Two Feet in the Dirt

While we do a fair amount of work on our own to control insect pests on the farm, we actually get a lot of help from other insects. Most people know about the benefits of ladybugs, which eat aphids, a common pest in both vegetable and ornamental gardens. Our new favorite predatory insect is fittingly called the assassin bug. These guys can get quite big and go after many different crop pests that we struggle with on our farm. We became big fans of the assassin bug earlier this summer when the zinnias were starting to bloom and were being overwhelmed by the first influx of Japanese beetles. We were spending time each week knocking the beetles off of the plants and into buckets of soapy water, but the beetle problem essentially disappeared soon after we started seeing assassin bugs on the zinnia plants. Similarly, the assassin bugs have taken up residence in the remaining kale plants and are helping keep the cabbage loopers, harlequin beetles, and Japanese beetles in check!

We’re still harvesting tomatoes like crazy this week and are also having a late-summer bumper crop week of the heirloom Blue Coco pole beans. These tasty beans, originating in France and dating back to the late 1700s, are a longtime favorite of mine because of both productivity and superior taste. See below for our full harvest list and we’ll see you at the markets this weekend!

Farmers Katie & Mike

This week at the market:

• Tomatoes
• Cherry tomatoes
• Arugula
• String beans
• Eggplant
• Zucchini
• Cucumbers
• Onions
• Garlic
• Kale
• Carrots
• Potatoes
• Summer salad mix
• Basil
• Peppers
• Flower bouquets