2013 week 6

We are up to almost 9 inches of rain for the month of June.

The legendary Case 730 Comfort King. When the going gets tough the tough get the 730.  When other tractors get stuck in the mud, everyone around here know to go get the 730.  In the mud this tractor is a BEAST.  Rated at 56 horsepower and weighing in at 7000lbs the 730 can out-work larger tractors.

Once, our John Deere 2840 (80hp, 9000lbs) got stuck while pulling a fertilizer spreader.  The 730 came to the rescue.  Greg hooked up the chain and started pulling before Pop-pop had a chance to put the John Deere in gear. The 730 pulled out the John Deere AND the spreader while the John Deere was in neutral!

Love this tractor!

We still have to keep going through all this rain.  The turnips and pickles still need to be harvested and packed every single day.  We gear up and get the work done.

Other jobs around the farm just don't get done when it is raining: pruning, staking, tying.

But we are still able to stay busy.  The tunnel tomatoes are pruned and clipped whilst the rain.  The  packing line has been thoroughly scrubbed and is in the process of getting pre-season maintenance.  Shop projects like the trash belts are coming along. There is always work to be done on a farm.

Romaine- I know it has been in the share for 6 weeks.  This weather has been good for the lettuce not too hot.

Rainbow Carrots- Aren't they just so pretty! Just use them like regular carrots.  Yum!

Beets- I love roasted beets. Here is my favorite recipe.

Broccoli/Cauliflower-  I was hoping to have enough of both so everyone got 2 heads of both, but remember back in early spring we had a spell of nice warm weather and then it snowed.  Well, we had planted the broccoli and cauliflower right before the snow.  The harsh weather killed about half the crop. :(  Anyway we are happy we have some to harvest.

Good Rain

Staking the sugar snap peas.

One of the best things about being a farmer is getting to work outside.  I love the feeling of the sun on my back, the dirt in my hands.  We need the sunny days to warm the soil, to make the plants grow, to make photosynthesis work.  But at the same time we love a "good rain". 

Yesterday we had a good rain. It watered the ground, it filled our ponds and streams, it makes the spring crops grow.

The rain came nice and slow.  It came without heavy winds.  No washes or gulleys.  We are thankful.

We give the good Lord thanks for whatever weather conditions we receive. . . hot, dry times when disease pressure is lower and we control the water by giving the crops just what then need through irrigation, the rainy days to replenish the ponds and streams and bring life, the cool and cloudy days to work without a lot of sweat. 

When it comes to weather, we get what we get and we don't get upset. 

As farmers we work hard to make the best conditions for optimal growth and productivity from our plants.  Knowing at the same time we have no control over the weather.


So around the farm we took advantage of a rainy day and got a lot of greenhouse work caught up.  On sunny days the we can only work in the greenhouse early in the morning before it gets too hot.   We also tried to catch up on paperwork that gets pushed aside when the sun is out.

Grape and Heirloom tomatoes ready to move into their new home, the high tunnel.