Two Feet in the Dirt

It looks like we are going to get somewhat of a break from the wet weather this week and are just keeping our fingers crossed that the current mostly-sunny forecast stays that way! Over the weekend, we had two more torrential rains, dropping another several inches of rain on the farm. We’ve more or less been in an ongoing flash flood watch in our county for the last several weeks, as the ground is so completely saturated and the rains so unbelievably heavy that the water just runs right off the surface. Creeks around us have been running over their banks on and off for weeks, roads are regularly flooded, and both the Potomac and Shenandoah River are forecast to reach near flood stages for the second time in a matter of weeks. We actually had to hold off on making our deliveries to two nearby stores last Saturday as the road out from our house was so flooded that Mike couldn’t even get through.

One of the most noticeable effects of the weather on the farm is the amount of weeds. Losing your topsoil is one bad byproduct of torrential rains and plants that are rooted in place are the best way to keep your soil in place. As a result, I made the decision that in this situation, leaving weeds in the ground was actually a good thing as they would help hold our soil in place through continued rains. Now that it looks like we may be getting a reprieve from the rains, we’re going to have to kick weeding into high gear, but it did make me appreciate these pesky plants a little bit more when they were able to serve a very positive purpose on the farm instead of just being a nuisance.

This week, expect some new, exciting arrivals at the market! After a cold beginning to spring delayed their growth, the snap peas, carrots, and beets are finally ready to harvest. The first of the garlic scapes will be available, too, and as these are only around for a few weeks, make sure to grab some while you can! Check out our full harvest list below and we’ll see you at the market!

Farmers Katie & Mike

This week at the market:

• Lettuce Salad Mix
• Snap Peas
• Radishes
• Beets
• Carrots
• Baby Kale
• Arugula
• Garlic Scapes
• Onions
• Kale
• Collards
• Rainbow Chard
• Piracicaba Broccoli