Happy summer! As the spring was mild and warm as much as it could be, the summer has been glorious so far with beautiful weather. The heat wave hitting the region during the holiday week was incredible.  On the farm, most crops in the fields are loving the warm weather, but a lack of rainfall.  And you know what?  Weeds are loving the nice weather, too. In fact, this update may be all about weeds.

My nightmare has been weeds attacking me in my dream….not a joke. The month of June was relatively dry, which meant we had to irrigate the fields routinely. I had a chance to speak with a couple of farmers recently….one in the valley here and the other up in Bellingham…..believe me, we were all in the same boat during June.  Therefore, the week before Independence Day the rainstorm which brought significant moisture was good news and a lifesaver for many farmers.  Spring greens such as mustards, mizuna and komatsuna which prefer cool temperature have already bolted earlier than usual due to the warm weather. 

We’ll see how much longer hardy greens like kale and collards can sustain their glory for harvest.  Chard is looking great once again this year and expressing its vitality and abundance without fail.  Chard must really like the soil here.  All of our big crop transplants (corn, leeks, onions, summer/winter squash, pumpkins) are planted now….big sigh!  Now we can focus more on weeding and other tasks which have been a bit behind as well as we continue to plant regular crops in succession through August.   We are moving more produce from the field to the retail market and wholesale now as produce sales and orders come along.

The 2013 SAS volunteer day on the farm was successful and we really appreciate their contribution and Kurt Sahl’s ground work for the program. As the warm weather prevails in the region, it’s also that time of the season that some pests are wreaking havoc on our plants….beetles, slug, nematodes, etc. Some could cause grave damage to our crops.  We carefully monitor our plants for any pest damage, and early detection and appropriate/timely measures are the key.  You can read more details on this issue in this update. Our carrots and beets are usually a slow starter, and they are finally catching up.  We may be able to pick our first sweet baby carrots soon! Tomato plants are looking healthy (no flea beetles!), and nice looking green tomatoes are on the vines now. We have one very special heirloom variety this year which will surprise you no doubt….for now, let’s leave it in mystery.  We are putting our hard work together on the farm for the food we grow as the peak season approaches. Have a wonderful summer, and HAPPY FOURTH!     – Farmer John –