Warm Snap
Last week we had our first frost warning and a low of 35º and this week we have had 4 days of 80º+ weather! Sometime Farmer Sue & Farmer Rich harvested the mustard greens & more potatoes on Sunday. There are another 4-6 rows of potatoes yet to be dug. It was noted that in digging up the potatoes the ground is dry-as-a bone due to the lack of rain for at least a week now.
Weather Report: There was no rain during the week at the farm. Farmer Rich continues to irrigate the crops in the field. The shorter days & cooler nights, lack of water is not as big as a problem as it would be in July when the ground just totally dries out.
What’s Up & Growing: The fall greens are all coming along nicely, being mustards, white radishes, bekamaru, shanghai cabbage & Torazorah. The yellow celery is also up & doing well. The fava greens should be ready to harvest within the next week or two.
Animal Report: The gourmet groundhog continues to munch in the fields. He liked the cabbage this week and Farmer Rich cannot find where he is getting in through the fence. Perhaps he has tunneled in.
From the Fields: Tonight is the autumn delivery of decorative gourds & mini pumpkins. Farmer Rich has to prepare fields for garlic planting in October and we will be scheduling a trip to the farm for members to come up & help with this project. In just a few hours hundreds of cloves of garlic can be planted. He was able to find some time to take down some old fencing that was in the middle of our newly expanded fields, so this area will be ready to be worked for next season. With the cool temperatures last week, the cucumber plants just shut down.
Fruit Report – Empire Apples –Freshly picked from Windy Brow Farm. They were developed in 1966 at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva as a cross between Red Delicious and McIntosh. Empire Apples have a sweet-tart taste that is ideal for eating and salads but also great for sauce, baking, pies and freezing. Windy Brow does have apple picking at their farm this time of year. Their phone # is 973.579.9157 so you can call for directions & dates & times they are open. It is a nice day out in the country!
SAVE NJ FARMS UPDATE ! Shale Hills Farm in Wantage continues to take the lead on getting out information to fellow farmers regarding the proposed “land-grab” by the DEP who proposes to limit use of farm land within a 300’ area of a C1 stream. As noted in prior newsletters, this would in essence make our farm no longer viable as we could not farm the land. As a matter of fact, the potatoes we just harvested and the ones already delivered to you are no more than 10’ from the stream! More information can be found at www.saveruralwantage.com and of course we encourage you to write letters to Secy of Agriculture Charles Kuperus at: charles.kuperus@ag.state.nj.us. THANKS!!!!! We need ALL of you to do this. We believe that e-mails coming from Bergen & Hudson counties will definitely make an impact.
Upcoming Events: · October 6th & 7th –6th Annual Garlic Gathering @ Olde Lafayette Village – Lafayette, NJ · October 14th – 1st Annual Garlic Festival @ the Hoboken Historical Museum Hoboken, NJ
Pick of the Week: Click on the link below (or on the right) for your drop-off location. This time of year the deliveries will be the same in pounds & variety but may include different items at each location.
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