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As some of the summer's first flowers begin to bloom, the last main push to plant the remaining flowers continues so they will have time to bloom before the heavy frosts return in September. Sometimes farming feels like existing in all time frames at once - I need to plant now to harvest in the future weeks and months and also compile the past patterns to try to predict what today, tomorrow, and the far away tomorrows will be like in temperature, precipitation, wind, and more. All my past effort is finally paying off with the first harvest of big Kale (both curly & black), Basil Sampler, lots of Radishes, heaps of Salad Mix, and some special wild greens that are a gift from the Wilds. And Hella was very helpful in the field this week even if I would prefer her to pay more attention to the gopher holes than to the planting holes.  Warm days and bright sun means the low tunnels get opened at the crack of dawn!  It also means the weeds do their best to get the better of me, luckily I had some help this week on that front I'm super excited this year to really focus on enjoying a lot of the wild, native edible plants and fruits that cover the land! Right now you can enjoy a lot of greens, including Lamb's Quarters (which will be available at the markets this week!) and Miner's Lettuce (most of which is still growing), but also to the coming berries, like Chokecherries, Hawthorn, and Serviceberry (all just behind the barn) as well as the Huckleberries, Thimbleberries, and Currants, but I gotta go hunt those ones down!  More rows got planted with fresh lettuces, ornamental grass, and a late batch of Snapdragons. I had my usual helper on hand until she got too enthusiastic with helping me dig the holes!  Those aren't giant matchsticks but the Pergola posts with charred ends to help them resist rot, with lumber prices still high we went back to ancient techniques  Foxglove in bud! You have to be patient for these. 1. Plant them from seed in flats or pots now. 2. Grow them into healthy seedlings. 3. Transplant outside about 1 month before heavy frost so they can establish. 4. Let them overwinter. 5. Hope they come back up in the spring. 6. Watch as they grow bigger and bigger and finally bud. 7. Enjoy the tall spires of blooms 1 year after planting  The water dragon (aka hose) is in full tilt use as it supplies water to the Dome, the main Field Plot, and the new Orchard Plot. I leave it where it first lays out in the spring and mow around it so the grass gives it a UV protective cover. Alternate sides of the lawn get mowed separately so the dandelions and clover can recover and the bees stay fat and happy!!! The Robins are working on their clutch of eggs as are the Barn Swallows. The Violet Green Swallows first clutch is already fledged and they swoop and dive around like a small pack of hoodlums as they work up strong flight muscles and learn the air currents. The fawns fill the field as the does run back and forth to feed them, feed themselves, and make sure nothing nefarious comes too close.  More flowers open to the sky as I walk each and every row, each and every morning picking those that are ready at the optimal time and the coolest part of the day before they get placed into buckets filled with cool water and placed in the cool room!  And as the sun gets too hot, the irrigation goes into overdrive and those who can retreat to the shade! 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
December 2021
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