I encountered a very busy time of year recently.  Every day has its own unique challenges and tasks.  We are doing three markets per week and we do our CSA pickup twice per week.  That takes up a lot of time.  Between harvesting and the produce exchange, that is most of the time.

However, we still have to do successive plantings because the CSA goes for another 12 weeks.  We have done 12 weeks, and only 12 more!!!  I am excited only because I look forward to fulfilling my committment to the CSA members.  So, fitting in the successions is difficult becuase (a) we have run out of space in the farm and are now double cropping and (b) the time for planning and planting is limited.

I don’t like double cropping a space, but on small acreage and doing what I want to do, it is an inevitability.  This makes me know that I need more space for next year, so don’t just tax our small space.

The aphids have become a presence on the cucurbits, especially the squash.  I am trying to keep on top of them using GC Mite, which is a garlic-clove- cottonseed oil spray.  It is pretty effective.

The seeds have been planted.  The “Antonio” bean is in the ground, courtesy of Bluebird Farm, courtesy of Riverhill Farm, courtesy of Antonio. I am plunging into the world of dried grains and beans.  I don’t know how this fits in with Wildgrace Farm and the CSA and the Farmers’ Markets and everything like that, but, we’ll see.  I am devoting a little space to beans like “Antonio”, ‘hutterite soup bean”, “Jacob’s cattle bean”,… Read the rest of this article »