As far as the weather is concerned, this week has been a doozy! Between the derecho that wreaked havoc on the region Monday night, and the stretch of near record-breaking heat that followed, we have been on alert every day. Thankfully, the brunt of the intense storms missed the farm. As for the heat, our farm team has been taking measures to stay safe, including earlier start times, high quality hydration, frequent breaks in the shade (and sometimes the walk-in cooler), and proper attire for sun protection. Zach even finally joined the big hat club!
Speaking of sun, did you know that lettuce really doesn’t like growing in the heat of summer? When the temps get hot, we have to go to greater lengths to keep our lettuce happy. We use mulches--like landscape fabric on the bed tops and wood chips in the pathways--to keep the soil cool and help it retain moisture, and we cover new plantings with shade cloth for a week or two to buffer the full intensity of the sun while the plants get established. And in the hot afternoon hours we use sprinklers to mist the plants at regular intervals to keep them cool. All of these measures work together to keep our garden producing greens even when it’s as hot as it has been.
At least the weather cooperated for Pizza Friday--we had another beautiful one this week! The temperature cooled down a bit, the humidity lowered, and there was a nice breeze all evening. As you may know, we are taking pizza pre-orders this year. Every Friday night around 7:15pm we’ll open up ordering for the following week. You’ll be able to see what the Harvest-of-the-Week special is going to be AND select what time you want your pizza to be ready! We encourage everyone to come out and experience a Pizza Night on the farm!
