Pre-Roasted (week 6)

–

“We woke up and fell asleep talking about stock, seeds, drainage, tools, or how to eke another minute out of the day…. Our bodies were so tired. Sometimes, in the brief moment between bed and sleep, we’d touch our fingertips together, an act we cynically called farmer love.” – Kirstin Kimball, The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love

–

Hello Friends & Farm-ily,

–

Hot and dry is the name of the game on this first official week of summer with temps expected in the 90’s and even over 100 degrees over the weekend. We’ve been hustling this weekend to get things weeded, watered, transplanted and well taken care of.  We keep joking that the veggies we’ll be harvesting this summer will be “pre-roasted” due to all the heat!

–

Keeping our cool.  We began construction on the coolbot cooler this weekend with our hopes set on finishing it before the end of next weekend. Farmer Brian has been working morning, noon and night to make it happen. Always something new to learn on the farm… as we take one step closer to growing better and making things easier for your farmers.

–

–

“Grow it right, and you feel insanely rich, no matter what you own.” – Kirstin Kimball, The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love

–

We began seeding kale, collards, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, romanesco etc for the Fall season. It’s much too hot to be in the greenhouse so we set up a nice “cool” area in the shade of the barn’s lean-to for seeding (and, of course, it is Gloucester approved).

–

WHF Farm Day update! Due to all the extreme heat this Spring/summer we have decided to postpone Farm Day to sometime this early autumn/fall. As many of you remember last year, it was hot and this year it looks to be dangerously hot.   We will keep you all posted as to when that day will be.

–

–

We hope you are all enjoying the bounty thus far. So far the crops have been chugging along with this weather… the brassicas (kale, collards, broccoli, cauli etc) are feeling the heat but the tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash etc are growing like gangbusters. We have been staying on top of giving everyone a nice deep soak with the ol’ drip tape – trying to maintain some balance with the extremes that this season’s weather brings!  (Fun fact: did you know that according to the EPA drip tape uses 50% of the water that sprinklers use? Score for your farmers sustainability practices) We continue to beat the heat with early mornings and late evenings. We’d be lying if we didn’t say we sure hope this heat breaks at some point as these two farmers don’t want to burn the candle at both ends. Our heads are above water though and all the animals are happy and in the shade. There are many things to be grateful for as we stride ahead into the first official week of summer.

–

–

“‎A farm is a manipulative creature. There is no such thing as finished. Work comes in a stream and has no end. There are only the things that must be done now and things that can be done later. The threat the farm has got on you, the one that keeps you running from can until can’t, is this: do it now, or some living thing will wilt or suffer or die. Its blackmail, really.”― Kirstin Kimball, The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love

–

We look forward to seeing you all soon. If you miss us at the pick up it might mean that farmer Brian is putting the finishing touches on the cooler while Jess continues to sow seeds for the Fall.

–

–

Keep up all the great work in your kitchens! The WHF Member Group continues to be a big source of inspiration and lightness in our long days. We appreciate you all!

–

Stay cool out there!

–

With kind regards,

–

Your farmers

–

Jess & Brian

–

dirty hands, clean hearts