Rain Friends Respond

Some much needed rain finally fell on the farm this past week (understatement). Since the 75% chance and up events have all missed us over the past month I figured we would receive some showers during a 30% chance event instead. The rain fell overnight so we weren't able to frolic and celebrate under the drops themselves but the soothing sounds made it through the open windows as a welcome midnight lullaby. This was an adequate drink for most of the crops and will give us brief relief from running irrigation daily. With how dry it's been, plus the incoming heat, we'll probably have to cycle irrigation through the fields again this coming week. But oh so thankful we are for the nice precipitation.

On Tuesday and Wednesday we transplanted a big round of late summer and early fall crops including kale, rutabaga, lettuce, cilantro, dill, celery, fennel, basil, beets, and chard. Even with the aid of the waterwheel transplanter these baby plants faced a challenging battle for moisture acquisition and retention with the parched soil. Next up for them and us is the task of weed management. One of the blessings of the extreme dry weather was less weed pressure due to fewer weed seeds actually germinating in the soil near the crops. Irrigation initiates some of the process but it seems to be more beneficial to our transplants, growing quickly and outcompeting their unwanted guests. We'll still need to get in there with our hands and hoes but we at least have a head start.

Last week we wrapped up the 2022 onion harvest with the help of CSA members. Approximately 3,000lbs of red and yellow onions are now being safely stored in our temperature and moisture controlled room. Considering the weed pressure we dealt with in late May and early June, this crop looks great. I think we've finally established our onion growing, harvesting, curing, and storage system and have two varieties that perform very well for us. I mostly love being able to bypass the standard curing process most farmers take where they pull all of the plants and lay them out somewhere under cover to dry out. For us, trimming off the tops, placing the onions in bins, and stacking in our low moisture cool room does the trick. It saves us a lot of time and hassle and seems to work just fine. I don't know about you, but I've been loving eating the red onions (and garlic!) raw as an addition to whatever else I'm eating. My body must need something they're providing, so I'm obliging. I don't think Dana minds.