Independence Days Update: A Change in the Weather
Sharon June 7th, 2010
After a hot, dry May, we’ve shifted into a cooler weather pattern for at least the next few days, perfect for all the raised bed building we’re doing (we’re finally, finally getting the rest of the garden raised up to deal with drainage problems that have been totally irrelevant this year 
). I admit, 89 and humid is not my favorite weather for digging all day. I’m not a hot weather gal, I guess.
We’ve also had enough rain to actually make a difference, which is great – the pond is low, the creek was nearly dry, and even after several shorter rainfalls, you couldn’t feel moisture in the soil. It takes a lot of rain to compensate for that kind of dryness. But the last two days have been great, and we are now ready for hard labor.
And since I have to get these beds built before I can get a lot of my plants, particularly the perennial herbs, into the ground, there’s some urgency to it. Even the wetland herbs are getting slightly raised up beds, for soil improvement and increased yields. I’ve got cranberrybush viburnums, valerian and blue vervain galore waiting to go in, and am hoping I’ll be able to get it in within the next couple of days.
Meanwhile, the new, expanded culinary herb bed is up and running (the old one has been shifted into a spot for acid lovers like blueberries, bearberries and arnica montana), and we’re getting the annual crops put in just as fast as we can. The heat and drought were tough on my transplants, even watered in, so this will be a good week for getting the last ones in.
We’re having a huge birthday party for Eric’s 40th in two weeks, so my goal is to have everything in and looking nice by then, except, of course, the fall crops. Realistically, this probably won’t happen, especially since I’m off to DC for a meeting this weekend, but we’ll take advantage of the energizing cool breezes.
The does are starting to look pregnant, and we’re in the process of drying them off – they need to be done by next week, so we’re enjoying the last bits of goat milk for a bit. The hens set and hatched out 11 surviving chicks altogether, so now they are being kicked off their nests to lay eggs for us for a while . I’ll be starting the meat birds and turkey poults for fall as soon as I get back.
We went strawberry picking for the first time this year – by long tradition, the first batches we pick are used only for consumption – everyone eats strawberries as much as humanly possible for the first few days, and then we can bear to reserve some for preservation. So no preserving so far – but the season has only just begun here, and I’ve got the rhubarb set aside for Tuesday’s first batch of strawberry rhubarb jam. Meanwhile, we ate strawberry shortcake, and I plotted Eric’s birthday party, which will involve strawberry shortcake for fifty.
Otherwise, it is just back to the grind .
Plant something: Peppers, eggplant, melons, cucumbers, squash, beets, corn, sweet potatoes, green beans, dry beans, barley, basil, rosemary, tarragon, lemon thyme, organge thyme, shiso, parsley, vap ca, maypop, elderberry, kale, chard, rau om, watercress,
Harvest something: Lettuce, bok choy, kale, mint, chard, chives, pea shoots, peas, beet greens, orach, strawberries, rhubarb, asparagus, eggs, milk
Preserved something: nope, but we start Tuesday
Waste Not: Been freezing milk for cheese during the period without milking does, collected bottles of (very good) salad dressing not finished at an event I was attending for home use. The usual composting and feeding things to other things.
Want Not: Did a bit of yard saling on Friday – picked up glass wiretop canning jars for storing food (I don’t can in them) and some garden pots. Eli’s bus driver brought me a bag of size-8 boys boots that she found, all new, at the dump of all places – they should fit him next fall.
Eat the Food: Strawberry shortcake! Strawberry rhubarb pie! Stir fried snap peas and asparagus. Haven’t done anything fancy with them, just too happy to have them to gussy them up!
Build community food systems: Gave a talk on the need for more young farmers.
How about you?
Sharon