Making A Positive Difference

Check out this link to an article about a Texas National Guard unit in Afghanistan that is focusing on revitalizing the Afghan agricultural infrastructure. Hopefully their efforts will bear many fruitful returns for the people of Afghanistan and our military service members working there. Check the right side of the article for a link to a short slide show of what they are doing there.

Farm Stand

With all the produce coming out of the Farm I have been setting up a "farm stand" in the teachers' work room. Get down there early before it all goes. Enjoy.

First Day of School...eep

Wow, first day of the 2008-2009 school season and it looks like everyone has hit the ground running, including the harvest at the Farm. The basket I picked today must weigh 15 pounds.

A Distinguished Visit & Continued Bounty

First day back for teachers here at the Middlebrook Farm School and it was a good, exciting day. Not only was it good to be back with all the faculty and staff but we had an unexpected visit from our state's official insect to the farm. Check out the photo op.






































Also, the harvest continues...check the mail room for our farm stand

Harvest Time

The harvests are really starting to pick up with tomatoes, peppers, a rogue zucchini, and eggplants all getting picked or almost ready to be picked. Here are some shots of recent pickings.
































A nice stripped eggplant



















A standard eggplant just about ready for the grill

Just around the corner

So all the teachers will be back in less than a week, and I have been in my class room trying to put everything back together. The farm is doing really well. My wife Jenn came down to help out on Wednesday. We were able to clear two more beds and plant lettuce and spinach seeds for a second harvest of greens. We were also able to pick some ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and beans. They made an outstanding salsa. Here are some shots.

The harvest













Eggplant almost ready for the grill



















Dragonfly on patrol













And finally a fruit has come out on the giant volunteer squash

Cleaning Up

After being away from the farm for almost two weeks things were getting a little out of control. It took a couple hours over two days but things are back to an acceptable state. Everything is doing well and there have even been some ripe tomatoes, several cucumbers, and the hot and cool peppers are popping out all over. The very first eggplant is fruiting too. Four beds have been cleared for a late season planting of lettuce, spinach and maybe a try at cabbage again.

Hot Serrano peppers



















Cool Bell peppers













Pink Beauty tomato



















Striped German tomato



















A volunteer Roma tomato plant



















First baby eggplant



















A volunteer sunflower



















An out of control squash of unknown variety.



















A volunteer corn plant that probably came from bird seed



















Friendly neighborhood pollinator













Eggplant and peppers



















Beds cleaned up for late plantings













Another view of the other bed