The Equinox. That time when we really notice that the days are getting shorter, and can no longer deny it. It’s my favorite time of year, aside from the excitement of starting the first seeds in January, or eating the first Sugarsnap of the year. I love cool, rainy fall weather, sweaters and swirling leaves, and splashing in puddles. But this year, because we got started six weeks late in spring, I’m grateful for every extra sunny day and non-freezing night. Every warm afternoon pushes all the crops to grow and ripen just a little bit faster than they would on a cloudy day. Every heat unit of each day counts now. Frost could happen at any time.
Fall crops are coming on as the tomatoes wind down. This year’s tomato crop was mind-blowing, though! I’ve never had that kind of production, and I’ll definitely be using the same new tricks I used this year in 2023! The peppers will continue to ripen for several more weeks… there was one year that I kept picking peppers until Thanksgiving! Zucchini and cucumbers will soon be making way for their cousins, the hard squashes, including Honey Bear and Delicata and Spaghetti. Hopefully the rest will ripen up in these last warm days!
The cut-flower garden is finished for the year, and bouquet subscriptions will finish up this week. That’s six weeks earlier than planned, but we also got started six weeks later. Credits will be coming to those who purchased bouquet subscriptions to make up for the shortfall. We’ve learned an awful lot, and will be expanding and focusing more on the flower block of the farm.
Fall migration season has begun, and as the Osprey and Warblers depart for the south and Golden Crowned Sparrows and Coopers Hawks return for winter, so will the Vultures of the Pumpkin Patch begin to appear. Keep your binoculars handy, they’ll be here any day! There are a lot of pumpkins out there, and hopefully they’ll get the chance to turn orange! But I’ve carved my share of green pumpkins; they can be just as spooky.
We finished planting two weeks ago, and now we do maintenance; the final cultivations, a little irrigation, and a lot of harvesting. We’re getting as much cleaned up as possible in preparation for next year, and cover crops will be sown as soon as we get our first rain. We’ve made adjustments and are planning ahead so that we can get the higher parts of the farm planted early next year, even if it’s as wet as this spring was.
To close, I’m including the link to the Barn2Door store here. 2023 CSA shares are open to all (not many Spring shares left, but plenty of Summer and Winter). I’ve also extended the deadline to use the 10% off discount through September 30. (Originally it was the Equinox, but I forgot to remind everyone, so I added a grace period!) The discount is only for current CSA Members please: Use CSAEARLYBIRD at checkout.
Have a great week, and Happy Fall!
Shelley
Whistling Train Farm 