Silver Lining

I think I write about the lack of rain in every newsletter. It sure feels that way! I just need to get used to these conditions; it's been going on for over three months now so it's nothing new. In the back of my mind I expect a pivot to wetter weather again, probably because we've endured plenty of that over the years. But my irrigation list/schedule is the longest it's ever been and, based on the forecast, will continue to grow. Luckily this time of year our footprint slowly shrinks and irrigating thirsty crops can now be accomplished over a 2-3 day stretch.

The very dry weather is also beneficial in some ways. For example, it's most likely suppressing disease organisms that favor moisture, such as the brassica pathogen that causes black rot. As of now, the big fall brassicas including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale are looking their best. Hopefully that translates to a good harvest. Last season we lost almost all of our broccoli and cauliflower and I was beginning to contemplate skipping it entirely in future seasons if they didn't perform well this year. Healthy foliage is one thing; we need the florets/heads to stay healthy when they form a month from now.

Beets are another crop that is benefitting from dry weather. They can suffer from a foliar disease called cercospora that typically renders their leaves unharvestable which is why we mostly distribute only the roots. As of now their leaves look free of illness so we plan to give beets out in bunches with their leaves. Exciting!