Again this week harvest took up most of our time, but the harvest is changing as we go. The tomatoes, decrepit and laying rotting on the ground (failed trellising disaster area) are slowing but still producing bushels, with the red roman stripes now dominating. The new timelines of bean and zucchini are finally producing sale-worthy fruit (in charmingly clean beds). Leek and parsnip and sweet potato and sunchoke (a sunflower relative, native to these parts, that produces delicious, water chestnutty/potato-like tubers) prove it's fall, and prove delicious in fall soups and roasts!
We hosted the CRAFT interns at Manorun last week, and it was reaffirming to see through their eyes how great our farm is and how beautiful the space is. It was heartening to see so many young people inspired and motivated and cooperative during our work-bee. A farmer panel on weeds and weather gave us some varied perspectives and ideas, and our pizza party potluck was delish.
Aside from harvesting and hosting, we managed to get some planting done (the hoophouse greens and turnips for a winter share), as well as some thinning and cultivating in the many carrot and beet beds planted a few weeks ago. We've applied a dose of boron, a micronutrient in which our soil is apparently deficient, to the beets. We put more good stuff away for the winter, making blueberry jam and roasting red peppers for the freezer. And we studied our planting maps and recorded rough yield impressions, reconsidering varieties (and other factors like location, soil and weather conditions, weed and pest pressure) for next year's planting.
As I write, away in New Jersey for a family event, my fellow interns are preparing to enjoy a traditional end-of-season gourmet thank you meal that Chris and Denise have hired chef Ken Lefebour to create in gratitude for our hard work and contributions to Manorun. Ken will be back next week for an even more elaborate farm dinner, tickets still available to the public. Check out
http://www.manorun.com/pdf/farm_dinner_2010.pdf for more information.
It's the countdown to the end, and while there's work to be done before we kick up our feet, we are all thinking back over the summer's work and play, and ahead to our varied winter plans... No doubt blog posts ahead will get more philosophical and big-picture...
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Andrea, your living the dream, as I read your blogs, I am so envious of your lifestyle of hard labor and love for the land. I miss you and wish you all the best. Hope to see you soon!!
ReplyDeleteI wish that your harvest dinner was on a sunday, than I would be able to come. About a 4 hour drive? Get off work at 1:30 probably would be late. I do wish to learn from you, I love the idea of self sustain community. You bring the hay, i'll bring the horses:)
Justine