Hello Food Farmers!

It’s been a wild ride since Summer Shares ended just 12 days ago! This spring we debated whether to start the 18-week season on June 8th or wait until the 15th, which would have been more normal. Boy are we glad we started the season sooner! We are so fortunate to have made some timely investments in harvesting equipment over the past few years. This enabled us to harvest both the carrot and potato crops in just two days apiece. After a summer of harvesting crops by the cartload, it was quite a change for the crew to be bringing in bin after 1,000 pound bin to quickly fill the cellar. I personally love the rush of the final harvest but it’s not for everyone, and folks who are new to the farm get a little wide-eyed as the tone and pace of the farm cranks into high gear. This year’s crew got to experience that rush in an even more compressed version than usual, and we’re incredibly appreciative of their willingness to provide the big push that was necessary to get it all done.

After all of the drama, the only crop we won’t have enough of to supply what we normally do for the Winter Shares are parsnips. We haven’t done a final tally yet, but we know from a preliminary look that we’re way behind last year’s totals, especially on carrots and potatoes. It’s not a huge surprise–a summer of heat and drought mixed with a few extreme events in the form of rain and hail combined to make a tough year for growing plants. Taking all this into account, we consider it good fortune to have a mediocre harvest vs. a disastrous one. While there’s still a lot of work to be done around the farm–so many projects are often set aside when fall triage mode sets in–at least the food is safe and protected for a winter of good eating. We’re glad to be able to fill up the boxes with goodness for your family.

One true note of sadness on the farm this week: our old farm dog Dobby passed away on Monday. It was not unexpected–we knew he wouldn’t make it through another winter–but we’re all pretty sad to have lost a trusty companion and good friend. We adopted him as a two year old former stray, and his gentle nature quickly became an important fixture on the farm–a wag and lean from Dobby was a great way for everyone on the farm to start their day. Chester now bears the burden of sole member of the welcoming committee! Thanks for all of your support and participation through this most interesting of farm seasons.

For the farm crew,

Janaki