Farm Update

Hi Everyone,

Hot enough for ya!! We decided to come in for a spell this afternoon after 8 changes of shirts three dips in the farm pond and practically drinking the well dry.

WE WILL HAVE CORN TODAY (FRIDAY) BEGINNING AT 10AM AND THROUGH THE WEEKEND! Or while it lasts.

The tomatoes are slowly coming. It will be at least another week the Queen of all Tomatoes has told me. Tomatoes do not ripen in temps above 85. That's the educational portion of our program today.

We have stopped trapping raccoons for a while. With the chickens in lock-down mode at night, we have stopped losing them. More work for us every night, but the chickens live and are way less stressed.

I'm not sure how to tactfully say this...but I have been having intimate relations with the summer squash. There I said it. About two weeks ago it seemed we weren't getting much fruit (squash) from all the blossoms we were seeing on the squash plants. I investigated and where last year I noticed our bees in practically every blossom, this year I noticed a couple of bumble bees and that was it. We googled our problem and lack of pollination was a probable culprit. I looked at Vicky and she looked at me and she said, "Honey you are the man for the job!" I was happy she thought of me that way and swaggered out to the squash plants to do my thing. Each plant has male blossoms and female blossoms. Only the female blossom grow fruit. If you cut off a male blossom (they look different than the female) cut off the petals to expose the stamen, which has pollen on it, and uh,,um..ok I'm getting into dangerous territory.....pull back the petals of the female flower and rub the top of the stamen on the inside portion of the female, you have just pollinated the plant. I now consider myself an expert pollinator. If you visit this weekend you will see an endless supply of my work!!

Ok, I really need to rest now....and maybe have a cigarette..

.

Available now:

Corn (tomorrow)

Zucchini

Yellow Squash

Cucumbers

Red Potatoes

White Potatoes

Carrots (small little poppers)

Beets (limited this weekend)

Arugula (very spicy)

Green Beans

Onions

Garlic

Green Peppers

Honey

Eggs

Still waiting for the last of the blueberries to ripen.

Vicky and Steve