The week has begun with a chill and our activities have followed suit.
We are cleaning up fields that have already been harvested and doing an early harvest of winter squash, even though the full process will stretch until mid-September. Most importantly, though, we are focusing on planting another large batch of leafy vegetables, which has been delayed by intermittent but abundant rain. This has caused some delays in an activity that needs to be undertaken in a systematic fashion. The weather is (finally) expected to be nice until Saturday; the plants will definitely be in the fields by then.
I also pray for not-too-violent winds to help dry out the soil, as another end-of-season task urgently awaits:
finishing my green manure sowing. I keep talking about it, but Mother Nature keeps throwing us curveballs, and the rains of recent weeks have delayed this crucial activity, a must for enhanced soil health. The window is short, a maximum of two weeks, because any sowing beyond September 15th will not allow for the necessary build-up of organic matter. So let us pray – for good weather, at least.
This week’s basket will be similar to the previous one since the nightshades are still generous,
although I am starting to notice signs of fatigue. We’re also experiencing a gap in leafy vegetables, with lettuces taking their sweet time to mature. This week’s novelty: the red kuri squash that we’ve just harvested. You will also find eggplants, peppers, summer squash, carrots, onions, tomatoes and more.
We look forward to seeing you all again.