I have scratches all over my torso because a skunk discovered that our hens have been laying eggs in various places around the farm.
It’s the skunk’s fault, although not directly. Wasn’t skunk claws that raked my shoulders and chest and back. But I still blame it. Because while it was raiding nests and eating eggs, our cat saw fit to intervene, and got himself sprayed. (Again.) He must have learned a little something from previous encounters, because it was only a glancing blast of stank that got him this time – not enough to leave him gagging and blind, but enough that he was banned from the bed and forced to bathe. He won’t do this on his own, so I had to be his bathing assistant. And that, of course, is why I’m sporting scratches all over.
It’s been a good spring, skunk aside.
The field is looking tidy and well-mulched. The myriad weeds that co-exist with our crops aren’t towering rudely yet. They are a bit slowed by the standard lack of rainfall that we get here – we had barely one inch total in May, and so far June has graced us with less than two inches (they say we should get an inch a week to keep up with the Joneses). It’s the usual story here – our neighborhood is seemingly hydrophobic, magically shedding rain clouds. (We also miss the hail, which is a pleasant silver lining.) Fortunately, growing in sandy soil has trained us well in moisture maintenance over the years, and so adapting to drought conditions is merely a slight extension of our usual procedures. Mulch, mulch, more mulch, compost, and some drip irrigation down each row. A lot of rain might even be a problem, if we had such a thing – sandy soil is prone to nutrients washing down beyond the root zone.
Last week, and this week, we spent many hours with The Boys performing the traditional task of farm kids everywhere: patrolling the potato row and trying to stem the always rising tide of potato beetles, larvae, and eggs. Next week, we will do some more. This continues until the potato plants die back. It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s gotta do it.
Otis and Jasper helped Marcia and Deb take photos during the harvest today.
WHAT’S IN BOX #1
Garlic Scapes – if you don;t get scapes, are you really even in a CSA?
Lettuce Mix
Cilantro – our best year ever for this! If that heat wave wouldn’t have broken, they would have bolted on us, but the cool temps and rain held them for the harvest today.
Sugar Snap Peas
Salad Turnips
Radishes – the only ones we’ll get his year, because timing is tricky and we are imperfect humans. SO enjoy them if you do, and rejoice of you don’t ’cause this is it for the year.
Spring Onions
Bok Choi
Microgreen Mix (Red Cabbage, Broccoli, Sunflowers, Amaranth, Kale, Radish)
Well, it was a mildly chaotic first day but I think we all made it. Hope the veggies are delicious!
