Catching Up
Slices of shadows under the Summer Solstice
Last week was all about catching up. Weeds had come in strong, threatening our main season root crops, pathways needed of cleaning, roads and field borders craved a mow. A moist spring has everything is growing like crazy.
The crew skipped a harvest day this week to focus on these issues. Weed pressure requires frequent attention to keep them small and manageable. I have never been known as a “clean” farmer and am constantly working towards ways to minimize our time spent weeding. Sometimes, you just have to get into crops by hand.
The wheels of the season are turning as we expectedly wait for new crops. Hardneck garlic is showing signs of being ready to harvest in the next couple weeks, while the softnecks look further out from pulling. Garlic is ready to be harvested when the bottom three leaves dry down, demonstrating the paper covers around the actual cloves have matured.
Early summer crops have started with cherry tomatoes and cucumbers making a debut These are hard fought crops as we struggled earlier in the spring keeping them warm enough. I am grateful to have them now and look forward to abundance as the hanging green fruits ripen to bright colors.
The challenge in this part of the season is trusting everything will work out. Most of our crops require months to grow, meaning anything could happen between now and then. The highs of early season farmers markets have passed. It is easy in this moment to focus on problems. My brain will even trick me by creating problems that don’t exist yet, putting pressure on proactive and sometime delusional problem solving.
I can feel, somatically, when my mind constricts to focus on a problem. My mind tightens inward with the intensity of laser. It is like starring down under the shade of a sun hat, only seeing what is illuminated by the shadow.
The practice is breathing into these feelings, allowing expansion to take the place of pressure. Looking ahead, the crops have already matured and sold, just not yet. The carrots are already for harvest, the just need a little time and a cleaning. I get into habits of rushing to plant crops that seem to ripen later than expected. Realizing the expansion and abundance, training my brain to focus on positivity rather than problems, is a practice but the feeling is rewarding.
There is a beauty to the lull of June. Of course we are busy, but there is a stillness that surrounds to solstice. It is like standing on top of plateau, bathing in sunshine. The brightness is nearly overwhelming and my eyes squint to see the horizon, yet I am certain of the direction we are heading. Beauty surrounds the farm, and as the shadows being to elongate, so will the fruition of harvests yet to ripen.
So maybe it is the season to notice and deal with problems. Under our sunhats we exist in a slice of shade, and window into the task directly in front of us. Do not forget to look up from the hoe, admire the row, and trust harvest is just over that mysterious horizon.
Farm Stand Hours- WED-SUN 9am-6pm
Larimer County Farmers Market, Saturday 9-1
Lafayette Farmers Market, Sunday 9-1
New this week! We have grassfed/grass finished beef from our friends at High Point Beef at the Farm Stand. They are the quintessential stewards using low input farming, local genetics, and great attitudes to grow some of the best beef I have had. Hung for 30 days the meat is remarkable.
Folks Farm Harvest List
Greens- Hearts and Souls Salad Mix, head lettuce, gem lettuce, kale, chard, collards
Fruits- Cherry tomatoes, cucumbers
Roots- Hakurei Turnips, spring onions, maybe beets
Vegetables- Sugar Snap Peas
Herbs- Parsley, mint, thyme, oregano, sage
Colorado Fruit (available at the Farm Stand)- Apricots, red cherries, Ranier cherries
Sure wish I lived close enough to get some of that grass fed and aged beef! I've heard about aged beef and never tasted any. Would love to taste some of you veggies too :)