Lloyd Craft Farms Fresh Produce, Locally Grown

It is a BUSY time of year–for farmers and students and athletes and families! Congratulations to all those high school graduates, and congratulations to the students who are finishing up their year.

I am happy to report that all the seed that needs to be in the ground right now–IS!  Tomorrow we will hook up the new Rain-Flo transplanter, put two live bodies on the back in comfy seats, fill the water tanks, load the trays, and take off!  There are 16 beds of transplants–broccoli, tomatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, peppers, and eggplant.  If all goes as ‘advertised’, the transplanter will punch the hole in the plastic and add water; We (probably Kaleb and I) will poke the plant into the hole, and then the next, and then the next, and then the next.  Ooyyy…. I’m getting dizzy!  There are 2,856 plants to be put to bed–

Many of the seeds have germinated and made their presence known.  We are anticipating the first SHARE the second or third week in June.  The first harvest should be baby leaf lettuce, baby carrots, radishes, spinach, and beets…the following week we hope to add broccoli, peas, swiss chard, and bunching onions, and the ever present always abundant zucchini!  (Other summer squash are yellow and patty pans with the fluted edges.)  July will add cucumbers, turnips and kohlrabi (only a couple of times–I promise), bok choi, cauliflower, green beans, corn, eggplant, and peppers.  First week in August we should be blessed with the arrival of cabbage and tomatoes, though we may have some grape tomatoes in July!   Mid-August is Melon TIME!  September will see the ending of some of the goodies and the addition of the fall crops:  pumpkins and other winter squash, potatoes, onions, storage cabbage, and sweet sweet carrots.

Throughout the season we are working on keeping the lettuce, spinach, carrots, and broccoli coming.   I’m also experimenting with beets and beet greens.  We are learning how to use the hoophouses–we are hoping that by planting certain crops mid-season we can extend the harvest beyond the first frost.  Sit tight and hold on for this ADVENTURE!  Until next week–the Farmer’s Wife.