Final Harvests

Summer is almost officially over (I saw the first wooly bear caterpillar today and the brown bands outnumbered the black so it should be a less harsh winter...if you go by these kinds of signs and symbols. Keep an eye on the acorns.) and with that the final harvests are coming in. It has been a tough season due to a very cold and wet spring that reduced about 100 seedlings to slug grub at the carriage house farm, but things have been marginally better at the Farm School. Today's harvest was a good one and here are some photos.

Final carrot harvest













Broccoli













Kale













Swiss chard (which is is the soup pot right now)



















Last potatoes (russets, Yukon Golds, and reds)



















The whole lot.

It's hot. That about says it all. But the farm holds on and the first tomatoes were picked. Thankfully they are blight free. Potatoes keep popping up like small treasures and so do cucumbers. The carrots have been a nice success as well. The broccoli plants are almost four feet tall and more florets show up every day. There is even a volunteer tomato plant in the corner by the Swiss chard. School gets back in session very soon and so it is a very exciting time. While cleaning up the old garden a few future students even came through while touring the school to get their bearings. The new garden is somewhat ahead of us, but we'll bring the Weed Dragon and Farmer Tom with Wayne's tiller and we will get that plot back in shape in no time.

Monday on the farm

First broccoli floret.













Monday's harvest.













Swiss chard.



















Kale













More kale.



















Honey Bear winter squash.



















More Honey Bear.



















Collards almost big enough to hide Charles Baker "Dill" Harris.

Finally...

...it feels a little bit like summer, and the produce continues to roll in.

First garlic (and only garlic) and thanks to Mrs. Festa for bringing those bulb seeds back from the Garlic Festival in Massachusetts.













More yellow squash and the first cucumbers.













More beans, peas, and potatoes. Feel free to take as many beans as you want.













We also had some surprise visitors stop by. Nieces Emma (pictured) and Piper, came around with their father and grandparents to help out for a bit. Here Emma is helping wash carrots that just came out of the ground. Photo is from a cell phone.

Making Progress Losing Ground

Life here at the Farm School is finally waking up a little bit after all the rain and cool weather we have been having. Unfortunately the grass and other undesirables are a bit overwhelming and that is where the losing ground part comes from. But the sun was booming today and there was a nice harvest of potatoes (red, russet, and Yukon Gold), true baby carrots, and green beans. There are plenty of sweet peas on the vine and more green beans so if you are down near the gardens feel free to pop in and pick as many peas and beans as you can manage.



















Garlic



















Cumcumber



















Broccoli


























First butternut squas













First acorn squash













First summer yellow squash













Baby carrots and green beans













The first tomatoes













































And finally the first potatoes

The Herd

Although these cool little guys are not on our farm, I do get to see them in their pasture over on the Ridgebury Hills area of Ridgefield. There are six of them and they showed up around April.

Tuesday At The Farm

Despite the unseasonable cool weather we have been having, not to mention all the rain, things are progressing, however slowly, here on the farm. Today saw several hours of cleaning up weeds, turning soil, planting onion and beet seedlings, planting Swiss chard, kale, collard, spinach, and Brussels sprout seeds. Have a look.

Twenty eight Roma tomato plants at various stages of development.













Some have even started to flower






































Forty feet of three kinds of potatoes seem to be doing very well.






































Garden two.



















Carrots are coming along.



















Three types of squash ready to take over.













Chamomile flowers.













Garlic neck.



















Cucumbers ready to start climbing.



















Sugar snap peas on the vine...













...and in the bowl.













Green beans climbing and flowers about to fruit.



















Broccoli coming up.



















The gear of a guerrilla farmer (garden assault vehicle in the background).