/ice climbing balance work would be a necessary skill for farming?!   It turns out the new shed's shade is not only a great place for the farm tools to take a break, but also for the farmer! No guarantee the hammock will be able to stay in there though. What's available this week?
Where to find it all?
I'll be at the Farmers Market at Libby, this Thursday from 3-7pm! I'll be at the Troy Farmers Market, this Friday from 330-630pm! It's the time of year when the chores begin to pile up! And as the weather warms the plants begin to bloom in earnest! And all those blooms mean it takes quite a while longer to get all the daily harvesting done. The tomatoes are beginning to color and the radishes are getting hot! The summer heat is on!  One of the first tomatoes to ripen is the Napa Chardonnay *pinkies out*! This is actually the second, the first one went in my mouth!  The time finally came to shield the hardening seed flats from the marauding deer (and hens), so a few weeks ago I made an annex to the Dragon Dome.   The Ranunculus have begun! They look a little like roses and have a great vase life! Plus they come in many punchy shades!   The hens burst out of their runs every afternoon when I let them out. Then they stand there in surprise and maybe a little anxiety about their release and the world around them. Then they see food and all is well. What's available this week?
Where to find it all?
I'll be at the Farmers Market at Libby, this Thursday from 3-7pm! I'll be at the Troy Farmers Market, this Friday from 330-630pm! Birds, Birds, Everywhere. The ducks, the hens, the guineas, the roosters, the ravens, the hummingbirds, the sparrows, the eagles, the robins, the...well, lots of birds. If I spend too much time with the I turn into a bird brain! But we put up with them because they give us yummy eggs, they're pretty, and always keep things fun and interesting. 🍻 To the birds!  The quackers are up first with their excitement about their afternoon water refill. It's an all purpose bathing/drinking waterbowl, they are fowl multitaskers with their water. #everydayispoolday  Of course, there is the working women that make up the bulk of the flock. 25 hens of laying age that now live rooster free! #allthesingleladies  There's the Golden Girls. The last of my original flock that are over 20 years old now. No more laying eggs for them, just laying in the sun, waiting fo their food to be brought to them, and exploring the gravel pile for bugs! #livingongreenpastures   But enough about birds, because the yarrow is blooming and someone's gotta go harvest the beautiful blooms! If I can find them through the grass. #Iwishthisgrasswasntgreener  The roof is done, and my parents are released from their daily toiling until later this fall. And yes, I've already started putting things in their new home, even if it's a little drafty. #raisetheroof The first full-size Rainbow Swiss Chard is ready along with it's monochromatic friend the Dino Kale (aka Black Kale, Lacinato Kale, so little color, so many names) #arosebyanyothername  This maternal pair and their herd had a fun sleepover in the field, but I had to break it up when they tried to eat my tarps for killing the grass #imsuchapartypooper  What's available this week?
Lots of greens! Spinach, Chard, Kale, Lettuces of many kinds! With the cool, damp spring they are tender and sweet (except the Arugula of course). Some will be around all year, like the lettuces. And some will come and go, like the spinach, so get them while you can! The bees are buzzing around all the blooming flowers, some that I planted and some that just grow unless I don't let them. Even if the weeds can frustrate a farmer, I do admire their tenacity! The new shed is almost ready for a new roof! The chickens waddle through the tall grass, and Hella spends her days either following me around the farm and meowing at me to help her catch the numerous gophers or sleeping in a warm and cuddly spot.  The good stuff! Lots of spinach this week, as well as rainbow swiss chard, kale, and lettuces!  It was a wet harvest day in full rain gear, but the veggies like it (even if the flowers like it not so much, so their tunnels stayed closed all day to keep them cozy and dry as overhead water can damage delicate buds and blooms)  Speaking of blooms! The lupines are done, with the last few left for the bees! This weeks bouquets will be a variety of delphinium, calendula, silene, yarrow, bee's friend, and more!  The framing is done, just a few details to go before the roof gets up! I hope Oscar the Tractor and his merry band of mowers and tiller and tools like their new home!  It's tall grass season which means a quick mowing of paths for the hens is necessary so they can move easily through the pasture to visit their friendly neighbors.  What's available this week?
The heat and sun is here! The plants grow faster. I have to irrigate more. And everything finds what shade it can! There are lots of leafy green veggies this week (and extra spinach! yay!). And more flowers begin to show life to their buds and flower stalks! The familiar weekly routine of plant, irrigate, tend, harvest, repeat has begun!  The field is full! Time to harvest before the dawn comes!   It's that special time of summer! The wonderfully magical blue skies filled with cottonwood fluff! Growing up all the grumpy old white men complained for days and weeks about it, but I have always loved watching it float away on the summer breezes. It's the summer 'snow' that makes you feel like you get to live inside a magical snow globe and I'm glad I get to share the field and forest with many Cottonwoods (my fav deciduous tree! shhh don't tell the rest. I don't want them to get jealous!)  The calm winds, damp air, and dew drops at dawn are a better wake up than coffee. Yep, I said it!  The lupines keep shining while a few other flower friends make their seasonal debut!  The hens soak up the evening sun during their daily free time, and follow me around hoping for some special treats.  As the sun sets, the huntress creeps silently through the tall grass, with one last chance to catch her prey ... before her human carries her safely inside for nighttime. The gophers and ground squirrels will still be there come morning but many larger things that stalk silently through the grass come out at night. What's available this week?
Where to find it all?
I'll be at the Farmers Market at Libby, this Thursday from 3-7pm! I'll be at the Troy Farmers Market, this Friday from 330-630pm! Another cool, damp week in this mainly cool, damp spring means many veggies and flowers are just starting to be harvestable. With warmer weather on the way, this should only increase over the next few weeks. And as some of the root vegetables are ready to pull out, other roots need to be protected from the underground rodents that want to eat them all before they can bloom. Thus, I've developed sunken beds to protect all those roots from all those rodents! All that rain has made a very lush field of grass, perfect for the new fawns to hide in, the old hens to peck in, and for me to start thinking about cutting some down for some old-fashioned hay and straw. That same rain also makes the lettuce juicy and tender, there's lots of it available this week (along with other greens) and there are still some lemons!   Those dastardly rodents (gophers and ground squirrels) won't be able to eat my Ranunculus, Anemone, or Tulip tubers and bulbs anymore! I've built sunken beds that have a hardware mesh bottom that even their gnashing teeth can't chew through!  2 sunken beds with the Ranunculus and 1 of Anemone are happy as can be! And so will I when I can dig up and save their tubers each fall to replant the following spring! One more bed to build for the current tulips to relocate to and a few more that will wait for future tulips and all will be safe to rebloom each year!  The radishes are finally here! The first planting was lost to a sea of weeds but the second made it through!  The beginnings of a super sturdy storage shed. My parents have been hard at work getting the posts cemented in for the new shed that will replace the metal framed 'garage' that was destroyed this winter in the big wind storm. Gotta have a great place to store the lawn mowers and snow throwers and two wheel tractor!  A kitty on the chopping block. lol jk. This time of year it is more often her scratching post and lounge chair.  What's available this week?
Where to find it all?
I'll be at the Farmers Market at Libby, this Thursday from 3-7pm! I'll be at the Troy Farmers Market, this Friday from 330-630pm! A full spectrum of lettuce, some bright & hardy lupines that are blooming despite the cool & dark spring, and some special & sunny meyer lemons fill out the offerings this week! With harvest (finally) beginning in earnest, planting still a bit behind (but catching up), and special projects always looming on the to do list, the really busy season begins. It usually lasts through August before the harvests get thinner as the frosts get deeper, but until then it is dawn to dusk days filled with tending to the needs of the veggies, the flowers, the hens & ducks, Hella kitty, infrastructure maintenance, trimming & trellising tomatoes, opening tunnels, closing tunnels, irrigating, weeding, more irrigating, and more weeding. Repeat daily.  Lotsa lettuce! Red Leaf, Baby Romaine, Red and Green Butterhead.  Salad Mix is here! Just hanging around, floating in its cool water bath, waiting for the jacuzzi jets to start!  And some Power Greens (aka Stir Fry Mix). A nice diverse blend of different kales, boc choys, & mustard greens!   And the Meyer Lemons are back, brought up special from my ancestral backyard in Cali! They will only be available for purchase online and you can pick them up with your orders at either market!   If you were stuck inside for two whole days because there was 20 mph winds that are loud and scary, you would make this face too. At least there were hair clips and scrunchies to toss on the floor and toes to attack! What's available this week?
Where to find it all?
I'll be at the Farmers Market at Libby, this Thursday from 3-7pm! I'll be at the Troy Farmers Market, this Friday from 330-630pm! Not all tunnels are dug, since mine are built from the ground up! The current ones are the low caterpillar tunnels ('low' because I can't walk in them, 'caterpillar' because they are cinched down over ear hoop and it creates the look of segments, just like a caterpillar). They are very important for my ability to grow many things here as they protect the crops beneath them from my summer frosts. They are easy to vent by lifting the sides and the plastic gets all bunched up on the top which actually provides a little shade for the crops in the intense midday sun and they can be closed to also protect from hail or damaging winds! I've put up enough now that it goes fast and smooth, even though I usually like to transplant the row first, and then cover it so I have to be careful to not drag the plastic over tender plants or drop a hoop onto them. With the weather evening out, the perennial flowers will soon bloom, the summer ones are getting tall and the little veggies are getting closer and closer to harvest size!  All those little rows within the row are single passes with this, the Jang seeder. It has different discs for different seeds sizes, gears and sprockets to adjust the spacing, a plate that makes a furrow, drops the seed in, and another roller to tamp it down! It makes direct seeding go soooo much faster than by hand and makes tidy, evenly spaced rows that don't require thinning. It's a good thing they painted it yellow because it is worth it's weight in gold!  With so many hoses around, I almost missed this little snake with a tubby belly (hopefully one of the many gophers)   Each post needs a scrap of drip tape poked over the end and a loop of string, which are necessary to tie down the plastic to.  Next the bent metal conduit is slipped over the posts. The tunnel is starting to take shape!   To tie down each end, the plastic is scrunched up and folded over a rod or bar, a u-bolt is put over it as a place for the ratchet strap to hook onto. The other end of the ratchet strap is anchored to a t-post and then you ratchet it nice and snug so no gusty wind can take it away!   The hens continue to enjoy their evening ramblings, each night they find new places to explore and look for yummy bugs! What's available this week?
Everywhere you look there is a sea of green. The grass is green. The trees are green. The field is green. And the rows of veggies and flowers are green but not all the green is good. While all that grass is great in the field and I can't wait to whack at it with my scythe and make some old fashioned hand-cut hay (even a farmer can have weird hobbies :) ), it is not so great (or easy) to get rid of where I don't want it, namely my planting rows. Each year I use a few new tactics to try to manage it and this year it is my ultimate goal (always gotta have a goal right?). I'm tackling it with tarps (to block the light it needs to grow), tillage (to whack it back), weed fabric (to stop it from growing while the plants have their own little spaces and since the other methods don't work while growing in that space), solarization (covering with clear plastic to 'burn' it out), and sometime just yanking it in frustration! Hopefully this year will be it's downfall! mwahahaha!!!! but really, I need it to go just from my planting beds. It can have the field all to itself!  A sea of green under gray skies. All the rain makes the grass grow taller and taller which the chickens and ducks like.  Another sea of green but not the kind I was hoping for! All that grass likes to grow everywhere, even to engulf my rows of veggies and flowers. Sometimes the best thing is to whack it all down, a light till, and cover with weed fabric before take two with new transplants.  Before all those weeds and smothered crops get whacked down, I cut some baby greens that will be available this week.  The first butter lettuce heads are ready! They (mostly) won the battle against the grasses with the help of some weed fabric.  The next crops are growing fast and the grass is beaten back in their rows (for now)  The weed fabric doing it's job with some nice rows of young flower plants and head lettuce. I am a very 'live and let grow' kinda gardener and always had a ramble of veggies and flowers in my home gardens, but farming requires a bit more strictness, efficiency, and tough love when it comes to what you let grow where.  The grazers are on the grass  Hella helps find lots of things in the long grass, including tiny (and some not so tiny) gophers. You get' em girl before they gobble everything up! There has been a lot out here already this year. What's available this week?
Where to find it all?
I'll be at the Farmers Market at Libby, this Thursday from 3-7pm! I'll be at the Troy Farmers Market, this Friday from 330-630pm! |
AuthorI'm Farmer Megan with a life full of cackles, clucks, quacks, weeds, crazy kitten, and one tiny, senior, blind dog. Archives
April 2020
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