With the farm in its busiest time of year, updates have been hard to gather. LOTS have been going on and as we move towards cooler temperatures, it is easier to reflect on this year’s harvest. Despite a miserable and wet spring/early summer, we ended up having a dry and cool summer and fall. At times this summer we wished it would rain, but we were able to manage. Peach season ended early October but boy were the flavors better than ever! With it being so cool this summer, we really didn’t expect the peaches to have as much as flavor as they did. Usually the best peaches come from hot summers, but that premise must be wrong because they were outstanding this year!
Our main focus lately has been on the apples. Vegetables in the ground are mostly late season, so weeding and care for is less. Kale looked great and will be one of the items continued in our Fall CSA Program. Most of our late season crops we look to get in the ground around August first, to allow them to mature properly before cold sets in.
Can you guess what this crop is?! It’s asparagus! Once spear cutting is done in the spring, the plant goes to “fern,” allowing the crown of the plant to continue to be healthy and variable for future years harvest. These ferns will die off with the frost and will be cleaned out of the field next spring before the next seasons spears grow.
Raspberries had quite the season with pick your own just now wrapping up. Even the rain/wind storm on 10/16 couldn’t stop it! It was the best raspberry year we have seen 
in a very long time. The cooler, drier weather that isn’t so favorable to summer crops like tomatoes, is just the kind of weather raspberries like. Brussel sprouts are now ready. They are one of those items you buy in the store and could not imagine what the plant looks like. This plant loses many of its leaves, but normally the large leaves block any view of the sprouts. Beets have been a rising favorite as more and more people are starting to give them a try. They are continuing to grow in the ground since they were planted later in August than originally planned. Beets will be incorporated into our Fall CSA Program as well.