What’s been going on!

Last Friday I woke up in the middle of the night with the realization that this coming Friday was the 4^th of July.  It completely slipped up on us.  Not so much from the “Woohoo! It’s a holiday” kind of thing but more from a small business persons perspective of how do we manage the schedule with markets on Wednesday before and Saturday right after.  Everyone’s normal patterns will be upended, restaurants will be closed some days, people going to the beach or mountains, parties going on, oh and now a hurricane will be brushing the coast and bringing rain (hopefully) here on Thursday.

The potential of some real rain is actually much welcomed as the dry conditions are holding us back from both getting the remains of the spring crops turned under and cover crops planted but we also need a good soaking of next year’s tomato field so we can get it covered with the big sheets of clear plastic to cook the fusarium wilt disease out of the soil.  We did not have a chance to solarize this year’s field and we are already losing a lot of plants to the disease especially German Johnsons, Italian Oxhearts and Kellogg’s Breakfast.

Crops don’t know about holidays so we roll on their needs.  Fortunately after this week’s mow down of the last of the spring crops it is all about picking tomatoes and flowers and keeping the rest watered and growing well.  Tomato picking is a Monday and Thursday morning job and believe it or not this may well be the peak week, already.  There is already a thousand pounds in the packing shed from Mondays harvest and maybe as many coming Thursday.  We will act a bit like Friday is a holiday, at least the tomatoes will be in the house and we will take a relaxed approach to getting ready for Saturday market, see you there.

Picture of the Week

Beautiful Lisianthus flanked by soon to be ready Celosia

What’s going to be at the market?

Plenty of tomatoes for all the holiday needs at both Wednesday’s and Saturday’s markets.

In reds there are both the balanced Big Beefs and some sweeter Ultrasweets.  A huge amount of pink German Johnsons, the heirloom of the Piedmont.  Good volume in Cherokee Purples.  In yellows we have Orange Blossoms, Kellogg’s Breakfast and a few of the higher acid Azoychka.  A great supply of Striped Germans and Green Cherokees.  Cherries galore with the best tasting Sungolds, yellow and pink mixed, Black Cherries and a great mix of yellow, red and green Blush types, very sweet.  Even the first small amounts of Romas and a lot of Italian Oxheart sauce types.

We have a lots of Summer Crisp lettuce in red and green some Little Gem too.  Sweet Red Onions.  Basil along with Chives and Italian Parsley.  The last of the Fennel and Carrots.  Some Cucumbers.  A few more Shishito peppers.

Lisianthus is back!  Long lasting mostly in purple this week.  Lots of fabulous fragrant Oriental lilies and non-fragrant but deeply colored Asiatic Lilies, perfect for holiday parties!  Sunflowers and Gloriosa Daisy’s for the yellow group.  The first Asters.  More Annabelle Hydrangeas.  Still no brilliant Zinnias for another week.  Of course beautiful Bouquets.

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, Betsy and Jennie

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