While keeping incredibly busy harvesting summer produce, we’ve also got fall on our minds and lots of fall prep on our To Do lists!
We’re starting to cut and cure winter squash. The first samples showed up in the office last week. It happens every year around this time, but still feels like a surprise. And it also feels a little early to start cooking with winter squash, but regardless how we feel, they’re here!
Paul started planting potatoes (top left photo), the first brassicas (broccoli) were transplanted last week, along with a field of leeks (top right), and Andrew planted the first carrots on Saturday (lower photo)! The planting and transplanting will continue in earnest over the next few weeks. In addition to finding the time to plant, the trick is keeping these cool weather crops happy in non-cool weather. The carrots especially need a bit more tending to than some crops to germinate and thrive. They’ll get about an hour of water per day to keep the soil moist enough to germinate the seeds and we cover them with row cover to help keep in the moisture.
We’ve also planted the field of sudan grass that will become a maze for Hoes Down, a staple of the children’s area. Unlike the carrots, it gets a few really long irrigations. It still looks like an empty field, but in a month and a half will be a nice, tall stand of grass perfect for running through and exploring! It’s one of many fun elements of Hoes Down, with many more in the works. Don’t miss out, get your tickets or sign up to volunteer today on the Hoes Down website!
Hoes Down marks our official shift to fall. This next month and a half will fly by in preparation for the Festival and the subsequent slow down as the seasons change. We’ve got a lot of work to do between now and then to make sure we’re ready for that transition!
Elaine Swiedler, CSA Manager
