Mid September
18 September 2012
What a month! Hot, cold, and perfect describe the temperatures as one of our favorite times of year arrives on Sweet Top Farm. Even Belle, who rarely lays down (just imagine 1600 pounds trying to stand up) decided to take a load off and enjoy a recent morning rest in the sunshine. After several weeks of heavy harvests of tomatoes and peppers, the plants are slowing down; it is as if they sense the impending frost (maybe by the weekend) and our yearning for heavier foods like potatoes and winter squash and sweet greens such as lettuce, spinach, and chard. The harvests are far from over, and the CSA boxes and farmers market tables remain bountiful and beautiful.
Mid August
21 August 2012
Where did the summer go? Right into our CSA boxes and to the farmers market, that's where. We have been enjoying the sweetest cantaloupes, watermelons, and corn as well as tomatoes and cucumbers galore! Luckily, we are able to share the bounty with so many people: customers at the farmers market, CSA members, friends, family, and even our horse Belle. Ever wonder what the colors yellow and red taste like? According to our three-year-old friend Atticus, they taste like the yellow and red watermelons that grow on the farm. Both Atticus and our nephew Talen give the sweet corn "two cobs up" as they enjoyed eating several cobs of corn that they got to harvest themselves.
As the weather cools down, work on the farm changes. While we spend some time keeping up with the weeds, the task doesn't dominate our time anymore. Recently, we planted the last crops of the season, harvested storage onions, and started seeding cover crops. We have a little more time these days to spend with friends and family, giving farm tours, and cooking with the bounty of vegetables from the farm.
As the weather cools down, work on the farm changes. While we spend some time keeping up with the weeds, the task doesn't dominate our time anymore. Recently, we planted the last crops of the season, harvested storage onions, and started seeding cover crops. We have a little more time these days to spend with friends and family, giving farm tours, and cooking with the bounty of vegetables from the farm.
End of July
01 August 2012
Before we moved back to the Midwest, we lived and gardened at 9,000 feet in the mountains for Colorado. Three years ago today, we were feeding 70 people local food at our wedding, most of which we made from scratch with help from family and friends. This is one of the moments that made us realize that sharing good food with great people might just be something we wanted to do for a living. About a year later, we pursued that dream by moving back to Minnesota to take a six month course called Farm Beginnings through the Land Stewardship Project. Now, it brings us great pleasure to grow food for our CSA members and farmers’ market customers.
Megan's parents decided that for this year's summer vacation they would drive from New Hampshire to Wisconsin . During their 9 day “farm-cation,” John and Beverly hand weeded a quarter of an acre, cultivated with Belle, harvested everything from basil to corn, packed two weeks of CSA boxes, and worked at the farmers’ market. They might just need another vacation after this one is over. We’ve really enjoyed their visit and managed to complete this month’s to-do list with their help. Enjoy some pictures from their "farm-cation" below.
Before we moved back to the Midwest, we lived and gardened at 9,000 feet in the mountains for Colorado. Three years ago today, we were feeding 70 people local food at our wedding, most of which we made from scratch with help from family and friends. This is one of the moments that made us realize that sharing good food with great people might just be something we wanted to do for a living. About a year later, we pursued that dream by moving back to Minnesota to take a six month course called Farm Beginnings through the Land Stewardship Project. Now, it brings us great pleasure to grow food for our CSA members and farmers’ market customers.
Megan's parents decided that for this year's summer vacation they would drive from New Hampshire to Wisconsin . During their 9 day “farm-cation,” John and Beverly hand weeded a quarter of an acre, cultivated with Belle, harvested everything from basil to corn, packed two weeks of CSA boxes, and worked at the farmers’ market. They might just need another vacation after this one is over. We’ve really enjoyed their visit and managed to complete this month’s to-do list with their help. Enjoy some pictures from their "farm-cation" below.
Middle of July
12 July 2012
After last week’s heat, the plants in the field are full speed ahead. In a matter of two weeks, the transition from spring to summertime produce occurred, and favorites such as tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, and peppers aren't far off from being ready to eat. We noticed many green tomatoes while staking the plants last Friday and found the first softball sized watermelons while weeding between the vines. The peppers and eggplants are noticeably bigger every day, and both are flowering and setting fruit. Soon, there will be cucumbers galore as well as new potatoes. The photos below reflect how fast things are changing on the farm.
We harnessed up Belle on Tuesday morning, and she cleared out most of the weeds that sprouted up after this heat wave. Some crops are starting to get big, making it difficult to get Belle between the rows. We also learned that she likes to chomp off the tassels on the sweet corn as she walks through which means we will have to weed those by hand now, much to Belle’s disappointment.
We harnessed up Belle on Tuesday morning, and she cleared out most of the weeds that sprouted up after this heat wave. Some crops are starting to get big, making it difficult to get Belle between the rows. We also learned that she likes to chomp off the tassels on the sweet corn as she walks through which means we will have to weed those by hand now, much to Belle’s disappointment.
End of June
27 June 2012
This is such a wonderful time of year! While we are still planting seeds in the greenhouse and transplanting in the field, those tasks are slowing down, and we are able to focus more on working in the field. Vegetables that were slow growing due to the fluctuations in weather are starting to get bigger and some are flowering and even fruiting. While we know that plants really want to grow, every time we see a success, it feels like a miracle of nature--oh so rewarding!
We've had four Saturday farmers' markets already (time is flying!) and delivered our second CSA box today. It is feels great to know that Sweet Top Farm is becoming part of this community, and every week we look forward to seeing familiar and new faces on delivery days and at the market. When we aren't harvesting for these days, we are trying to stay ahead of the weeds. Thanks to Belle, we are able to cultivate all of our fields in about 2 hours (and save our knees from crawling around on the ground hand- weeding).
We've had four Saturday farmers' markets already (time is flying!) and delivered our second CSA box today. It is feels great to know that Sweet Top Farm is becoming part of this community, and every week we look forward to seeing familiar and new faces on delivery days and at the market. When we aren't harvesting for these days, we are trying to stay ahead of the weeds. Thanks to Belle, we are able to cultivate all of our fields in about 2 hours (and save our knees from crawling around on the ground hand- weeding).
Late May, Early June
06 June 2012
After 3" of rain in a matter of days followed by these warm nights and hot days, the vegetables (and weeds) are growing fast! Some days we just can't make up our minds whether to pull weeds or transplant all the vegetables and flowers that were waiting for the fields to dry out. Luckily, the weather has cooperated this past week, and we were able to do both. All of the season's tomatoes and winter squash are in the ground as well as the first successions of sweet corn, watermelons, cantaloupes, and summer squash. Sugar snap peas are blooming and lettuce is just about ready to harvest. We had a great first farmers' market on the morning of June 2nd followed by an afternoon cultivating everything we have planted with our faithful Belle.
The fields are looking beautiful!
Early May: Wild Weather, lots of Planting, and a NEW EMPLOYEE!17 May 2012
Although early May brought nearly 4 inches of rain in a week, the sunshine allowed us to work up more beds this week and put hundreds of plants into the ground. We are thankful that the sunshine finally dried things up enough to transplant onions, peppers, eggplants, herbs, flowers, sweet corn, cucumbers, lettuce, celery...the list goes on. Soon, tomatoes will go out followed by melons and winter squash. The fields look great, and the little plants are happy. |
Belle the Belgian Cross
Every farmer is burdened by weeds, and the weeds love the rain and grow rapidly in the warmth. However, we are lucky to have a new employee to help us out: a Belgian Cross named Belle. Last season, we cultivated with Belle at Common Harvest Farm. She was passed on to us this week, and we are proud to call ourselves a mixed power farm: using a tractor for tillage and bed preparation and Belle for cultivation. View the slideshow below for more photos of Belle and the farm.
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Late April on the Farm
30 April 2012
Despite the unsettled weather, days on the farm have been busy. With hopes of having some early cherry tomatoes, we planted several varieties in the greenhouse along with basil. Adam built a cold frame for small plants to acclimate to the elements (especially wind) before being transplanted in the field. We planted 300 pounds of potatoes on April 26, and peas and spinach are germinating in the field. By the start of May, there will be kohlrabi, kale, broccoli, cabbage, scallions, and chard transplanted into the field. After trimming the basil, we enjoyed homemade pesto on pizza (with flour and cheese from Wisconsin and roasted peppers we froze last season). Look for this recipe later in the season!
Despite the unsettled weather, days on the farm have been busy. With hopes of having some early cherry tomatoes, we planted several varieties in the greenhouse along with basil. Adam built a cold frame for small plants to acclimate to the elements (especially wind) before being transplanted in the field. We planted 300 pounds of potatoes on April 26, and peas and spinach are germinating in the field. By the start of May, there will be kohlrabi, kale, broccoli, cabbage, scallions, and chard transplanted into the field. After trimming the basil, we enjoyed homemade pesto on pizza (with flour and cheese from Wisconsin and roasted peppers we froze last season). Look for this recipe later in the season!
Early April in the Greenhouse
13 April 2012
Work on the farm is starting to pick up. Megan has been spending a lot of time planting vegetable and flower seeds in the greenhouse, and the plants are growing bigger by the day. We hope to do our first seeding of snap peas and spinach at the beginning of next week (pending possible SNOW!?). Our fields have heavier soil, and believe it or not, there is still some moisture in the ground despite the dry winter.
Work on the farm is starting to pick up. Megan has been spending a lot of time planting vegetable and flower seeds in the greenhouse, and the plants are growing bigger by the day. We hope to do our first seeding of snap peas and spinach at the beginning of next week (pending possible SNOW!?). Our fields have heavier soil, and believe it or not, there is still some moisture in the ground despite the dry winter.