The Planting Is Nearly Done

I have never been so obsessed about checking on the weather than I have this year. Each morning and each night, I go to the weather.com and check out what is supposed to happen the next day and future days. My life has been planned around whether there will be some sun so I can plant; or if there will be some rain; meaning I plant like crazy so my new plants will have some nice rain for them so I don’t have to water. Not that I am complaining about the rain, but good grief, a farmer has to have some time to plant and if the soil is too wet, it can’t be worked to lay seed or put in young plants.
Last Saturday and Sunday I planted more beans, peas, flowers, squash, cucumbers, and corn. I waited for the rain that came Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday and Friday when it was sunny, I planted my watermelons and cantaloupes and another row of beans. Today I am picking up my tomatoes and pepper plants from the wholesale nurseryman and I hope Frank and I can get them all in the ground, install the tomato supports before (I saw on the internet anyways) it rains on Monday. All my shoes I use to work in the vegetable fields are lined up by the back door in different stages of mud compaction on the soles. It is like walking around with 5lbs weights on your feet!!
Oh well, at least after today and tomorrow, when we get the tomatoes and peppers in the ground, most of my planting will be done. We still have lots of time yet to plant the pumpkins and future additional rows of corn.
I have signed up all of the slots available that I have set aside for my CSA memberships. I have such a great group of members that I am excited to become good friends with over this summer as we deliver their boxes of Windmill Farm produce. I have been so thrilled to talk to the CSA members as there is truly a new enthusiasm by young families to have their children eat good and wholesome fruits and vegetables AND to be able to know exactly where that food was grown. Frank has called me the Surrogate Farmer as many of these families are so busy trying to make a living and keeping up with their kid’s activities and have no time to grow their own gardens. But they don’t want to give up on having fresh vegetables and fruits available to their family. Having our produce delivered right to their door is fitting in perfectly in the lives of many of my new members.
Better get to planting those good Heirloom and Beefsteak tomatoes and those red, yellow and green Bell Pepper plants. Next blog will talk about how we recycled items and built a new sorting shed and refrigeration unit. Thank you again for being a part of the Windmill Farm family.