This Week’s Harvest

Pie pumpkins
Sweet potatoes
Salad mix
Daikon radish
Broccoli
Green beans
Garlic
Onion medley ( yellow, red and shallots)
Easter egg radish
Arugula
Tomatoes

Fruit Share
Monroe apples ( bright red and with yellow green patches) and Winesap apples ( darker, duller red) from Downing Fruit Farm in New Madison

Farm News
While we always have some flowers in bloom until the frost, I usually have to scrounge around the farm and am unable to make very many bouquets for the October markets. This year we adjusted the flower seeding chart to increase the number of late flowers. I was so happy with the variety and quality of the flowers going into October.

So when on October 4, a frost advisory was issued, I was a little heartbroken. October 4th? It seemed much too soon, and for once in my farming career, I did not feel ready for it. We got home from market and dealt with the vegetables until we could no longer see: picking tomatoes and bell peppers, covering the bean planting, and relocating exposed pumpkins, squash and onions. I basically knew there was nothing to be done about the flowers. If I picked them, they would have to be held for an entire week! Not to mention flower harvesting takes 2 people an entire day and we had about 3 hours of daylight! So, anxious and exhausted, I went to sleep.

At the crack of dawn, I could tell all was well before even stepping foot outside. Out the window I could see a thick blanket of clouds in the sky! It turns out that the sky never cleared at night and the temperature didn’t even drop below 40! However, I am glad we did all vegetable preparation we did, because we’d always rather play it safe. And now we can cut flowers and make bouquets for market once again! And in another week or two I will actually feel ready and happy for the first fall frost!

Recipes

Sweet potato Apple pie

Arugula and fresh tomato pasta

Sweet pickled daikons