The share customization period (during which you can swap, add, delete, or purchase items) has begun for this Wednesday's (July 20th) farm share and will remain open for your inspection and use until 11:59 p.m. tonight (Sunday).
Greetings Friends:
We've listed 35 items for this week's harvest, with several of them available only by your selection during the customization period in effect now and closing at near midnight tonight; so do at least click on the customization button so you can be aware of all the items available to you this week. New items this week are Japanese Cucumbers, Cherry Tomatoes, Bulb Garlic, Fennel Root, Raspberries, and Blueberries (the latter two from Viva Farms in Mt. Vernon).
At the Farmers' Market yesterday one of my favorite farmers and dear friends, Roslyn M., sighed at me as we were setting up and admitted, "I hate this month." And truly July is the mother of all crunch months, with a long and spiraling "to do" list the completion of which has a great impact on the remainder of the market farm season. Every conceivable task is being engaged all at once: sowing, planting, weeding, irrigation, maintenance, and, of course, harvest, lots of harvest. Where even as late as early May it seemed conceivable that the farmer could work their way through their still lengthy lists, in July it all explodes in their face. Hard choices are necessary: save the weedy lettuce or build the bean trellis before the rapidly growing plants sprawl upon the ground; sucker the already well trained tomatoes, or set up irrigation on the new broccoli patch; harvest the spotty bok choi patch or cultivate the new carrots just emerging from the soil. The cold realization seizes the mind that crops which you've neglected too long are now simply lost causes fit only for the roto-tiller, money and effort you kiss good bye. After 35 years of this work, July doesn't rattle me that much and I comfortably put on the fatalists's shirt: we'll do our best and be glad for what we achieve. My friend, Cheryl Thornton formerly of Cloud Mt. Farm, said it best early in our friendship: "farming is like a rafting a river". Once you are in the rapids isn't the time to think of the cook stove fuel you left back at base camp. You just hang on and try not to flip into the churning water.
Thanks for your membership and support. We couldn't and wouldn't do it without you!
This Week's Photo: The winter squash field has kicked into its verdant high gear.
Mike, Kim, and Crew
Cedarville Farm
