The Depot Farm

The busy season picking is upon us! With the usual mix of beans, kale, leeks, broccoli, greens and such, we have had a banner year for currants. We hand pick, so it is time-consuming, but we are pleased with the size and large quantity of berries. The bushes are so heavy with fruit they are bending over their wires and touching the ground. Add picking raspberries and I think my hands are permanently stained.

Tomatoes and peppers are still a couple of weeks out yet, but looking excellent so far. Cucumbers are just starting to produce. The zucchini and summer squash are producing as fast as we can pick! Winter squashes look good and we have started our plantings of fall crops. Beds not in use get a cover crop of rye grass and buckwheat. Straw mulch is being added wherever possible to help hold the moisture in. Garlic should be ready in about a week or so, then we will have to pull and cure the bulbs. We will again be offering garlic braids at the markets when the bulbs cure and we make them up. Potatoes are still green and bug free; but we did lift some plants to get some new potatoes for fresh sampling.

Overall, even with the extremely wet, cool spring, plants seem to have adapted and are producing well. I think that covers it for now; I'm back out to the fields to pick for the morning market tomorrow.