Abbe Hills Farm CSA

Greetings shareholders,

This week, we'll have potatoes, onions, garlic, the never-ending-but-oh-so-delicious cabbage, kale, collards, basil, and cilantro.  I think we have enough eggplant for Monday people to each have one, and probably summer squash for everybody this week.  We found some cucumbers, too.  Monday people will get sweet corn.

That's the simple version of the week's story.  It's quite a bit more complicated.  We had a tough week last week and I think this upcoming one is going to be a stinker, too.  The consequences of the heat are apparent everywhere, and it's having a huge impact on our crops.  Most of the summer crops, even though many of them are basically tropical in origin, don't do well with very hot days, and really don't do well with hot nights.  One outcome of excessive heat is that the flowers abort before they have a chance to make fruits.  That's why we still don't have any eggplants, squash, cucumbers, peppers, chilies, tomatoes, and so few beans.  If they had fruits set before it got hot, they sat there on the plants, waiting, waiting, and when the rain came last week, they quickly grew big enough to harvest.  Thus, something to harvest this week.  But no new fruits have set since the heat came.  Thus, not enough of anything.  We have 1000's of plants, but they just don't have anything to pick.  When it finally straightens out and cools off a little, especially at night, we won't be able to keep up, but right now, there's just not much there.

The other thing about hot nights is that they are humid.  And that is perfect for disease causing organisms like bacteria and fungus.  We're going to have to pick 100% of the bell peppers that had set on about 2500 plants and throw them on the ground this week because they are all infected with a white fungus.  Last week when it hit, it looked like the fruits had snow on them!  I tilled all the green bean plants on the farm this weekend because they were full of disease and yielding poorly and poor quality beans.  Might as well get rid of them and use the space for something else for fall.  But that means no beans for a while.

Then there's the sweet corn.  Remember the 3000 broccoli's that all got ready on the same day.  Well, the same thing happened in the sweet corn.  The crop we harvested for the Thursday people last week was Bodacious, and was a little under-ripe.  It should have been fine for tomorrow (Monday), and then we would start on a new patch of Incredible on Thursday of this week, finishing it next Monday.  Instead, we're picking the Incredible tomorrow and hoping it's not too far gone.  It's the heat.  It sped up the ripening by ten days.  Theoretically, I have three more sweet corn crops that should last three more weeks.  Hope it works out that way. 

It is possible that we might be able to harvest the last of the Incredible on Tuesday for a special pick-up by the Thursday people and people who want it for the freezer (rather than letting it get completely away from us).  If it's still fit to eat, and if we are physically able to get it picked, I will let you know BEFORE NOON ON TUESDAY if you will need to come pick it up Tuesday night.  If you don't hear from me, then we lost it and we'll have to wait for the next patch. 

The heat this upcoming week is going to be challenging for my workers.  I try not to let them work past noon on the very hot days.  But it's going to rain Tuesday afternoon and one of the most important things we have to do before then is to plant fall garden.  It should have been started last week, but it was too muddy.  Now the soil is in good condition, so we're going to plant like maniacs.  It might reduce the time we have available for potato digging, so there could be a short-term potato shortage this week, too.  I'm sorry for the inconvenience this causes you.  We're working really hard to give you the best CSA experience we can, but this summer is turning out to be a tough one.  I'm sure it will straighten out for fall - it always does - but that doesn't make getting there any more fun!

I hope you can come to the farm open house and field day next Sunday, August 7, 4:00 until 7:00.  It's kind of a big deal.  Unfortunately, we've got lots of weeds and disease to show off to our visitors.  But it's a good chance for consumers and young people interested in vegetable farming to see what it's really like, warts and all.

I'll have raffle tickets for the Southeast Linn Community Center drawing on Aug 13 with me this week.  Please support the Center and buy a few.

Well, it's mostly bad news this week.  Sorry.  Focus on the cabbage.  It will make you feel better.  The stuff is a miracle as far as I'm concerned!

See you this week,

Laura