Mosquitos are driving us f*#king crazy!!

We've found a purpose for the copious amounts of rain and we don't like it one bit. Breeding mosquitos. Earmuffs kids... F*#king Mosquitos. We have been harvesting at racetrack speed today. Poor Max's face is swollen from all the little suckers bites. We're even getting bit through our clothes. And yes, we are currently accepting sympathy. Just for a quick moment. We'll get through it! It's been a tough year, but we're tougher!

What we're harvesting....

Leeks! I think it's time for some Potato Leek Soup.

We also have salad greens, potatoes, peppers, onions, kale, chard, escarole, tomatoes, garlic, beets and carrots.

Happy 1st Day of Fall!!!

We love fall, even though it means farming season is winding down. It's a great time to make soup and we've got plenty of ingredients for them! How about White Bean and Escarole Soup or Potato Leek?? Need a recipe? Let us know and please feel free to share with one another.

Rain, rain.. go away!!!

Looks like more rain folks! Just what we wanted to hear. Calling for another 5 inches and that’s about 4 inches too many. With the river already very full, this rain will for sure send the water rushing over the banks one more time. The good thing is it can’t do any worse than Irene.

Things were nice and dry out there after the beautiful weather we had last week, 6 sunny days to dry us out after the storm. Wow it felt like August! We quickly took advantage and got to cultivate our fall crops knocking out weeds in the lettuce, escarole, Asian greens, carrots and beets. Hayley then jumped on the tractor to disc in what were our summer roots, lettuce and greens to make room for a lush cover crop of oats and clover. (Side note…. we use cover crops after a cash crop to replenish the soil with nutrients, smother out weeds and protect our soil for the winter months. This insures us a rich soil to be planted for many years.) Then when the soil was dry enough we pushed on to seeding spinach, lettuce and arugula to see if we can’t make up for some losses because of Irene. We shall see. It is a little late to be putting seeds in the ground but who knows, we may have a warm fall which would make our growing season last a little longer.

I want to say thank you all for your support in the days after our flood. It has been a trying time here on the farm. We did lose some crops, but it was not as bad as other farms that experienced 100% crop loss. I guess that is how it goes out here on the farm. You win some you lose some. We are very thankful we have some fields that are away from the river in times like these. Who knew that August 2011 was going to be the wettest on record?!

Eat those tomatoes!!!!!

We have been busting our butts harvesting tomatoes before the rain washed the rest of them away too. Not really, but the rain will damage them so we spent our dry days picking the rest of them, even if they are/were a day or two away from ripe perfection. There are no holidays in the farming biz. Labor day really was laborious. (what a terrible word.... laborious)

Speaking tomato talk... this is a 'Last Call' for tomatoes!! One of our favorite summertime veggies is coming to an end. It has been a great tomato season despite the weather. Tomatoes loathe the copious amount of rain we've had, but they've been delicious despite their cracks of pain and weathered appearance. We've greatly enjoyed them and are sad to see 'em go. Until next season tomatoes... farewell.

We hope you are enjoying your late summer harvest.

To the big city.. NYC

Exciting new ventures for us and maybe you too! We are expanding our CSA this fall with two new drop off points to our southern friends in Brooklyn and the West Side. We will start delivering CSA shares Wednesday, September 14th to Crossfit South Brooklyn and at Columbus Tavern in Manhattan. If you or anyone you know is interested, please spread the word and have them contact us. This is a city premiere that will run through November.

Time to kick back with the farmer's

Farmer's Feast tickets will be available as soon as they are in our possession. This will hopefully be this week. Tickets are $40 and for sale in the farm store. I hope you're as excited as we are!! Save the date to party with us.. Sunday, October 9th. Great food, friends and music.

With wet boots we thank you again!

Aftermath of Hurricane Irene August 2011

What a crazy, devastating day at the farm this Monday, August 29th. We are here, under water assessing our crops after the wrath of Hurricane Irene. There's not much we can do at this point. Are spirits are low, but we're trying to remain hopeful. Many of our crops are under water including our winter squash, celery, leeks, some of our kale, herbs, broccoli and tomatoes. We may be able to salvage some of these crops, but it's too early to report at this time.

I hope many of you are safe and dry. Make sure to check out of Facebook page to see all of our pictures and videos. Be sure to check back for more updates and pictures. Here is a video Andy and Meghan shot around 10am of our back field containing our winter squash, celery and leeks. The Roe Jan stream has turned into a river, engulfing most of our crops and even our deer fence.

Melons! Brooklyn! Party! What?

Field Update:

Melons! Yes folks, we are here…. Late summer! The melon crop has been great! The yellows (Sunshine) have received the highest marks with the pinks (Sugar Babies) coming in close second. We have an abundance again this year so juice them up or enjoy a watermelon salad! We are going to be introducing the cantaloupe this week so get ready for another delicious juicy treat!

The heavy rain this past weekend and the rain from last week left some of our crops begging for sun and a little extra love. The tomatoes, eggplant and peppers did not appreciate the heavy down pours as they are experiencing a fungus that is happy to spread in wet conditions. These little spores climb up the plants, defoliating the leaves which then weakens the plant and rots the fruit. We are not the only ones that are dealing with this fungus, it has been found on other farms all around the area. For the last 3 weeks we have been spraying an organic approved copper fungicide to slow it down, which takes the crew many hours to cover 2,500 tomato plants. The crop has been producing thus far but keep your fingers crossed for sunny days so we can keep slicing those mouth-watering beauties.

While the Solanum’s (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) are suffering from the wet August, the fall Brassica’s (cabbage, broccoli, kale, cauliflower) are enjoying their wet feet. These crops love cool, foggy days and are looking great in the field. You will be seeing more and more of them as the seasons change. Side-note: For you non-early morning risers, the fog has been absolutely gorgeous slowly rising up from the dew filled fields. We highly recommend dragging your butt out of bed one morning to enjoy it. These amazing mornings are part of the beauty of farming.

Carrots and beets are plentiful as we’re sure you CSA members have noticed and the potato dig is well under way. Red Norland is the early variety of red potatoes you’ve been enjoying. We will be harvesting potatoes for the next 2 months, offering 5 different varieties. It is always a surprise to see what has been going on underneath the ground since April when we plant them…. so far so good! GARLIC is cleaned and ready to go. The wet June made for some big heads this year. It looks, tastes and smells amazing, enjoy with your tomato sauce, salsa and everyday cooking!

As for the rest, we are in our August groove here…… harvest, wash, pack and back out to the fields to get those weeds out of the fall crops.

Available this week:

Kale, Chard, Mustard Greens, Tat Soi, Lettuce (Yes, lettuce is back), Tomatoes, Squash/Zucchini, Potatoes, Onions, Garlic, Peppers, Cucumbers, Carrots, Beets, Melons

Potential crops to see:

Broccoli and Arugula

We cannot guarantee these two crops this week, but are hoping that they will be ready, willing and able for us to enjoy next week. As with lettuce, arugula is very delicate and this crazy weather has really been taking a toll on some of our crops. Another reason they may not grace us with their presence is that they’re simply not ready! As hard as we try to keep our successions flowing on a regimented schedule, nature decides to take her own time. We seed certain crops like arugula and lettuce every 10 days so that by the time one sequence is done, another should be ready to harvest. There are many factors that filter in to what seems to be simple logic. Weather being the major element! The element of all elements. It’s a love/hate relationship we play with weather and why we talk so much about it.

In order to learn more about the details our growing practices and everything that is Sol Flower, you'll have to stay connected and continue to read our blog. We have plenty more we can’t wait to share and we truly hope that you choose to stay connected with your farmer, your food and our world that surrounds it.

Recipes:

Watermelon Salad

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 to 2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

One delicious Sol Flower watermelon, balled or chunked

1 ½ cups feta cheese, crumbled

1 1/4 cups pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped (optional)

1 small onion, diced

1 cup coarsely chopped mint leaves

Looking for other variations of this salad? Try substituting goat cheese for feta and/or basil for mint. Whichever way, it’s delicious and refreshing. Remember you can find local goat cheese and Sol Flower basil in our farm store!

Please feel free to share some of your favorite recipes on our blog for other fellow Sol Flower followers. We are always looking for new ways to enjoy our delectable produce.

Other exciting news:

Sol Flower Farm is looking to expand our CSA southward. As we like to say… Helloooo Brooklyn!!! We are in the process of establishing a CSA drop-off in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Our plan is to start this September and continue through November 7^th. Pick up will be from 4 to 7pm on Wednesdays at Crossfit South Brooklyn. Spread the word! If you know anyone interested in this new venture, please have him or her contact us and we’ll be happy to send along some more information.

Did somebody say Party?

Remember that stellar farm party we threw last year?? Who could forget! Well, it’s almost that time again. We are in the process of planning an even bigger and better party, so this is your formal Save The Date. Our Farmer’s Feast will take place on our beautiful farm here in Ancramdale on Sunday, October 9^th. Festivities begin at 2pm and we’ll rock through the night.

We will have tractor rides and farm tours, local spirits, live music, kids activities, a beautiful bonfire and of course… fabulous farm foods cooked by various local chefs.

Missed it last year?? Now’s your time to redeem yourself and join in the fun!

Again… Sunday, October 9^th Farmer’s Feast

SAVE THE DATE!!!!!

More info to come

Check out who surprised us at the Millbrook Farmer's Market!

New this week:

Tomatoes, Peppers and (hopefully) Melons

This is such a great time of year. Hope you are enjoying the bounty as much as we are.

We had a surprise visit this past Saturday at the Millbrook Farmer's Market from Tony Bielaczyc of Martha Stewart. Check out what he had to say about us on his blog http://inthegarden.marthastewart.com/.

This is a time to remember…… what better way than by preserving the harvest for winter.

We are rolling in it at the farm and are experiencing some bumper crops! We were thinking if you have the time and space, we have the food to preserve. This week’s abundance includes cucumbers and summer squash. Both are great for pickling! CSA members get a special price of $1 per pound. So get those jars ready and pick those dill flowers because the time is now folks and it goes quick!

Field update: The melons are looking really good and we are so excited to bust one open and taste the sweetness but we have to wait just a little bit longer. We will be picking our first peppers this week and you should see how many shapes, colors and sizes will be on the table so get ready for a pepper taste test. Sungold tomatoes are ripening and there should be some for all. That's right, finally some tomatoes available in your share. We are just getting started so this is just a taste before we are in tomato heaven. Another crop to watch out for is the butter beans or edamame. We should have this healthy little bean next week. It feels like we are constantly keeping up around here. Harvest, harvest, harvest; weed, weed, weed; sell, sell, sell. Sleep? Overrated.

The big harvests are about to start here at the farm. The crew have been working out their muscles all season in preparation to bring those melons in. I LOVE August; I think its my favorite!

Enjoy the harvest.

Mid-Summer Field Update

We are halfway through our season and can’t believe it’s already the end of July!!! This is my favorite time of the farming season for everything seems to be in full bloom or just about ready.

Our ‘Zucs’ and ‘Cucs’ as we call them are raging because of this crazy heat and our ability to keep them irrigated. It has been a battle staying on top of the irrigation. Moving hoses from field to field early in the morning and late in the evening and checking in to make sure they’re still running efficiently in the sweltering hot weather. It makes for a cranky crew, but gorgeous veggies.

The summer lettuce is still holding on, but it’s not the happiest after the heat wave. We have to remember to be gentle with such a fragile crop. I’m just glad we still have fresh lettuce for salads. Who wants to cook in this weather! Weather, weather!!! Ugh! Are we all sick of talking about it yet? Don’t worry; this week’s forecast looks amazing and refreshing after last week.

Our beets and carrots are looking good and we should have them for many weeks ahead. Time to make some Borscht or Beet Salad!

This seems to be one of the best onion crops we’ve grown, but we’re not done so we can’t count our chickens quite yet. Hopefully they will continue on this winning streak. Our leeks are pushing back from a very weedy start. They have some catching up to do, but are doing a good job at it. We harvested our garlic and have them hanging and curing. They look and smell amazing with their big, fat heads. Some of you lucky folks that visited us Saturday got a sneak peak at how lovely they are. It’s extremely hard to wait for the curing process; they look so appealing. Patience.

As you probably know, we start almost all our crops inside our greenhouse before transplanting them in our fields. There are some exceptions where we direct sow, like potatoes. This week we have been transplanting the last of our fall crops with the rest to be transplanted next week. Our greenhouse is quickly dwindling down its supply of goods. All the fall crops have been doing well and we will do our best to keep them watered and fed through the coming months.

Speaking of fall, our fall broccoli and cauliflower are happy and looking great after getting the water they needed through the heat wave. Winter, yes I said it… Winter squash is looking healthy and enjoyed yesterday’s rain. Although you may be knee high in refreshing streams and enjoying all summer has to offer, we still need to plan for our winter harvest. It’s tough to think in such a manner when it’s sunny and 90!

Our potatoes have endured a hard hit by a little bug called the Leafhopper. There should be some tubers under there, but the potatoes definitely took a hit from the little suckers. I’ve heard of many other people having this problem as well. Oh, the joys of sustainable farming! Much better than the latter of using chemicals!!!

We have started to see little watermelons out there and are observing them grow each hot day. Andy thinks they should arrive by mid August. Looking forward to the messy faces full of juicy watermelon goodness, especially with the children! You all know what I’m talking ‘bout! Summer smiles.

Last and certainly not least….. Tomatoes! The question we get almost daily: “when will your tomatoes be ready?” We love them as much as you and are can’t wait to shove them in our mouths! They are looking good and you should see them on the menu in a couple weeks. The same goes for the delicious peppers and eggplant.

We hope you are enjoying the harvest so far. Get ready for more to come!