Like everyone in our area, we’ve been enjoying the Brood X cicadas over the last few weeks. It’s hard to be an organic farmer without becoming interested in insects. They play a huge role on both sides on the farm and I find them all fascinating. There are the problem ones, like the onion root flies whose larvae destroyed our onions this year and the ubiquitous cabbage moths whose larvae like to munch through anything in the kale and cabbage family. And then, of course, there are the good ones. Lady bugs are probably the best known and we always see a big population of these on the farm. Like many bugs, the juvenile form of ladybugs look absolutely nothing like the adult form. The picture at the top of this post- that’s a bunch of baby ladybugs on our mailbox!
As the weather warms up and more insect pests make their appearance on the farm, we also start to see a corresponding increase in beneficial insects (and arachnids!) Wolf spiders abound on the property and are happy to eat a huge variety of crop pests. Another one of my favorites are hover flies, which are commonly called hover wasps as they look just like tiny wasps, complete with a striped black and yellow exterior which helps trick other animals into not eating them. Hover fly larvae eat a huge variety of crop pests, including aphids and thrips. It’s amazing to see the little ecosystem that we have helped to cultivate!
With the weather heating up, we’re moving closer and closer to the summer harvest. Cucumber and zucchini should show up in the next couple of weeks, as should the first beans. The okra, peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes are all growing away and will be ready for harvest later in the summer. Below is this week’s harvest list. We’ll see you at the markets!
Farmers Katie & Mike
Harvest List:
- Lettuce salad mix
- Arugula
- Hearty salad mix
- Cabbage
- Garlic scapes
- Lettuce heads
- Radishes
- Red Russian kale
- Curly green kale
- Lacinato kale
- Collard greens
- Rainbow Chard
- Kohlrabi
- Carrots
- Snap peas
- Maybe: Radicchio, Beets
Comments
Pat Sterner
June 8, 2021I love your posts! So informative. I wish I were closer to enjoy the upcoming bounty. We are about 2 months behind here in Minnesota, with the first farm shares out this week. Can’t wait for your next post!
lynn brownell
June 8, 2021I have definitely seen those bugs on your mailbox before but don’t think I ever connected them w/ladybugs.
Wow! I’m not a fan of wolf spiders so its great to learn that they are so helpful at eating pests on the farm.
We’ve got plenty of cicadas to spare if you’re in need! Have a good week.