A farmer friend once said to me that every farmer must be at least a little "mad". Believe me, some days i walk around asking myself why i choose to do something that causes me so much worry, that often has me needing to start things over, that is dependent on the weather, that doesn't allow me to rest when i feel like i just can't go on, that consistently challenges my organizational and perfectionist tendencies making me feel like everything is complete chaos. I suppose it's my dysfunctional relationship, me and my job and i am absolutely in love with it...i guess i am mad.
I do realize that everyone has there related job woes...it helps to seek out those who understand the hardships and the joys of the career i find myself in:
"A farm is a manipulative creature. There is no such thing as finished. Work comes in a stream and has no end. There are only the things that can be done now and the things that can be done later. The threat the farm has got on you, the one that keeps you running from can until can't is this: Do it now, or some living thing will wilt, suffer or die. It's blackmail, really." Kristin Kimball, The Dirty Life: on Farming, Food and Love
"It can never be completed in one day,the list never shrinks. no matter how many hours of labor you dedicate to trellising, weeding, planting,pulling...the list slowly continues to grow. You have to make peace with the fact that you are always behind even when Mother Nature is cooperating. By Darby Smith, Sun Dog Farm, "Lucky" Young Farmers http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/lucky-young-farmers-zbcz1506.aspx
Last week, i hit a point that i don't reach very often and i shut down...got quiet and knew that it was really getting to me. I did have alot of other stuff going and that didn't help, nor was Mother Nature but that's nothing unusual. We receive so many words of encouragement...thank you! I even had another very busy member offer to come out and weed. Thank you. I just stayed quiet and chipped away at what was possible with the conditions of things. This week, things started drying up and we continued to chip away trying not to let those things that were not so great get us down. Not everything can be saved and some get erased and we start over. Mind you, there is a whole lot going great but it's just that every year our expectations rise.
Yesterday, was full of opportunities, everywhere. We were tired, our daughter had graduated highschool the night before and it hadn't been an early night. After CSA, all other things would need to wait,the house, the kids, everything! We knew rain was coming and those possibilities would be washed away. At one point, my son said to me that he had just eaten a very yummy desert at his friends house and that he told the mother that he wished his mother(me) would make him a desert. Really? Wrong day for that!
We set a goal and planted all but 1 bed. Not too bad! New beds are a very hopeful situation and they make me happy. My overflowing seeding area is clear and open. We also prepared the leek beds (which should be planted by now) because they are good to plant in the rain. I am feeling good about it all and hoping we don't get too much rain. Today, I will cook and i may just make a desert for my son!
In your basket this week:
Kale
Chez Nous Salad Mix
Hakurei Turnips
Garlic Scapes
1 cucumber
Escarole link to some great escarole recipes:https://www.pinterest.com/Cheznousfarms/csa-recipes-escarole/
Greens upgrade: extra cucumbers,
dill and Celtuce.
These are Hakurei Turnips...delicious raw/cooked. Leaves are just as wonderful as the root. My favorite way to prepare is to slice root into four or so and leave the greens attached. Pan steam in a bit of shallow water with lid, remove lid let all water evaporate and add butter and salt.
A new crop we are trying this year is Celtuce. It's a very unusual looking specimen. We grew a few plants and enjoyed so more is on the way. There was enough to give to those who have the extra greens. I prepared it by peeling the stalk and pan frying with nothing but my favorite butter and salt. The greens can also be cooked. It has a unique smell and nice crunchy texture.
We are expecting alot of great tomatoes and peppers this year!
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| Cherry tomatoes. and paprika peppers |
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| Moveable greenhouse all tomatoes |
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| Field tomatoes are the nicest ever! |
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| Aji Cristal peppers always early. |
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| Chocolate Pear growing in the greenhouse |
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| Various summer squash....notice how the plant with the flower is being devastated. A new variety and boy do the bugs like it. |
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| 3 50 foot rows of peppers and 2 of eggplant. Doing very well but need to be weeded. Yesterday was perfect but we decided to plant instead. All this rain, will make it so much harder but these will not get erased! |
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| This on the other hand...a beautiful bed of lettuce and peas...will be picked for what it can and replanted. |
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| Parsley was saved as it takes long to grow. |
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| These beds were nearly ready for planting before the rain and needed to be touched up. Rick flaming the weeds so we could plant. We planted beets, more beans, fennel, celtuce, lettuce, parching corn |
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| Awaiting our lovely daughters graduation. |
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| My baby. |
