Week 7 on the Farm!

Weather forecast: Tuesday, high of 72 degrees F, 70% chance of rain. Wednesday, high of 60 degrees F, 20% chance of rain.

The next four weeks on the farm are some of the busiest of the entire season. We're due to begin harvesting for the CSA in just three weeks and we've got a lot to do before then! The plants we've already got in the ground (pac choi, cabbage, kale, broccoli, swiss chard, snap peas, arugula, spinach, turnips, beets, radishes, dill, and salad greens) are doing well so far, but we must keep monitoring them to make sure that they have enough water and aren't getting attacked by pests or diseases. In addition, several of the crops we direct seeded (such as the arugula, spinach and turnips) need to be thinned, since we planted them pretty thickly and if we don't pull some of the seedlings out, they will compete with each other. We also need to keep on top of the weeds while they are still small and easy to contend with before they start interfering with the vegetable plants.

And we've got a lot more planting to do! Potatoes, carrots, and golden beets should be in the ground by the end of this week and we'll be starting cucumbers and summer squash indoors this week as well. Obviously, what you all help us with on the farm will depend a good deal on the weather. If the weather is nice when you come out, we'll probably have you work with us on thinning, weed control, and/or potato planting. If it's raining, we can work on getting those cucumbers and summer squash planted in soil blocks.

I was trying to find an excerpt from Michael Pollan's film "Botany of Desire" on potatoes to share with you this week, but haven't been able to locate it. So instead, I'll post his TED talk in which he describes his inspiration for the book that led to that film: https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_pollan_gives_a_plant_s_eye_view. Enjoy!