The garlic is coming in nicely, with the necks of some varieties thicker than my two thumbs. This year we are hoping to rebuild our seed garlic supply and eventually start selling seed garlic as well! But something to look forward to sooner than that? SCAPES! Expect to see them at market in a couple weeks!
I would say that the weather is being generally more cooperative. The temperatures are a little cold at night but delightful during the day. And last week, believe it or not, and this may be the only time I ever say this, we got just about the perfect amount of rain at the perfect time! It is easier to say this because we managed to get most of the important field work done before it hit too hard. The cover crop that we worked so hard to get in before the rain last week has germinated and sprouted. I am so looking forward to the waving fields of buckwheat. Cover crops always look so nice when we get a good stand, which we are hoping to get.
Yesterday we planted our final pepper and eggplant out. Jim lovingly tended the from March until now, and they looked great! I think they will settle in just fine. In the meantime, the peppers we planted out at the beginning of the month are looking like they have adjusted to life in the real world, with dark green leaves and roots extending out into the surrounding soil. We have a couple direct seedings to accomplish this week, as well as the getting the brussel sprouts out into the world. It seems so early but this is the time we plant those long season buds for fall harvest. I am looking forward to them.
And with any luck the sweet potatoes will arrive today, just as we are finishing their beds. This year we are growing three different types and we have more than tripled the size of our planting. We buy them as slips- little stems with a leaf or two- and we get them from a certified organic family farm in North Carolina. The slips are crammed into boxes and shipped here in a truck. When they get here (hopefully in an hour or two) we will get them out of the box and into the ground as quickly as possible. We will run the irrigation daily, despite the fact that it is already wet, so that the rootless stems of the sweet potato slips will have no trouble getting going. I have high hopes that we will be enjoying their sweet flavor in stews well into the winter.
That really is a funny thing about farming. The grower really does have to be continuously living in multiple times and realities. We are planting now for what we will eat in the winter, and in the winter we planned for what we would eat now. We have to remember how much we like sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts now so that we can enjoy them later. And we must straddle optimism and pessimism. We have to hope that all factors will coalesce in our favor- weather, market attendance, health- but be prepared for at least some of the swinging variables to land poorly - the field to flood, all manner of vermin, rainy market days. It leaves us floating around in a soup of reality and daydreams but it really is the only way to be prepared.
Yesterday we planted our final pepper and eggplant out. Jim lovingly tended the from March until now, and they looked great! I think they will settle in just fine. In the meantime, the peppers we planted out at the beginning of the month are looking like they have adjusted to life in the real world, with dark green leaves and roots extending out into the surrounding soil. We have a couple direct seedings to accomplish this week, as well as the getting the brussel sprouts out into the world. It seems so early but this is the time we plant those long season buds for fall harvest. I am looking forward to them.
And with any luck the sweet potatoes will arrive today, just as we are finishing their beds. This year we are growing three different types and we have more than tripled the size of our planting. We buy them as slips- little stems with a leaf or two- and we get them from a certified organic family farm in North Carolina. The slips are crammed into boxes and shipped here in a truck. When they get here (hopefully in an hour or two) we will get them out of the box and into the ground as quickly as possible. We will run the irrigation daily, despite the fact that it is already wet, so that the rootless stems of the sweet potato slips will have no trouble getting going. I have high hopes that we will be enjoying their sweet flavor in stews well into the winter.
That really is a funny thing about farming. The grower really does have to be continuously living in multiple times and realities. We are planting now for what we will eat in the winter, and in the winter we planned for what we would eat now. We have to remember how much we like sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts now so that we can enjoy them later. And we must straddle optimism and pessimism. We have to hope that all factors will coalesce in our favor- weather, market attendance, health- but be prepared for at least some of the swinging variables to land poorly - the field to flood, all manner of vermin, rainy market days. It leaves us floating around in a soup of reality and daydreams but it really is the only way to be prepared.
Tony's all set up in Ann Arbor RIGHT NOW! Go to market, visit with a farmer and get some delicious food! New crops are coming in: look for parsley and kale starting at the beginning of the week and peas and squash towards the end!
Produce List:
Arugula
Mizuna (limited)
Tatsoi
Tokyo Bekanna (limited)
Mustard: Ruby Streaks (limited)
Head Lettuce (delicious and giant)
Radish
Salad Mix (first cut from the new planting!)
Kale
Microgreens: Spicy
Microgreens: Mild
Of course look for us first at all of our markets (see listed below) but if you miss us at market, be sure to look for our gigantic head lettuce at Argus Farmstop in Ann Arbor
See you at market!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers
Markets, always rain or shine!Wednesday: Ann Arbor
The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am to 3 pm.
Thursday: Jackson
The Jackson Green Market at Allegiance Health is located at East Michigan Avenue and Waterloo Street. It runs from May through October 9 am to 2 pm
Friday: Stockbridge
The Stockbridge Open Air Market is located on the square in downtown Stockbridge. It runs from May thru October from 4 pm to 7 pm
Saturday: Ann Arbor and Chelsea
The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am to 3 pm.
The Chelsea Farmers' Market is located in the lower library lot along Park St. It runs May thru October from 8 am to 1 pm.
Sunday: Howell
The Howell Farmers' market can be found in the heart of Howell at State st and Clinton st, adjacent to the historic Livingston County Courthouse. It runs May thru October, 9 am to 2 pm.
Arugula
Mizuna (limited)
Tatsoi
Tokyo Bekanna (limited)
Mustard: Ruby Streaks (limited)
Head Lettuce (delicious and giant)
Radish
Salad Mix (first cut from the new planting!)
Kale
Microgreens: Spicy
Microgreens: Mild
Of course look for us first at all of our markets (see listed below) but if you miss us at market, be sure to look for our gigantic head lettuce at Argus Farmstop in Ann Arbor
See you at market!
Helen writing for the Lake Dividers
Markets, always rain or shine!Wednesday: Ann Arbor
The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am to 3 pm.
Thursday: Jackson
The Jackson Green Market at Allegiance Health is located at East Michigan Avenue and Waterloo Street. It runs from May through October 9 am to 2 pm
Friday: Stockbridge
The Stockbridge Open Air Market is located on the square in downtown Stockbridge. It runs from May thru October from 4 pm to 7 pm
Saturday: Ann Arbor and Chelsea
The Ann Arbor Market is located in the Kerrytown District at 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor, MI. The market runs from May thru December, 7 am to 3 pm and January thru April from 8 am to 3 pm.
The Chelsea Farmers' Market is located in the lower library lot along Park St. It runs May thru October from 8 am to 1 pm.
Sunday: Howell
The Howell Farmers' market can be found in the heart of Howell at State st and Clinton st, adjacent to the historic Livingston County Courthouse. It runs May thru October, 9 am to 2 pm.
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