Lamenting the fact that it rained again this week would serve no purpose, so I won’t add anything stating the obvious. Instead, let me tell you about our decision to (finally) install protective netting in our blueberry patch. Some of you may recall plaintive emails of seasons past recounting forced sharing of our blueberry crop with the farm’s many feathered friends. More foes than friends, in fact, given the obscenely usurious tax of approximately 40% they collect on our blueberry production year in, year out. So once again, we have determined that enough is enough. Armed with resolve, a sledgehammer and the farm’s bank account, we are steadily building our defense, aligning netting support poles throughout our blueberry patch, 50-plant/75-meter row by 50-plant/75-meter row. The work is not so much difficult as it is tedious – measuring the distance from the previous pole, clambering up the stepladder, hammering in the metal pole, and starting over again, a thousand times, under the wry gaze of the farm’s robins, scavengers on stand-by. Word has it our blueberries are tasty…at least, that’s what the birds have told us over the years. This summer, we’re aiming to prolong our blueberry season…
We’d like to think summer and full-on solanacea season have arrived, but such is not the case. Our zucchini plants are already fully laden, the cukes are on their way – but tomato time, the ultimate proof that Quebec does indeed have a summer, has not yet come. Cabbage is our veggie of the week. This week’s is a summer varietal, light and crisp, to be eaten raw, preferably in a slaw with a nice dressing. There will be other goodies in your basket, including strawberries, which should be eaten quickly before they mildew in your fridge. We look forward to seeing you all.