Newsletter Week of July 4th 2011

FROM THE FARM….


As you can imagine, we watch the weather very carefully.

It is a source of comfort to have some idea of what is coming next, so we can prepare, and do the things we need to do according to the weather.

HOT!

I often wonder how farmers long ago could plan their weeks, with only their own instincts to follow.

While the forecast helps us plan, it can also inform us in other ways.

There have been reports of the dreaded Late Blight both on Long Island, in CT, and in Dutchess County NY.

Some of you may remember the 2009 season, when we lost our field tomatoes to this disease. Right now our tomatoes are looking great, growing like weeds, and starting to produce fruits. As they grow we stake and trellis the plants, which is extremely labor intensive.
To lose a crop of tomatoes after all the work in growing them is a very painful and expensive experience. All of that work and investment which began in March in the greenhouse goes right down the drain.
Organic farmers are allowed to use copper on their fields to act as a fungicide to kill Late Blight. The copper is mixed with water, then sprayed on the plants.

We have not yet sprayed this year, and the forecast is our main guide. Without cool and wet conditions to spread, generally Late Blight is not an issue.

Nothing is more lethal to Late Blight then hot and sunny weather, which is what we are supposed to have this week, minus a passing shower or two.

We are not big sprayers anyway, and really would rather not coat our plants with blue copper sprays—but if the forecast should change, and the conditions become favorable for Late Blight, we will apply it in order to protect out crop.

This past week we baled up another 90 round bales (about 70,000 lbs. of hay!) which puts us at our goal for the cattle’s winter feed.

Unfortunately there is not time to celebrate, as the vegetables are coming on now full strength. Winter squashes, melons and cucumbers are beginning to flower and vine out.

Our fall carrots are germinated, and we’ll seed carrots one more time this year for fresh bunching.

Our storage cabbage and cauliflower are going in the ground this week, and our brussel sprouts and fall kales are starting to root in the field.

We seeded our fall broccoli and cauliflower this past week, and after some Napa cabbage, lettuce, and one more broccoli seeding we’ll be done with greenhouse seeding.

Even though we are only in the beginning of July, the window of opportunity to grow things is closing…
We will now focus our energies on weeding, irrigating and picking!
Enjoy, Chris