Recent Rainfall Rectifies

Well, I am pleased to announce that last week we were the happy recipients of 3.6 inches of rain, courtesy of Hurricane Debby. After an extended and brutal combination of heat and drought, the precipitation was a welcomed relief. All inhabitants of the farm, flora and fauna alike, are relishing the turn in weather events. Cover crops seeded weeks ago are really taking off, the trees and shrubs have perked up, and I've actually had to mow the grass. This is truly great timing as Derek and the kids will be away from the farm this week and I won't have to worry about irrigating field crops on top of other farm responsibilities.

If you can believe it, there is actually a small downside to the rain (leave it to a farmer to find fault in any weather). The cherry tomatoes, which have flourished under scheduled irrigation these last few months, are sustaining quite a bit of cracking due to the sudden increase in available water. The fruits are still deliciously edible, so we encourage you to enjoy them as you would non-cracked cherry tomatoes. The forecast looks stellar this week with highs in the low-mid 80's and no rain until possibly the weekend, so I suspect that the new ripening fruits on the vines will mature without cracking as we move through the week.

Speaking of stellar weather and being that it is the middle of August (!), Fall is on its way. Harvests will begin to reflect that over the next month starting this week with the arrival of swiss chard, like a small and cool light at the end of a very hot and dry tunnel. Enjoy and see you on the farm!