Sundog Farms

Sundog CSA September 29, 2020

LAST WEEK OF DELIVERY! 20 weeks ago – this season began late with snow in April and frost in May. We were late with plantings due to rainwater standing and now we can’t get rainwater to fall as we end this season in drought. The past few days the sprinkler which is old and antiquated, has been moved from place to place as we water the turnips and rye ground coverings and they have rewarded us by shooting up new light green growth. The forecast says that we may get some rain tomorrow evening (Sunday) so we will keep our fingers crossed as the land needs it even if our gardens are almost done for the season. This weekend was the start of our moving project – compost to each of the gardens with the help of a skid loader. So that machine is definitely on the list of things to indulge in if an inheritance lands in my lap! Amazing little machines that move so much more than a wheelbarrow and a shovel and since Dan had run one in a previous job, he spent part of the afternoon running levers. To save on machine hours, the compost is being loaded on a pickup and then hand shoveled off in piles in the garden to be moved by that trusty wheelbarrow. The pigs love Dan’s excavations and have been rooting for treasures this misty Sunday morning. RAINFALL UPDATE - .74 hundredths fell this weekend. We were grateful and the thirsty land swallowed it up.

We picked very few red tomatoes this week but we did pick lots of green ones. We are going to set them out to ripen and hope that the stink bugs do not follow our trail to the house. I read where they can be a problem inside of homes - L. Sweet peppers filled the crates and we were also able to find a good variety of hot peppers. The huge squash plants are dying without ever having given us a harvest. Next season we will return to our traditional squash bed planting style and hope for better results. We had changed up plots this season in order to try once again to grow sweet corn which we did have a few ears and the raccoons enjoyed them thoroughly! L Plus side of that was we have a corn shock for the first time in several seasons as we decided that since the critters were breaking down the stalks and eating corn, we might as well harvest the stalks!

YOUR BAG THIS WEEK –

  • Tomatoes & Green Tomatoes (with ripening instructions courtesy of Izzy)
  • Sweet Peppers
  • Hot Peppers
  • Cucumber
  • Onions
  • Beets
  • Lemongrass
  • Sage

LEMONGRASS INFORMATION-https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/lemongrass/harvesting-lemongrass.htm

Read more at Gardening Know How: Steps For Harvesting Lemongrass https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/lemongrass/harvesting-lemongrass.htm

Chef John’s Stuffed Peppers

Chef John’s Stuffed Peppers-https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/222002/chef-johns-stuffed-peppers/

Baked Stuffed Peppers With Ground Beef and Corn

https://www.thespruceeats.com/baked-stuffed-peppers-with-beef-3061376

What is Dried Sage Used For in Cooking? Here is a link if you are interested in drying your sage bundle for later use! https://thefrugalgirls.com/2020/07/how-to-dry-sage-leaves.html

Walking to the house on this chilly fall evening, we spied the moon sitting high in the sky. It wasn’t one of those “catch your breath” moons filled with reflections of the sun or sliced sharply to form a perfect crescent. In fact, it was a lumpy shape without the roundness of a full moon. And yet, it touched me as I looked at the shadows and shapes of things that I will probably never see close enough to identify. I am in love with these bodies that reflect light and hang in the sky around the planet that I reside upon. I never tire of looking at the moon and stars, at setting and rising suns and moons and of course, the streaks of magical comets. When I think of all the words that I would or could spin into the descriptions of these sky bodies, I latch onto contented and calm. Those words fit the routines of rising and setting — – with the exception of comets which I prefer to name falling stars so that I can send my wishes with them!

Wishes of the blessing of health from our farm – Jen, Zach, Katy, Dan. Seth, Izzy and Teresa

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One of our “diggers’ at work making compost and hunting for treasures!

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I sent this picture to Zach and he sent me back a picture of his orb weaver – gorgeous spiders, both of them.

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Polly, one of the farm cats, cuddling up on a chilly morning.