We found last year that it was just too difficult to farm and shop at the same time, so after much thought, we have opted to take 2011 off from growing vegetables, with hopes that we’ll be able to resume farming in 2012.

Thanks again, and if you have any questions, shoot us an email.

The storm that set all-time record low pressures in the midwest set some all-time records for destruction at the farm.  It certainly caused some consternation at our house in the wee hours of the morning, so we figured it had probably done the same out at the farm.  But we were surprised by just how bad it was.

In preparation for the forecast freeze last night, we had spent a few hours covering the majority of our Thanksgiving crops to protect them.  We know how windy it gets around here, so over the last couple of days we had taken extra measures to secure the covering.  It was all in vain.

The scene above is what greeted us when we finally got out to survey the damage.  The sandbags had done their job; they had all stayed in place, holding the edges of the fabric securely.  However, the winds were just too strong for the fabric itself, which was literally shredded into a million pieces.  We spent a good hour walking the fields to the east, picking up tiny fragments.  The wind was so strong that it blew many of our harvest bins away, turned our 4′ x 8′ trailer around 180 degrees, and deposited the wash sinks in the middle of the vegetables (note the white sink in the photo below).

In the picture above, you can see how the wind even upended many of the hoops, which are 1/2″ steel conduit.  They were sunk into the ground a good 10″, and reinforced across the top with baling twine that was tied off at each hoop and then tied to a rebar stake at each end.  The yellow things are the sandbags that had been holding the fabric down.  Underneath every bag is a piece of the cover that ripped away.  We used Agribon 19.  Note the kohlrabi to the left; can you tell which way the wind was blowing?

The wind even tore a large chunk off the hoop house roof.

Here’s the view from the inside:

The crops took a beating once the row cover was off.  The lettuce transplants suffered frost damage, and all the plants looked very bedraggled, like they had tried very hard to resist an unwelcome trip to Kansas.  The ground was littered with broccoli and cabbage leaves that had been snapped off, and the poor leeks got an unexpected haircut:

Because the wind continued to blow all day, we didn’t even attempt to repair the damage and re-cover things.  It’s frustrating.  Doubly so because the crops are all uncovered now, and tonight’s supposed to be the really cold one, with a low in the mid 20’s.  Our field is always several degrees colder than the forecast, so we’re assuming it will get down into the low 20’s.  After their tough day, it will be interesting to see how the plants fare.

We were hoping to be able to offer a nice Thanksgiving produce box, but that’s now in question.  We’ll just have to wait and see if things recover.  Such is the gamble with autumn weather, I suppose.

Final pick-up for the bi-weekly Lake Valley and Bloom! folks.  This week’s share includes:

• Carrots – these are true babies; enjoy them as snacks
• Garlic
• Lettuce-only salad mix
• Onions - Dakota Tears
• Potatoes, baby – mostly Yukon Golds; make potato salad!
• Radishes - Cherry Belle
• Tomato –  small Brandywine heirlooms
• Winter squash – Delicata
• Winter squash – Acorn

Packing shares and munching carrots:

After a few weeks of drying, the onion harvest is officially done.  We trimmed and packed them yesterday.  Small by most standards, it was the largest onion crop we’ve ever grown, and it took a while to do.  Even though everyone pitched in to help, there was definitely room for improvements in efficiency!

We loaded the onions, along with the winter squash, into the trailer and took it back to the house.  It’s all packed and stored in our basement now, and we’re looking forward to a supply of delicious onions through the winter.

On a different note, Emily learned to drive the tractor today.  Great job, kiddo!

[Back-posted on 9/27]

This week’s share includes:

• Carrots
• Eggplant – some standard ones and some lavender ones called Pingtung Long
• Garlic
• Lettuce-only salad mix
• Onions - Walla Walla
• Peppers - green and red bell
• Potatoes, baby
• Radishes - Cherry Belle
• Tomatoes - Cherokee Purple and Brandywine heirlooms, and red hybrids
• Apples from Lone Hawk Farm – red and yellow.  (You might find worm damage, but they taste really good and they’re the perfect size for snacking.)

As happened to many other farmers in the county, insects and disease pretty much wiped out our potato crop in July.  We decided to salvage as much of the crop as possible, and what resulted was a small quantity of baby potatoes for everyone.  It was slow, tedious work, and it was disheartening to barely get out what we put in, but we at least got something.  Here’s what it looked like:

Pretty measly harvest, but the potatoes are yummy.

]]> http://thefamilytablefarm.com/2010/09/csa-share-922/feed/ 0 http://thefamilytablefarm.com/2010/09/potluck/ http://thefamilytablefarm.com/2010/09/potluck/#comments Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:28:46 +0000 mike http://thefamilytablefarm.com/?p=1728

[Back-posted on 9/27]

They weren’t organic, or gluten-free, and they barely passed Christopher’s nut-free requirement, but they sure tasted good when munched off the end of a string!  After a yummy meal with contributions from everyone, the kids seemed to have a lot of fun with the Donut-On-A-String game, second only to sitting on the tractor.

We had a great turnout for the potluck, with about 70 adults and kids making the trek out to enjoy the farm on a beautiful September evening.  A big “thanks” to everyone who attended and brought such wonderful food.  And an especially big THANKS to everyone who has supported the farm this season.  We truly appreciate you all!

This week’s share include:

• Green beans – a mix of green called Jade, and a yellow wax.
• Carrots
• Garlic
• Lettuce, two kinds – a romaine called Paris Island, and a red leaf called Merlot
• Onions - red and Walla Walla
• Peppers - green bell
• Radishes - Cherry Belle
• Summer squash – the very last of the golden zucchini
• Tomatoes - Cherokee Purple and Brandywine heirlooms, and red hybrids
• Apples from Lone Hawk Farm – you might find worm damage, but they taste really good and they’re the perfect size for snacking
• Pears from Lone Hawk Farm – they taste great right now, but may need to ripen a bit more.

For next time, look forward to some Delicata winter squash.

This week’s share includes:

• Green beans, 2 kinds – regular snap called Jade, and a very thin, sweet bean called Masai Haricot Vert
• Chioggia Beets
• Carrots
• Sweet corn – provided by another Longmont farmer; grown without any chemical sprays, so there might be worms
• Cucumbers - green slicers and yellow
• Garlic
• Lettuce – a romaine called Paris Island
• Onions - red and Walla Walla
• Peppers - green bell
• Radishes – Cherry Belle
• Shallots
• Summer squash - yellow crookneck and golden zucchini
• Tomatoes - Cherokee Purple and Brandywine heirlooms, and red hybrids

Because of the frost on Monday night, this will probably be the last week for cucumbers and summer squash.

It was earlier than we expected, but our field suffered some frost damage last night.  The pumpkins, basil, cucumbers, and summer and winter squash all got zapped.  While the pumpkins and winter squash had already set fruit, some of which is pretty ripe, the other crops are done for the year.

Luckily, it seemed to be a spotty frost, and the beans, tomatoes, and peppers seem to have been spared.  The jury is still out on whether or not the eggplant was affected.

This week’s share includes:

• Basil
• Golden Beets
• Carrots
• Celery
• Sweet corn – provided by another Longmont farmer; grown without any chemical sprays, so there might be worms
• Cucumbers - green slicers, thin-skinned seedless, and yellow
• Eggplant – either standard or Asian Pingtung Long
• Garlic
• Onions - red and Walla Walla
• Peppers - green bell
• Salad mix – several different varieties of lettuce
• Shallots
• Summer squash - yellow crookneck and golden zucchini
• Tomatoes - Cherokee Purple and Brandywine heirlooms, and red hybrids