This is the height of our farm's growing season, and I have a full refrigerator and freezer because of it. So far, I've harvested approximately eight pounds (yes, pounds!) of berries, more salads than we can eat, lots of snap peas, and my first spinach crop since moving here is just about ready to blanche and freeze. If posting is a little light right now, that is the reason. When crops are heavy, posting is sparse ... just like spare time. Makes sense, right?
I've also been dealing with the usual varieties of pests. I've had birds in the berries, earwigs and a few aphids on the lettuce, and I believe the squirrels ate most of my ripening blueberries. But with such a great harvest, I'm not all that upset about sharing some of the excess with the creatures who live here. None of the pest problems have overwhelmed the abundant harvest, which I think is a combination of learning the land and getting lucky with the weather. We had no late-season frost, and no winds that I was not prepared for.
Speaking of the creatures who live here, I was pouring wine at the winery yesterday when a gopher snake came slithering up onto the patio. Before any customers noticed, I went in and got one of the owners, who quickly caught it and placed it back out in the vineyard, where it could live another day to do some useful gopher control.
Everything's showing up in robust abundance right now. Hope it's the same wherever you are!
Spring was such a welcome sight in Ohio! It took its time though. All those berries sound like heaven. And good for you, saving the snake! Who knows what a scared tourist would have done!
ReplyDeleteIt was mostly women, so I'm guessing there would have been screaming and a mass exodus to the parking lot. At least that's what the women inside said they would have done! Glad your spring finally showed up, bet you're loving that abundance of green everywhere!
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