This Week’s Harvest
Carrots
Mountain Rose Potatoes
Cucumbers
Eggplant (globe or fairytale)
Garlic
Tomatoes
Sunorange cherry OR Juliet grape tomatoes
Cayenne or Jalapeno Peppers
Farm News
Organic farms take a holistic approach to farming. Considering the health of the land we work is integral to our farming practices. Organic farms must take steps to encourage biodiversity on the farm and studies show the efforts work, with organic farms having 34% more species than conventional farms.
On our farm, we’ve enjoyed what seems to be huge uptick in the number of birds we’re observing. We have always been surrounded by goldfinch, swallows, killdeer, song sparrows, red tailed hawks, and even the striking indigo bunting and this season is no different. On my out to the squash field this week I’ve had to slow down for a baby killdeer who has been drinking from puddles in the road ways. It’s pretty adorable! Last week Ben stopped the tractor so the planting crew could watch a scene with three red tailed hawks unfold. One was carrying a small bird in its talons when another flew right up to it and knocked the bird out. As the prey was free falling through the air, the second hawk swopped down and snagged it mid-air. Then a third hawk joined in and the three hawks squawked and swooped until flying off in different directions, only one with the prized prey.
In addition to the usual suspects on the farm, this season we’ve had a few unique encounters. During our garlic harvest we watched Eastern Kingbirds perched on tall weeds in our fallow fields dart after insects. A couple weeks ago a beautiful male American Kestrel used our tomato stakes as a perch. Watching it swoop and soar all week long was differently a distraction. And after hearing the sweet call of the Northern Bobwhite Quail for months, we finally saw them! The road way was dry enough and made an irresistible place for a dust bath. We watched the pair have a luxurious bath before we interrupted so the harvest in the truck could make it to the pack barn. The bobwhites are especially exciting to me because their population has been in drastic decline. This decline (as much as 80% in some regions) is likely due to habitat loss. We are glad they found our small 30 acre farm and hope the pair we saw, and perhaps more living on the property, do well!
Recipes