July 31, 2016
Into August We Ascend, Floating
By Derek McGeehan

Well well well, we don't have to use the well. After 4 more inches of rain the past few days July 2016 is officially the second wettest month in the 8 years we have been at Anchor Run. Before the end of today our monthly total is 11.7, surpassing September of 2011 when we endured tropical storm Lee (August of 2011 still prevails with 15 inches). Besides the deluges, we dealt with quite a heat wave this month. Overall, to say the least, it has been a challenge, mentally and physically. We're still hopeful for the crops to pull through mostly intact and without a noticeable yield deficiency in the pick up room. We always grow extra amounts of crops, depend on a diversity of crops, as insurances when weather is unfriendly and sometimes these extras turn into excess bounty and sometimes we lean heavily upon them. Besides our battles with the heat and rain, we're also plagued by creatures eating our high-sugar content crops like watermelon, cantaloupes, and sweet corn. The damage on the sweet corn was extensive enough to reduce the yield so much that we aren't able to give it out for two weeks, our goal. The damage to the watermelon, coupled with the deleterious effects of too much soil moisture and dying vines, means only enough watermelon for two weeks, not four like last season. So far the cantaloupe vines are alive, but slowly but surely the ripe orbs are being eaten. Is it a raccoon, a skunk, an opossum, crows, or all of the above? Adversity is part of life, right, right, right.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Into-August-We-Ascend-Floating-1697/