This week I had to make the decision to pull my stand from the Hyde Park Farmers' Market. Unfortunately I was not able to make it work financially. It is the time of year where I have to make decisions about where to place my time and energy. After spring ends and summer starts, I need to make sure I have the ability to keep the garden going through the hotter and drier months. That means setting up irrigation, cutting and applying insect netting, mulching, weeding, and planting.
Sruthi has been filling sandbags, so I can apply the insect netting that I was able to cut with the help of my father. It will protect my crops in the the cabbage family (arugula, radish, turnip, kale, and the baby brassica mix) from swede midge which will destoy the plants growing tip and prevent it from growing at all and cabbage flea beetle which will eat tiny holes in every leaf, making them look unappetizing. But under the insect netting, it looks great! I am really happy with the results and glad that I have started using them on my farm.
I have a whole load of organic straw from my neighbour that we just started applying to the tomatoes. I found it worked great the last time I used it to suppress weeds, retain water, and keep the tomatoes nice and clean.
Each week I replant all the salad greens, dill, cilantro, basil, beets, carrots, radishes and turnips. Plus I transplant lettuce, green onions, and bok choi. Now that We have less rain, it means the irrigation lines will need to be set up while I do this. I have some 30 ft irrigation pipes that I am going to have to drag out to the field. It can be cumbersome, but it is better than nothing. I also have some drip irrigation that I can pull out for the cucumber, squash, tomatoes, and melons. This should help mitigate the effects drought on the farm.
Plus we are working to harvest and set up at markets. I love all these aspects of farming! It's a challenge every year, and I hope that I keep finding ways to make the garden do well!
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