Blue Heron Farm News

It’s easy to see what’s going on here on the farm by scoping out the daily “To do” lists. As August progresses, it’s less about weeding-though the fall crops are still needing it-and more about harvest. The garlic is all hanging to dry in the barn, and it’s our most impressive crop ever.

Everything is growing huge and lush with the abundant rainfall we’ve been getting. It would be OK with the crew if we didn’t get an afternoon thunderstorm every single day… Tomato plants are absolutely loaded with fruit, onions and leeks are sizing up fast, and even immature winter squash are twice their normal size.

Potatoes yields are looking very promising, though the plants have yet to stop growing. We are trialling eight new, unreleased types of cucumbers for the organic seed company Seeds of Change, and all are growing like weeds. Unfortunately, the weeds are growing like weeds too, but our heroic crew is keeping them at bay.

The fields look beautiful despite the fact that it’s been too wet to get in timely tractor cultivations.

New crops for August include golden and candy cane striped chioggia beets, leeks, several heirloom eggplant varieties, 20 kinds of tomatoes, from tiny cherries to whopping 2 lb. heirlooms, a black zucchini called Raven, which has the highest content of lutein (an antioxidant which helps to prevent eye problems such as macular degeneration), and tasty mini white cucumbers. Everyone should take my advice and eat more vegetables!