Two Feet in the Dirt

After some autumn-like weather last week, we got another blast of summer this week with temperatures into the mid-90s and heat indexes even higher! While I’m sure all the summer crops will appreciate the hotter weather, it can be a little tricky keeping the fall crops happy in late summer through severe heat like this. 

Even with hot, humid weather, the preparations for fall continue. As an early summer crop, the cucumbers and summer squash had their last hurrah last week, so on Monday Mike finished the huge job of mowing down, plowing, and tilling those beds so that I could get the first winter cover crop planted. Cover cropping is an essential part of the organic farm, helping to hold soil in place, provide nutrients, and protect the soil from compaction over the winter. Because the beds that house the cukes and zukes become empty relatively early and will be planted the following year with an early-season crop, I put an oat and pea cover crop on these beds. These will grow until the first heavy frosts, after which the cold will eventually kill both the oats and peas. The dead matter from the plants will then provide a nice mulch on the beds over winter, which we will be able to rake off before planting the beds again in the spring. And thus the cycle of the farm continues!

This weekend, we will only be at the Burke market, but don’t worry Urbana shoppers- we will be back at Urbana the following Sunday and for the rest of the market season! See below for our full harvest list and we’ll see you at the market.

Farmers Katie & Mike

This week at the market:

• Salad mix
• Baby Kale
• Head Lettuce
• Eggplant
• Sweet peppers
• String beans
• Garlic
• Onions
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Beets
• Rainbow chard
• Slicing tomatoes
• Cherry tomatoes