Bringing in the harvest in May

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May started out imitating the first half of April—cold and wet, and cold and wet. We snagged a warm day, then chilly and windy nights threatened early plantings. Finally, starting the second half of the month—it warmed up!
I always feel like a merry-go-round in May—start seeds, transplant, plant, repeat! Cucumber plants started in April started bearing cucumbers on May 15. Tomato plants started in the high tunnel started ripening May 16. Lettuce, basil, arugula, and baby bok choy continue their cycles in the hydroponics house. Zucchini and patty pan squashes are now planted and should start harvest in just a few weeks. The chard in the high tunnel is doing great—we are getting excellent cuts for our CSA shares.
The first fruit of the year started as we had hoped, just in time for Mother’s Day. And then it poured rain for the next two days. My obsession with the weather reached new highs, for rain and strawberries are not a great combination. Fortunately, the rain system seems to be working its way away from us and it is warming up, so the berries will ripen faster. We are crossing our fingers for great picking next week. We are always looking for ways to extend strawberry season; no matter how long strawberries are here, it does not seem long enough.
May is for flowers! We started cutting peonies in mid-May, and all the bedding plants moved from the greenhouses to the display area. Native perennials, dicentra, dahlias, begonias, calibrachoas, geraniums, black eyed Susans, and so many more—old favorites and new varieties make for a feast for the eyes.  Lots of herbs, cucumber, chard, kale, lettuce, squash, eggplant, and pepper plants are available to fill out your garden spaces.
We finished planting the new orchard trees—cherry, Asian pears, and plums.  We are excited about many of the varieties planted. It is hard to wait patiently for the next 3 years to see how these varieties grow, produce, and, most importantly, taste!
The new herb house is dedicated to sage, thyme, oregano, and rosemary. This is an unheated hoop house, and the herbs are very happy. The covering protects the herbs from weeds, wind, and excess water. Although it is unheated, the covering provides a few degrees protection which helps the plants produce earlier in the season and later in the season, especially once the nights cool off in the fall. Basil, parsley, and cilantro are still growing abundantly in the hydro house. We are very please with our herb harvests—we have been able to put basil in CSA shares already twice this year.
Asparagus and rhubarb are two crops that do fine with the roller coaster weather of warm/cold, wet/dry. They just keep on growing. What brings dormancy for both of these is very hot weather—high 80s and low 90s—which typically happens the end of May or early June. And 92 is predicted for May 29… We enjoy the wonderful flavor of fresh asparagus, whether raw, roasted, sautéed, marinated, or lightly steamed. What’s your favorite? It is a short season!
One noticeable difference is in the quantity of produce harvested from the fields—three and four times the amount. More daylight hours and warmer temperatures help the plants produce dramatically more and more quickly. Scallions are mature in 28 days, cilantro and basil cuts are every 4 days. We are thrilled to be the recipients of our plants’ bounty!
Thanks, again, to all of our great customers. You keep us motivated to keep growing. You are what farm-to-table is all about! Eat fresh—eat local—eat well!

~ Ruth

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