This is the time of year that it seems to be really hard to keep up with everything.
The weather is hot so there is the extra watering. We had a surprise rain storm one night, goodie!! But that meant all those weeds in the open spaces started to grow.
After one crop is finished, we like to disc up that section and let the soil rest, so the carrots and beets and onion section was open dirt. Well it now has weeds.
Everything seems to be growing well, producing like crazy. Goodie!!! But that means you have to pick the produce quickly or it is too ripe or too big, too soon. I can't miss one day.
The bugs are out, the ground squirrels are out, and they are eating the cucumbers.
Speaking of cucumbers, it is time to re-plant so I can have a later crop towards end of summer.
Peppers plants are so full of peppers, they need staking or stringing. Speaking of peppers, the shade cloth needs to be spread over it as it is so hot, they are getting burned.
The flower gardens look beautiful but one row looks like they need watering but they all get the same drip tape watering. Upon close examination, there is a break in one of the lines (probably from weeding with the hoe) and most of the row isn't getting water. That needs fixing.
In the dahlia patch there is too much water, I put too many drip tapes and they are not liking so much water, I need to remove and plug 1-2 rows of the drip tapes.
The weeds are high around the base of the pomegranate and fruit trees, we need to weed wack or weed eat around them-all 250 trees!!
Speaking of the trees, we flood irrigate the trees a couple times a summer and it is time to do that which requires digging trenches, tractor work for Frank.
The pumpkins got planted in 4-200foot rows. The plants are up and doing well, but so are the weeds. They are up as high also and need hoeing. I really hate using black plastic weed cover on rows as horrible on environment, extra work and $$$ when you put it down, a mess at the end of the year to pull up but BOY is it great to not have the weeds.
I need to do some personal canning. I need to schedule a canning class as everyone is asking for one.
Speaking of classes, I have a "Learn to Make Healthy Smoothies" class set for August 7th, 6-8:00pm if interested. Great way to use fruits and vegetables to help with various health issues. Sign up if interested.
Classes mean I need to clean up my sorting shed, where I put together our CSA baskets, but also give the canning and various summer classes. It seems to become a catch all for boxes, baskets, jars, bags, produce let on counters to be put away. Add that to "the list" to clean it up.
While I am out there, I need to put together some produce to put out front of my self service fruit stand. People keep coming by but I can't sell produce if I don't have it out there for them!!
Lawns need to be mowed.
Hydrangeas need to be cut so they may get another bloom before fall.
Chicken house needs to be cleaned with new straw put down. Speaking of chickens, I need to get more feed, I am almost out.
I have had 3 calls already before 9:00am people wanting to purchase our chicken eggs.
It is Sunday morning, no resting today. Farmers do not have weekends off.
Off we go to try and scratch a few of these items off of our "to do list". This is what I would rather do, a wonderful afternoon nap in the shade. NOT!