Howdy Folks,
I remember once discussing birds with a chef. I was saying how stressed out smaller birds seem to be. If you ever watch them for some period of time, their movements are incredibly fast and they very rarely take their eyes off the sky above them. Both competition with other birds and trying to not be eaten alive are likely the stressors that have created such attributes. I’m always curious about what the animals are thinking about that I don’t realize and would really enjoy to understand what life stresses shape their lives. Although I haven’t channeled into the mind of a bird, I do have some insight into what the driving stressors in a vegetable farmers life are. There are towering concerns of vegetable quality, yield and harvests. But there are these tiny little things that will forever shape the daily tasks of a farmer if not kept in check. Weed Seeds….So whats on our minds right now? One lingering question…How are we going to stop all the weeds from going to seed without compromising vegetables in the field. There are always a lot of weeds sticking up all over the farm around now. We’re at the tail end of tomato harvests from the first tomato field. Can you imagine what the foot rows look like in between the rows right now? It’s a weedy nightmare. And although I’d love to till in all those weed platnts before they put on seed and become a consistent problem to deal with in the future, the number one priority of harvesting and feeding people must be completed. Needless to say , there are screaming priorities all over the place on the farm. I do, however, take the time to pull specific weeds that scare the daylights out of me. The tall ones that dwarf just about any crop you grow: foxtail grass, pigweed, lambs quarters, ragweed. There are very aggressive grasses and succulents that can take over a field as well, but if I had to choose, which I do, I choose the shorter growing weeds over the taller ones for obvious management reasons. This is big time driving stressor #2 right now...
Go! Go! Go!
Thank You!
Enjoy the Fresh Produce!
Aeros, Chris and The Who Gang
