TOMATOES F/P The hot weather has finally kicked the tomatoes into ripening. Everyone will get a few heirlooms and hybrids this week. The heirlooms come in a rainbow of colors, even green when ripe. Their flavors are as diverse as their colors, shapes and sizes. We grow Cherokee Purple, Rose, Goldie, Aunt Ruby's German Green, Black Krim, Green Zebra, Amana Orange to name a few. The hybrids we grow are red and a bit thicker-skinned than the heirlooms, which is a good quality during a wet weather pattern. We are trying a new orange hybrid variety, Sunkist, thanks to my mom's advice. Let us know what tomato is your favorite!
RED ONIONS F/P Not as big and beautiful as last year's crop, but they did survive the wet unlike some other crops I hate to mention (carrots)
PURPLE VIKING POTATOES F We are very grateful for the good potato harvest that continues to feed us as we recover from the deluge of the last two months. And they are high in Vitamin C.
SQUASH OR CUCUMBERS P The cucurbit family is struggling in the fields. Last year at this time we were swimming in zucchini and cucumbers. Same number of plants in the ground, same fertility program, very different result. Only variable: weather.
GENOVESE BASIL F/P A nice bunch for pesto-making.
SWEET PEPPERS, EGGPLANT OR SALSA PACK F The first of these three with many more to come. The salsa packs are in limited quantities this week. See Tom's post for the rundown on this member favorite.
GARLIC F/P There is nothing like fresh, juicy garlic in the summertime.
CHERRY TOMATOES F We grow cherry tomatoes in every color of the rainbow too. Some are heirloom, some hybrid. Tomatoes are ripe when they are brightly colored and fleshy to the touch.
NEXT WEEK: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, salsa packs, squash, cucumbers, garlic, herbs, onions and potatoes.
FARM REPORT:
Yes, the spring carrot crop is a big bust. Rot set in like we have never seen before. Our second planting has succumbed as well as most of the first. That's 1800 ft. of carrots gone. But no time to linger on that sad note, the fall planting get going. So far we have planted cauliflower, cabbage, carrots and beets. Tomorrow we hope to plant broccoli, turnips and radishes. The rain has held off just enough to work the soil and plant.
While the humans dart across the fields at the farm, we are missing one of our crew. Rocky, our canine companion and co-worker, has been boarded at the vet these past two nights. He either stepped on a thorn or has a spider bite on his paw. The medication has been unpalatable to him and we had to resort to kenneling him at our vet in Lawson, MO to manage to get him to take the pills. We hope to pick him up just as soon as we can. Not only do we miss him but the crops are unguarded without him. Already some critter is going after the tomatoes in the field. Yesterday morning we found many half-eaten tomatoes on the ground likely the leftovers of a possum or raccoon party the night before. We cleared the plants of ripening fruit, but what we really need is our Rocky back on patrol.
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