Posted 6/17/2012 11:17pm by jen.
My plan to blog here weekly hit a little snafu called, May. May is a thriving, jiving, busy, busy time for farmers and their crew. My off-farm work gets filled up with spring events, the garden begins to burst in colors of green on green and the need to get all of the warm crops planted is immediate. Beans are planted on their incredible trellis, peas tangle up the vines in their incredible spiraling lushness and the tomatoes have been planted in their houses of green. Peppers, cukes, and even melons bring us to June.
It’s inspiring to see how much gets done when people can put most of their focus to it – this is not me personally, mind you, but the Mandersons, Jason and Iris have a roving crew of dedicated garden helpers, of which I am thankfully and whole heartedly a part. I am thrilled to get to do some weeding, wheelbarrowing, watering, and more weeding while the masterminds rotate each plant family, time the seeds just so, and stay two steps ahead of the calendar. I walk the garden each evening in utter amazement- how can it be strikingly more beautiful than last year, and that more brilliant than the one in its wake? I know it’s the bias of the present moment but it doesn’t feel like a stretch to call it a miracle. A miracle that feeds us salad every night of the week. Last week granted us spinach and cabbage to form the basis of several seasonal specialties This week the mesclun mix reaches harvestable height and arugula that seeded itself throughout the greens turns beans into verdant hummus, spicy and rich.
June has been wet but long hours of light keep the plants healthy. I wouldn’t want to try and grow the nightshades (tomatoes, peppers) without season extending hoop houses. They need protection from Junuary’s wind and rain, and may very well need it again on chilly days in September and October. Although, we do have several hearty cherry tomatoes planted in the field that are flowering and bushing out. I am not bragging (maybe a tiny) but can you believe we are still eating last year’s tomatoes?! We froze enough sauce to last our pasta, pizza-loving souls for a seeming eternity! Or at least until late-August when we begin again.
An entire day awaits me tomorrow without leaving the farm plans. Amazing how rare that can seem - I want to get my hands dirty and feel it in my arms (just a little bit!) tomorrow night. Now that Iris is nearly three, mama gets to get her garden on and I am loving it. The song of birds, the wind in the trees, the plants joyous all around, hey, I already called it a miracle, how much more profound can it get?!
Thank you to everyone sending in deposits! We don’t even realize we are holding our breath until the confirmations begin to roll in – well, Jason realizes it more acutely – he gets kind of lightheaded! The groundedness and gratitude in receiving allows us to trust and BREATHE as we get to keep on doing what we love – growing the best food we can for YOU! AND US!
The fruit stand opens SOON! It must be summer…
My plan to blog here weekly hit a little snafu called, May. May is a thriving, jiving, busy, busy time for farmers and their crew. My off-farm work gets filled up with spring events, the garden begins to burst in colors of green on green and the need to get all of the warm crops planted is immediate. Beans are planted on their incredible trellis, peas tangle up the vines in their incredible spiraling lushness and the tomatoes have been planted in their houses of green. Peppers, cukes, and even melons bring us to June.
It’s inspiring to see how much gets done when people can put most of their focus to it – this is not me personally, mind you, but the Mandersons, Jason and Iris have a roving crew of dedicated garden helpers, of which I am thankfully and whole heartedly a part. I am thrilled to get to do some weeding, wheelbarrowing, watering, and more weeding while the masterminds rotate each plant family, time the seeds just so, and stay two steps ahead of the calendar. I walk the garden each evening in utter amazement- how can it be strikingly more beautiful than last year, and that more brilliant than the one in its wake? I know it’s the bias of the present moment but it doesn’t feel like a stretch to call it a miracle. A miracle that feeds us salad every night of the week. Last week granted us spinach and cabbage to form the basis of several seasonal specialties This week the mesclun mix reaches harvestable height and arugula that seeded itself throughout the greens turns beans into verdant hummus, spicy and rich.
June has been wet but long hours of light keep the plants healthy. I wouldn’t want to try and grow the nightshades (tomatoes, peppers) without season extending hoop houses. They need protection from Junuary’s wind and rain, and may very well need it again on chilly days in September and October. Although, we do have several hearty cherry tomatoes planted in the field that are flowering and bushing out. I am not bragging (maybe a tiny) but can you believe we are still eating last year’s tomatoes?! We froze enough sauce to last our pasta, pizza-loving souls for a seeming eternity! Or at least until late-August when we begin again.
An entire day awaits me tomorrow without leaving the farm plans. Amazing how rare that can seem - I want to get my hands dirty and feel it in my arms (just a little bit!) tomorrow night. Now that Iris is nearly three, mama gets to get her garden on and I am loving it. The song of birds, the wind in the trees, the plants joyous all around, hey, I already called it a miracle, how much more profound can it get?!
Thank you to everyone sending in deposits! We don’t even realize we are holding our breath until the confirmations begin to roll in – well, Jason realizes it more acutely – he gets kind of lightheaded! The groundedness and gratitude in receiving allows us to trust and BREATHE as we get to keep on doing what we love – growing the best food we can for YOU! AND US!
The fruit stand opens SOON! It must be summer…
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