Lloyd Craft Farms Fresh Produce, Locally Grown

I am testing the communication lines AND sharing some very important information–

Harvest Day Pick UP schedule– to start sometime in JULY–most likely second or third week–
PICK UP TIME will be 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 1049 WASHAKIE TEN
Your Pick UP Day is determined by first, where you live; and second, by your last name:

TUESDAY— Thermopolis Members, Worland Members A-C
WEDNESDAY— Basin & Greybull Members, Worland Members D-G
THURSDAY— Worland Members H-M
FRIDAY— Worland Members O-Z

Now–the important 2 steps: RESPOND BY FIRST CONFIRMING YOU GOT THE POST, AND SECOND LET ME KNOW IF THAT DAY WILL WORK FOR YOU–
Thanks, The Farmer’s Wife

It is 10:00 at night and we should be headed to bed, but we just got in from a very full day. I wanted to share with you some of the challenges of farming…this had been an ‘interesting’ spring.

The Farmer has replanted the green beans THREE times in the last three weeks–heat problems and some damping off…little plant comes up and then wilts down and dies. We switched from black plastic to ‘silver’ plastic thinking the problem was heat. The Farmer had taken temps under the plastic mulch and there was 20 degrees difference between the black and the aluminum…so we pulled up the black and laid down the reflective plastic (not really metal but aluminum reflective plastic that reflects the heat and keeps the ground cooler–we got it for the peppers: supposed to confuse aphids). Stand was poor on the second planting so just three days ago The Farmer replanted into the same holes but not quite so deep. It is now time to plant the second planting for the canners and we don’t even have the first up and going! So…will change to a different seed and consider no plastic. We want to try pole beans, too, this year…maybe for the fall in the hoop where we can string them up??

We have more beds without plastic this year than last and it makes the weeding that much more of a burden–we learned last year that lettuces, spinach, carrots cannot be planted under plastic…we also chose to plant the bok choi and kohlrabi this year without plastic. They too are on their second planting–but not damping off…weeds and flea beetles.

Today The Farmer planted more lettuce–Lettuce Mix and Mini-Heads. The new Salanova varieties are up and growing. I worked through the Swiss chard in the hoophouse–thinning it out and getting ready to replant parts of the row. And scolded the peas for encroaching on the Swiss Chard! The temp this afternoon in the hoop was 104 degrees! That with the sides up all the way and the end panels rolled up– Tomorrow I will harvest the last of the green onions to make room for the Red Russian Kale. The Blue kale is thriving and multiplying–You must try some at Bee Healthy. It is good chopped up and added to fried potatoes, ribbon cut into salads, and roasted in the oven as kale chips!

Things at Bee Healthy will be tapering down a bit as the hoop produce dwindles and the CSA takes shape. We have lettuce bagged ahead in a very cold fridge and the cooler at Bee Healthy is presently well stocked. The spinach is done for now. But the Kale and Swiss Chard will carry the day–as they did so often last year for us with the CSA. I will have small amounts of peas, carrots, green onions, to stock with the lettuce and spinach until the garden begins producing.

So, with this report I bid ado–Despite the problems I have shared, the garden is looking phenomenal! This Saturday Lloyd Craft Farms will be one of the featured farms for a tour organized by the Farm Service Agency–Any one that would like to come and help weed Friday, let me know! We have enough to go around! LOL

The Farmer’s Wife