Sundog Farms

Sundog CSA July 14, 2020

Mid-July already and it certainly feels like this typical summer month – lots of heat and humidity. Rain is a tough subject to talk about out here on the hill - none coming down is the problem. We got .51 this past week but the wind and heat dried that up in one day. Saturday was another rain predicted day but our gauge reflected .02 as we continued working the dirt. It is kind of a toss-up as to whether we should pull the weeds as they do offer shade at times from the blistering effects of the sun however they also suck up any available moisture it seems and our little seedlings get lost either way.

PESTS – this week’s star annoyances are Harlequin bugs and close behind these colorful creatures are worms.

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Both of these creatures are causing a lot of damage to tomatoes and chard among other crops. Harlequin bugs are also called stink bugs for good reason. J And the worm pictured which we found in some of our tomatoes this weekend is called an army worm and they do their work on your garden like an invading army. Other pests Katy did some research on the tomato hornworms and found out that there is a tobacco hornworm that is very similar to our pictured worm from last week ( found him feasting on one of our tomatoes) with the difference being a red protruding horn instead of the black one and she is sure that we have some of those also. We handpick these big green worms and over the past week have moved about 75 of them out of the tomato patch. This morning I found one on a pepper plant as I walked by doing chicken chores in the early morning light. Squash bugs are also flourishing and are not bothered by sweat dripping on them as we carefully search the soft fragile stems of the cucurbits. The best way to deal with squash bugs is to take their name literally and work your way through the row if you have the time. We have been spraying them with plain water and with soapy water but need to be more consistent in those efforts.

PIGS – They are doing well at following orders as they have appeared out of somewhere each evening for supper and we see them spend some of their free time in the “wallow” that Izzy made for them. Most importantly we have not received calls from neighbors asking if we have “lost” any pigs! They have been working at making compost out of the goat bedding in the barn which is the positive side of them breaking into the calf pen and then into the back of the barn. On their way through, they remodeled the calf pen and moved the water bucket –negative versus positive and this time positive wins! The gate was breached a few times but for the most part, they have stayed on their side and out of the garden.

The cows and goats and calves are challenged by flies – everywhere. We set up a fan in the barn for them so at least during milking time; they are a little more comfortable. Tonight, Katy sprayed them with “bug soother” and it seemed to help a little. The essential oils at least greased their hides down and made it a little slicker for the flies to grab onto!

YOUR BAG THIS WEEK ——-

  • Potatoes – freshly dug this weekend as a family task/chore. Beautiful red and white tubers!
  • Onions
  • TOMATOES - all kinds as the round fruits start to ripen
  • Swiss Chard – aerated by the Harlequin bugs this week – remember to chop the stems and use them in stir frys
  • Basil
  • Sweet Whitney Pepper

There are days when I have wished for things - sometimes simple luxuries like sleeping until you are not tired or not so simple things like owning a chunk of flat, rich, bottom ground - plowed and ready to garden. These days though I am wishing for something very different from either of those things. I want to be able to see the chiggers that have been making my work days fairly miserable since scratching in public is not something that is accepted by everyone and for some reason, there are people who have not been chigger bitten and do not understand the intense need to try and dig the little critters out of the cracks and crevices that they hide in! My wished for super-power would have some kind of laser eye that I could beam in on them, transport them to outer space and I would remain “chigger-less” for the entire summer—and to cement the deal, I found a lucky toad the other day so who knows? 😊

Blessings from our very dry hill – Teresa, Katy, Dan, Izzy, Seth, Jen and Zach