First Sweetcorn of the Year

It's finally here! Sweetcorn! Oh there is nothing like fresh, crisp sweetcorn. The past few days I've been enjoying this very seasonal delicacy. There is very little worse than mushy out of season corn. If only we had more. But like I feared, our sweetcorn crop is quite small. Our first couple plantings did nothing and this last planting has some disease. We won't get much out of it. Sad.
We've also started harvesting our tomatoes out of our hoop house. Our field tomatoes are getting closer. Oh they taste so good. I used to never like tomatoes. Then I only liked them cooked. Now I love them in sandwiches and other things raw or cooked. I still can't eat them like apples. I'm sure that will come some day. When I started working on a farm last summer I was afraid to admit that I didn't like tomatoes. I thought they'd fire me for sure since tomatoes seems to be one of those quintessential organic farm crops. Thankfully I found that I liked them and I didn't have to be run out of town. :)
We're still grinding away at the farm. The days are hot and sometimes long. We all move a little slower. It's late July. I get the feeling that this is typical for this time of the year. Once the days cool we'll regain the spring in our steps. Now we just plod faithfully along, doing what needs to be done. Cooler days will be here before we know it!

Song of the Cicada

You know it's deep summer when the cicadas start to sing. I am serenaded constantly during the day. I love the sound. It sounds like summer. The hot, hazy days are not complete without the cicada. Then at night there are the fireflies! oh the fireflies. There are so many here. I am mesmerized by them. Sometimes I miss my bedtime because I just have to stay up and watch them. One night I couldn't resist the urge to go out into the middle of them. I just stood there and every which way I turned I saw their little glowing bodies. It was actually a deep and moving moment. I have to admit that I did a little dance. I had to do something. I wanted to join in and since I am not blessed with bio luminescence and I was afraid singing would startle them, I danced. And to tell you the truth it's has become a cherished moment.

This past week has been the hottest so far. Honestly it wasn't that bad. We were definitely sluggish and we sweated a lot. But, working in the heat is not the worst thing in the world, contrary to what all the d.j.'s and newspeople say. You will not melt if you work in the heat and humidity. You just go slower and drink a lot of water. Oh, a wide brimmed hat is a good idea too.

On the future farm front (like that alliteration?), I have sent in my preliminary business plan to the person in charge of program that rents land and equipment at low cost to beginning farmers. It's called an incubator program. There is one right next to the farm I currently work on. My plan definitely needs work but I'm excited to have a draft done. This farming thing is becoming more and more of a reality. There are days when I'm terribly excited and there are days where I'm so overwhelmed I just want to crawl into bed and sleep. But I keep plodding along with my plans and praying. Oh, there is lots of praying going on. This isn't just about me finding a career that I like. This is more of a calling for me. This is where I think God is calling me to serve him and others; to be Christ to those I meet through farming-my fellow farmers and customers, to share with others my belief in the deep importance of Creation and how we treat it, to be an active part of the change I want to see.

Pray I don't lose sight of these things as I go through the details of business planning and budgeting. This is so much more than a business to me. It's my calling. May God be glorified through all of this.

My, how the summer flies! I can't believe it's July. Unfortunately some of our sweet corn has missed the "knee-high by the 4th of July" standard. I'm wondering if we'll even get any this summer. A few weeks ago we were out in the sweet corn fields weeding and discovered that half of our first planting was only 6 inches tall, had tassled, and had baby ears of corn already! This is not a good sign. Perhaps we'll have stir-fry sweet corn instead of the traditional sized delicious ears. Quite sad, really.
Other than that things are going along just swimmingly. We've just harvested the first beets of the season! I am really excited about them. I've always loved beets. I love their deep red, almost purple color. I love the taste of sweet, earthy goodness. They're amazing with a little salt and butter. The broccoli is huge. I am amazed every time we go out to harvest it. It's one of my favorite things to harvest too. We take along large harvest knives that are about the size of half a machete. Then one person hacks at the stem. If you're good and the knife is sharp you can cut through the thick stalk with one swing. Next you toss it to your partner who takes off the excess leaves and puts it into the crate. It's so much better than harvesting zucchini which leaves your arms all scratched up from the prickly plants. Boo hiss.
So that's the update from the farm. Tomatoes and peppers are coming soon. But not soon enough for me. I'm so tempted to start frying the green tomatoes. I might have too soon. But for right now I'm content with my fresh garlic and broccoli pizza. mmmmh.