Tasty Treats and Cover Crops

Well, the hot weather returned as predicted.  Luckily, Claire promised us a special treat at the end of the day, so we began working in earnest to complete our tasks.  We discovered on field tour that there were still plenty of weeds to consider despite the lateness of the season.  It's going to be tough getting out carrots this year.  The last bed we did had weeds as large as small trees.  Winter squashes are ready to harvest.  There were also several late-season crops emerging: dill, cilantro, spinach, and radishes.

First thing, we transplanted lettuce, kohlrabi, bok choi, and basil.  If all goes well, we'll have a nice diversity of crops to give the CSA in the later weeks.  Next, we moved on to harvesting.  As usual, we had herbs to harvest for wholesale.  Others worked on the multitude of tomatoes that continue to produce at their peak.  Later, a group worked steadily on edamame.  Between today and Friday, they harvested 125 pounds!  Claire worked on the tractor today, tilling in beds that are no longer in use, mowing, down beds with huge weeds, and tilling in the seed that I was planting.

I spent my day broadcast seeding cover crops again.  In section 1, I spread rye and vetch in the area that was once occupied by onions, shallots, and garlic.  In section 2, buckwheat went in where there were once successions of lettuce, kohlrabi, fennel, and others.  In section 3, I dispersed oats and peas where the fallow field of clover stood.  The buckwheat will be allowed to grow, then will be tilled down later and a winter cover crop put in.  For the other fields, this will be the last time they will be planted before the snows fall.

As promised, at 2:30 we departed for... Culvers, right down the street.  It was sublime sitting in the air-conditioned restaurant eating ice creams, shakes, sundaes, and other frozen delights.  After several weeks of hot, humid, bug-filled days, it was a real treat.