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Even as the flowers keep cranking out blooms more signs of the changing of the season begin. The coops gradually fill with feathers as the hens begin their yearly molt and egg production slows as replacing a full body of feathers and laying an egg a day is just too much to ask. The tiny sparrows fill the field to dine on grass seeds and grasshoppers as they migrate south. And the rains return. Another sign of the nearing end to a busy season is impending burnout. Even before harvesting and selling at the markets begin, there are months of planning, seeding, planting, and bed prep that gets done and once the market season begins it is near impossible to begin or finish any larger project. And with a high tunnel to finish, mowing and straw storage to get done before winter, an entire field worth of irrigation to get fitted, and flats upon flats of perennials to get planted asap on top of the usual fall clean up, there is just not enough time in a normal work week to get it all done and after working 7 days a week for over 8 months, I have to find time somewhere. Sadly that somewhere is the Troy Farmers Market. I'll still take orders for pickup in Troy but I won't be setting up a full booth. This means that I won't need to get there early to set up, can leave after the orders are gone, and don't need to load up the entire truck and trailer. It also means a whole day for projects, chores, and maybe a nap with some cuddly kittens.  Lettuce is in! It's been a few weeks since I've had any salad mix (mainly bc of the previous heat waves messing up my carefully planned plantings) but now a happy patch gets planted and watered in right before the soaking rains!  This has been the year of the Butterflies with at least 10 new varieties seen here on the farm! and they still keep crowding around the late season bloomers and the blooms I leave for seed production. Speaking of blooms, the parade of flowers continues!  The garlic is here and this year it's all softnecks that can get braided for easy storage. Softnecks have a bit longer shelf life than other garlics when stored cool and dry, so just hook that braid over a peg or nail in the pantry and have locally grown! garlic all winter long  Some of those blooms don't make it into the buckets but get hung up to dry for use in everlasting bouquets, wreaths, crowns, and more! I know it's been a good flower season when the rafters are heavy with blooms!  The very welcome rains left the hens and guineas a little bedraggled but glad for all the worms and bugs it brings up  The young Grouse have joined the Guineas in their daily patrols of the fence lines, this is just one of three that walk around in a loose flock and generally startle me while getting work done  Hella helps watch my back for those scary Grouse and all the Fawns as I collect eggs each day Oliver works on his poses While Nuit and Hecate do their best to never sit still and siblings will be siblings no matter if they have four legs or two as they can never let another enjoy a quiet moment either in front of the camera or in the bathroom!  the rains bring a quiet end to the busy mid-week before the market! What's available this week?
Where to find it all?
I'll be at the Farmers Market at Libby, this Thursday from 3-630pm! Limited Selection at the Amish Farm to Market Store in Libby
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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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