What’s been going on!

Another storm unlike any other.  While we were spared the worst of it, there are many people down east who were not, including farming friends of ours.  There will be a lot of money raised, donations and time given but most of the farming community will not be the focus of all that generosity.  Our friends at the Rural Advancement Foundation International are already working on helping farmers in the disaster area and need your donations to support their work.  This is one of the main things that RAFI does, come to the aid of farmers in crisis and assist them through all the red tape involved when their farms are in danger of being lost.

Our damage has been limited to just too much rain, nearly 8 inches with the 4 inches Sunday night and Monday morning sending the creeks and the Haw River way over their banks but that is not news to most people especially in Orange and Durham counties.  Jennie and I did a field walk this morning and some crops look better than others with the lettuces that were almost ready to harvest looking hard hit and beginning to bolt or go to seed, which is a reaction to stress.  Time will tell how the other crops respond but the peppers still look good.

The Haw River came way out of its banks and was supposed to crest somewhere near 26 feet but the gauge failed so it is hard to know exactly.  If it did get that high it would be the 8^th highest ever recorded and the deepest since hurricane Fran.  It completely filled our bottom field and was certainly in the top 3 or 4 floods we have seen down there.  We had pulled the irrigation pump and there were not crops down there so fortunately for us really no damage.  Let’s hope fall will settle down and be pleasant.

Pictures of the Week

 Near high tide, it came up another 2 feet from this point

This is where the irrigation pump normally sits, the water was over the meter, neck deep, if you look close you can see the bathtub ring on the trees

 What’s going to be at the market?

Full Pepper production now.  Plenty of Red Bells and some Yellow Bells, Corno di Toros in red, yellow and orange. Sweet Cubanelle, Pimiento, Jimmy Nardelo frying peppers and Spanish Piquillo.  Aji Dulce, the habanero without heat.

In hot peppers Passillas, Fresnos, our own Picante Pimiento, Jalapenos and Serranos.  Nice and meaty Anaheims and for the Green Chile fans let us know when you are ready for your volume roasts for the freezer.  A drop in Poblano production this week too.

Plenty of the Shishito and Padron appetizer peppers prepared the same easy with a quick blister in a pan then sprinkled with salt and eaten whole.  Get some of both and do your own comparison.

Lots of Summer Crisp lettuce as well as Red Radishes.  Japanese Salad Turnips are back!  Fairy Tale Eggplants, the striped Nubia and Italian Heirloom Eggplants too.  Fresh Baby Ginger is back for the fall!

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.  Just so you know, sometimes not everything listed will be at the Wednesday market.

Hope to see you all at the market!

Alex, Betsy and Jennie

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