So how about this weather!? We got several inches of rain this week, in addition to some quarter sized hail and a whole lot of wind.
![just one of the several rain storms dropped almost 2"](http://www.quesehrafarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/391CF525-94F9-4A74-B12F-03F7DB9C26BD.jpeg)
The plants are kind of beat up, but I reckon it’s a worthwhile trade-off if that is what it takes to get some real good soaking rain for the field – especially the newly-seeded fall crops.
![pepper with a hailstone bruise](http://www.quesehrafarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/27464A15-FDFD-4EDD-92AC-E8BD6591B32E-1024x768.jpeg)
![wind damage in the field](http://www.quesehrafarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/B9D49081-A620-4678-9E3C-1650E7918E61-1024x768.jpeg)
Out three WWOOFers convinced us to take a day away from the farm to go to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, which turned out to be a wonderful time – dressing up in costume and bringing a young child made it by far the most fun I’ve ever had at the event.
It also helped that there was rain wrongly-forecasted, so there were no lines to get in or get food or get out again! Beautiful.
Today was WWOOFer Mercedes’ final day of her August stay – we’re sad to see her go, but know she’ll be back soon … not least/only because we’re holding her sweet pop-up camper hostage.
![WWOOFer Mercedes w/ Special Friend, processing lobster mushrooms for the market](http://www.quesehrafarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/40518270-942E-4138-BD97-ADBA3A43C612-768x1024.jpeg)
Inside Box 12
- Tomatoes – the field tomatoes are starting to show signs of disease, but we’re still getting plenty of beautiful specimens for you!
- Eggplants – one large or two smaller ones
- Peppers – (ripening sweet peppers, and jalepenos (bagged with your broccoli)
- Zucchini
- Cucumbers
- Broccoli
- Melons – (either a honeywhite muskmelon, a cantaloupe, or a Sun Jewel) If you got a cantaloupe, eat it ASAP – they are READY!
- Shallots
- Spaghetti squash
- Apples – Picked just before a storm came that would have knocked them all down to be bruised to mush! These are from a tree that Kristin’s folks planted on the farm in the late 70’s! This was a great year for the tree, which hasn’t produced nearly such an abundance since we moved in.
- Beans
- Basil – (either Purple or Italian)
![Kristin's baby hognose buddy](http://www.quesehrafarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/116DC736-FE29-4C3F-B457-AF83C2E75568-1024x768.jpeg)
![Mercedes labelling newly-made preserves for the market](http://www.quesehrafarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/10B4FE5A-5963-40E6-A59A-31956D3EDAD7-1024x766.jpeg)
![WWOOFer Jeff discovered this stinging (Io moth) caterpillar by stepping on it barefoot. ouch](http://www.quesehrafarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/578B1B0E-F446-4EDF-9FFA-606F3ECB0F9F-1024x1024.jpeg)