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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?
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AuthorI'm Farmer Megan with a life full of cackles, clucks, quacks, weeds, crazy kitten, and one tiny, senior, blind dog. Archives
October 2022
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