Week 13

This is my favorite season!
As we approach the end of August, it would appear that the hottest days of the summer are behind us. The days are shortening, nights are cooler, and the vegetables and the farmers are breathing a small sigh of relief.

After two days of steady rain, it looks as though the major irrigating is done, we’ll just water new planting and crops under mulches.

The stress of planting, weeding and irrigating subsides, and for the first time in 6 months it feels like we can take our nose off the grindstone for a moment and think about the next stage in the season.

Cabbage and children enjoying the irrigation

 

Our fall crops are looking good—there are thousands of cauliflower, storage cabbage, winter squashes, sweet potatoes, onions, leeks and potatoes to name a few that we will be picking for you over the second half of the season.

As we enter September, the only seeds left to plant are spinach, lettuces, arugula, tatsoi, and various Asian greens. With shorter days and cooler nights, the weeds do not grow as fast, and neither do the vegetables.

So, inevitably we begin to shift gears here on the farm.

From here on out, all we really do harvest and clean-up the fields for winter.

Before this past rain we seeded about 15 acres of cover crops in preparation for next season.

Oats, wheat, and rye will be emerging after this rain and grow right into December.

Our cows have been bred by our bull, and we will kick him out of the herd and into our neighbor’s herd where he will continue his role as the neighborhood stud.

In preparation of the incoming fall vegetables we have cleared barn space for storage and packing, and we have cleared greenhouse space to cure our winter squash and sweet potatoes.

Both of these crops need a week or so of sitting dry in order to maximize sugar content and shelf life. In addition to our own storage capacity, depending on our yields, we may be renting cooler space from neighboring farms in order to hold what looks to be a bumper crop of squash and potatoes—we’re not counting our chickens yet though!

The newest family on the farm

Speaking of chickens, our lone rooster and hen begun a family together, and we have 6 little chicks running around the barnyard along with our two ponies, one filly, and our thoroughbred.

Hopefully with one more push of cutting hay, we’ll have enough feed in the barn to last through the winter. Despite all of these autumn feelings, there is still quite a bit of work to do! Enjoy the share, Chris

Enjoy the share, Katie & Chris

Canning & Freezing Time!

This is the year for canning, freezing and drying tomatoes!!!

The tomatoes are being harvested daily and they look and taste great...and who can have tomatoes without basil?

Paste Tomatoes (San Marzano): 25 lbs for $20.00

Basil: 12 bunches for $18.00

Send us an e-mail order and let us know when you would like to pick them up. We will have them ready for you (and we can even bill you online payable through paypal if that is more convenient.)

Thanks...and Happy Canning!


E-mail: kasorganic@hotmail.com

Staying Cool--Farm Style

The city has fire hydrants to keep cool in the summer--we have irrigation! The kids were enjoying themselves last night in the cauliflower field next to my house.

Coming Attractions

On our walk this morning with the dogs, we checked out the veggies--Here's a sneak peek of what's coming soon!

Up, Up and Away!

We had some unannounced visitors "drop by" Saturday morning. Actually, they didn't quite land, but they sure came close! It's not unusual to see a few hot air balloons early in the morning--there is a place nearby that runs a business. One of these days, we'll go for a ride ourselves. In the meantime, they are beautiful to watch from the ground!

Old Turtle

There have been quite a few of these large turtles saved around here recently.  They seem to be seen often on roadsides...teetering on the brink of a fatal crossing.  They end up in the back of the truck...and end up near the stream or pond.

This one Chris spotted as he was headed into the field the other morning and so the kids and I went to have a look.  I have told our children many times about the plight of the giant sea turtles.  Chris and I were able to witness them lumbering up the shores of western Costa Rica to lay their eggs 11 years ago on our honeymoon.  They know that the turtles may not make it as they swim the ocean, they understand that many animals including humans relish turtle eggs, and then those tiny little turtles trying to make it back to sea...predators just waiting for those eggs to hatch.

Now...this is not a giant sea turtle, but it is a s close as Lael has ever gotten to one.  The thought of us stressing this mother snapping turtle out as she lays her eggs was very upsetting to Lael.  She would only let us get this close with the camera...we do not have a great zoom lens as you can see.

So here she is (from behind where she could not see us) laying her eggs in the middle of the hay field above the stream.  We hope her little ones make it!!!!

Beef and all that goes with it

It was a beautiful Spring Day and the kids and I went up to Pam's (our neighbor who has our cows on her pasture for parts of the season) to watch Daddy catch cows for market.

We also had to castrate two bull calves before they got too big and unruly to catch.

Connelly has always been a ca;f whisperer, so he had a go with this little guy.

Close, but he never did touch or pet this one.

Everyone else was waiting for the big moment.  Lael has the elasticator and rubber bands in her hands in the photo above.

Christopher John and Pam are watching all the men trying to catch the calves...not an easy job.

.

OK Lael hand over the tools.

The elastic bands are tight...I mean really tight,  and as they give the bull calves a pinch, they cut off the blood supply to the animals testicles and they fall off within a few weeks.  Though this is surely unpleasant for the calf, it is better than an unruly testosterone laden 2500 lb bull within the year.  We spend too much time with the herd to want to risk the unpredictable behavior of a bull.

The children all understand this, they have been with these animals from birth, they understand where all their food comes from and that eating meat means taking a life.  Unlike some adults, the kids have no baggage about this issue, they love the cows, and recognize their importance to our farm..

Finally the calves are on their way to castration and the two animals that were going to the butcher were loaded.