Farm News: July
July has been a tough month to be outside all day, but it’s also when Farm Kitchen shines brightest. Months ago, we were toiling in wet weather to prepare fields full of rocks and weeds. Now we can see what it was all for, as sunflowers, zinnias, dahlias, snapdragons and so much more bloom in long rows of soil on two new huge fields backdropping the pavilion and the guesthouse. (Book your stay today!) This month I used our BCS, which is like a walking tractor, to flail mow two more fields that we hope at this time next year will be just as vibrant and colorful as the rest of Farm Kitchen. Hopefully the cover crop (we planted buckwheat) germinates in time to black out a weed infestation.
Here’s what else is going on at Farm Kitchen this month:
Weeding and Weeding and Weeding and…
Constant readers of this newsletter probably know that this is a recurring theme. This month, the war against weeds is being fought with a few new weapons. We’ve upped our hoe game here at FK, adding collinear and wire hoes to the arsenal. The collinear hoes are like straight razors that cut just under the surface of the dirt and pop the weeds up pretty easily. Then, every few days, we go back over the cleared areas with a wire hoe that really is just a wire triangle that pushes pretty cleanly through soil around our crops. The idea is that the wire knocks weeds out before they can establish themselves. When we keep it up, the beds stay clear. The key, as in most things, is consistency. Stop by sometime and see if we’re winning the fight!
Taste Testing
Of course harvesting continues as well. We’re still waiting on the peppers and tomatoes to get a little larger and change colors, but there are plenty of other vegetables to take home and cook. We’re figuring out some of our favorites, with an eye on planning for next year. Do we really need kohlrabi? Which bush beans have the best flavor? Which snap peas are the sweetest? In 2024, Farm Kitchen will have a farm stand up and running, and we want to offer customers fruits and veggies we know they’ll like. Part of that process is tasting for ourselves.
Showing Off
When you work here every day, it’s easy to forget to step back and appreciate how nice it is. One of the most gratifying aspects of this sunny season is when visitors come and see what all the hard work is for. All I see is weeds I missed or the next job on my list, but visitors have been so generous with their compliments, and the more people who come through - maybe on a wedding tour if they’re considering holding their nuptials here, or on Tuesdays at Flowers & Fika - the more I am reminded how lucky I am to have this job.
So, please, stop by! Hosting guests is what Farm Kitchen does best.