Farm Notes
Goodness gracious, it’s been a week! Full of highs and lows, and lots in between. Usually I get these updates out on Fridays, but it’s just been one of those weeks, so I’m here just a few days late… but better late than never, I suppose.
On the bright side, this Tuesday we kicked off the first week of our Fall CSA, and it was a bountiful box full of fall greens and radishes, alongside some summer favorites like okra, peppers, eggplant and tomatoes. Over the course of the next several weeks, those summer veggies will fade away and our boxes will be bursting with all kinds of delicious greens… which I know I am very ready for! It was a beautiful week of weather, with some nice cool days this weekend with some much needed rain that our fall veggies are loving.
On the not so rosy side… we’ve been dealing with a lot of pest issues – especially a type of caterpillar called army worms who have been decimating our brassicas (kale, turnips, cabbage, broccoli, etc). While dealing with some health issues over the past few weeks (more on that later..), I took my eye off the ball a bit, and in a blink the army worms have gotten out of control (see below for a photo so you know what to look for in your gardens).
So now I’m doing my very best to get things back under control, while only using organic methods of course. I’m all about preventative pest management (things like crop rotation, having healthy soil, and companion planting to help keep pests away in the first place) – but in a situation like this, I need to be more proactive. The best solution for organically addressing most worms/caterpillars in the garden is a natural insecticide called Bt (short for Bacillus Thuringiensis), which is a naturally occurring bacteria in soil that is toxic for the unwanted pests, but perfectly safe for the plants (and for humans). Fingers crossed that the Bt treatments do the trick, and that our brassicas will bounce back quickly.
And there’s another pest that’s been wrecking havoc in our garden…. yesterday morning, I woke up to find nearly all of our broccoli decimated by a greedy ground hog. Now, it takes a LOT to make me angry, but walking through the rows and seeing all those baby broccoli plants bitten down to their roots made me furious, thinking of all the time and energy and money that went into those plants, only to have them disappear overnight. I’ve been farming long enough to know that this sort of thing happens every season, and I shouldn’t be surprised when it does. And yet! I am determined not to give up, and thanks to some incredibly kind and generous fellow farmer friends, today I’m picking up some extra broccoli that they aren’t using, so I can replant and start again. Farming can be heartbreaking, but thank goodness for our amazing community of fellow farmers who are there to pick each other up when we need a helping hand.
One other thing I want to share, just out of total transparency with y’all, is that for the past few weeks I’ve been dealing with some health issues that have been incredibly debilitating. Starting about 3 weeks ago, I suddenly had non-stop ringing in my left ear, along with significant hearing loss, headaches, and disorientation that just wouldn’t go away. I’ve never experienced anything like this before, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I’ll spare y’all all the details, but it was very difficult to find an ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) doctor who could see me quickly (most offices were booking out into October), but after a lot of persistence, I was finally able to see a doctor located over an hour’s drive away this week. After a bunch of tests and scans, we were able to rule out some pretty scary possible neurological reasons for my symptoms, I’m now on some new medicine that will hopefully address the issue and stop the ringing and get my full hearing back soon.
I share this experience not because I’m seeking any sympathy, but because as an otherwise healthy, young person, my eyes have been profoundly opened to how difficult and frustrating it can be to navigate the healthcare system in our country, and I recognize how privileged I am to have had the capacity (and access to good health insurance) to get care relatively quickly. Most of all, I have new and radical empathy for anyone currently trying to seek medical care for themselves or for someone they love – and if that is something that you are going through right now, my prayers and thoughts are very sincerely with you. Dealing with all this the past few weeks has put so much back in perspective for me… I’ve been reminded that quality time with our family and friends and community are the most precious things in life, and that I can’t let the stresses of the farm (even army worms and ground hogs!) steal my joy. I know that’s easier said than done, but even after this week full of ups and downs, I’m choosing to feel only gratitude for ALL of it.
That’s all I’ve got for today friends… thanks for listening and being part of this community, I’m so grateful for each of you!
Today’s Stats
Low temp: 69F
High temp: 80F
Sunrise: 6:57am
Sunset: 7:30pm
Moon phase: Waning Gibbous
Additional notes: Rain!