Is it the end of season already?
I’ve come to the conclusion that trying to blog during the busiest part of our season is just an exercise in hopelessness. As evidenced by the fact that I haven’t written a word since May, the season went very well for the most part and we were very busy. The weather has had it’s ups and downs and it never really got to our usual summer temperatures, but some patience was all it took for most of our crops to come in and fair quite nicely.
Our fall schedule, however, has been thrown completely off by the early cold weather. Our first two plantings of spinach and lettuce did absolutely nothing. Not even a sprout. That, I think, was due to all the wet weather and inconsistent temperatures. The third planting is now coming up nicely, but we lost all the green beans and the majority of the tomatoes, peppers and squash way earlier than expected; the temperatures have been 20 degrees below normal and we’ve had heavy frost several times. We had the forethought to cover many of the tomato plants, along with some of the peppers, and the herbs have toughed it out through the cold nights.
We are in the process of putting together our new greenhouse (more on that later) and, in the meantime, have added a smaller version to the front of the house. This area is serving well for some of the mums and other decorative plants and will serve as a winter area for more herbs, peppers and greens. It’s also doing a great job of adding warmth to the house in general. On a sunny day, it’s like summer on the front porch!
Even though the largest part of our season is coming to an end, we do have plenty going on. Right now we are taking sign ups for our 2010 CSA season. We’ve already had several folks from our last two seasons sign up again and several new members have found us, as well. We are also trying our hand at a winter farmer’s market at the Grand Court Farmer’s Market at 107th and Wornall. We will have our free-range, organically grown chicken, canned and baked goods and whatever we can manage to grow through the season. Right now it looks like we’ll have leafy greens, radishes, herbs, tomatoes and peppers (for as long as they last), along with micro greens and sprouts. We are also planning to do some holiday gift baskets, so come check it out!
I have also been invited to give a talk/class at Powell Gardens in February. As soon as the class is listed in their directory, I’ll be sure to let you all know!
Now that the season is winding down a little, I hope to be able to post more frequently and give you all updates. And maybe, just maybe, I can get organized enough for next season to be able to keep everyone updated throughout the summer, too. Here’s to wishful thinking!
Until next time!