Almost Summer

It's the last dawn of spring 2008. It is cool, pink to the east and the birds are singing. The full strawberry moon is setting to the southwest. By 8pm this evening we will have passed the summer solstice.

For us this means more never ending work. Peas, broccoli, zucchini, strawberries, raspberries, radishes, red turnips, etc. to harvest. Tomatoes to tie. Carrots, onions to hand weed, squash, kale, broccoli, etc. to hoe. Leeks and potatoes to be hilled. Beets to be thinned. Everything to be foliar fed a combination of water soluble kelp powder, fish powder, Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap and GSE for fungal problems. More planting to be done such as the last potatoes to put in the ground, winter squash seeds to replace the seeds that did not work or. More carrots, arugula and other crops will go in as things like garlic and onions come out in July. Row covers to be put back on the crops every time there are strong winds (almost daily this spring). And we have to sell all this stuff on top of maintaining the market garden and believe it or not marketing takes at least as much time as the growing.

For us farmers, when it is summer the livin' ain't easy at all