Happy Friday Yall!
What a sunny week we have had here on the farm. All of the fall crops grew happily after the rains of the week before.
This time of year, most of our time is taken up with harvesting crops, and putting fields to bed for winter. Each "window" of dry soil we get, we hustle to clean up this years crop, and seed cover crops. I know yall have heard me extoll the benefits of cover crops before, but they really are crucial to good farming. We seed an early mix of oats and peas. The oats will grow well through the fall and create a nice thick mat on field while pumping sugars into the soil that will feed the soil. Then, the oats will die over winter in the cold weather and the peas will take over and turn lush. They will pump nitrogen into the ground for our 2024 crops. The dead oats and tender peas will be easy to work into the soil in the spring so we can prep the ground for the early crops. Our rye/vetch/clover mix is a different story, but I'll save that for another "happening."
2 crop notes: the Black Spanish Radishes are not your normal spring radish. They have deep flavor, a spicy kick, and can be roasted as well as eaten raw. Also, normally, our hot peppers are a medley, but this week we are giving out pints of only Orange Habaneros. They are super spicy! This is a great week to get some if you want to make some hotsauce.
Enjoy the produce!
Alex
4436903023
smithro@dickinson.edu
