What’s been going on?

Well the early fall adventures are behind us and now we are home for a bit to get some farm work done, visit with family and start ordering seeds and supplies for next year. What sublime fall weather we have had too! One of the finest runs of fall days I can remember to go with one of the best springs we have ever experienced and it has made for a really good year (I am just trying to forget those ugly hot weeks in the middle).

Betsy had a great trip to Italy to do an immersion study of the language followed by a nice visit with our Italian farm friends. She also attended the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers annual conference to do her regular wrangling of the Research Foundation. The class I have been teaching at the community college has gone by fast and I have one last day to teach. I had a good trip to Louisiana to give two full day workshops on the needs of beginning farmers, tiring but a good time. Early this month I spent a week in Utah and Arizona with an old friend and supporter of the farm. We did some backpacking in Canyonlands National Park and then visited lots of great sites around the Four Corners area.

The first several weeks of October were filled with the major farm work of soil preparation for next year and the seeding of winter cover crops that now look great with the timely rains we’ve had over the last month or so. It is a solid week on the tractor mowing crops down, spreading lime and other mineral amendments, turning all that under and then raising up over 17,000 feet of beds which are finally seeded with the cover crops. The turkeys went in for processing the first week of October too and it all went beautifully.

That leads us to Thanksgiving and a reminder of the special pre-Thanksgiving Carrboro market tomorrow, Tuesday, from 2:00-6:00. We will be there passing out the turkeys to those of you who reserved one and with lots of great produce to go with the big meal (see below). Right now the forecast looks to be one of the warmest and nicest days the special Thanksgiving market has ever had. We are not sure where we will be set up at the market, as vendors will be parked as they arrive. Look for our large white refrigerated truck and Betsys bright red pickup.

Picture of the Week

Some of the most beautiful and tender Collards and Kale ever grown!

What’s going to be at the market?

There will be a good supply of roots with Beets, Carrots, Japanese White Turnips and Easter Egg Radishes. The Green Boston lettuce should be just about the right tender size. There will be a good amount of Lacinato Kale and plenty of incredible Collards too. The Celery has grown beautifully with intense flavor, perfect or dressing and other dishes. Look for the very fresh baby Ginger for the sweet potatoes or other dishes. Lots of Jerusalem Artichokes (sunchokes) for relishes or purees.

The miracle of Brussels Sprouts has not happened, some of the best looking plants we have ever grown but the sprouts have just not sized up yet so look for them before Christmas.

As a reminder if there is anything that you would like for us to hold for you at market just let us know by e-mail, by the evening before, and we will be glad to put it aside for you.

Hope to see you all at the market!

Alex and Betsy