We finally got the rain we needed! With showers last Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights the water really soaked in, and we rejoiced. Since we are no-till we mulch everything pretty thickly, which should keep that moisture in the soil for a while. We are still hand-watering newly seeded/planted areas, but the rain helped a lot! We are continuing the ongoing race to get all of our starts out of the greenhouse and into the field before they get rootbound or start flowering inside. It is too hot during the day to do transplanting, so pretty much every evening is spent getting a few more plants in the ground.
Last year we solved our deer problems, and this year our focus has been on thwarting our rabbit foes. We've tried a few experimental fences, and are now in the midst of what seems to be rabbit-proofing all of our beds. While we are generous in nature, it will be nice to stop feeding the local wildlife.
We are excited to be a part of the St. Louis Slow Food Farm Tour on Sunday, July 9th from 11-3. The tour will be three farms, ours, Flower Hill Farm (our landlords), and Sunflower Savannah Farm which is about 10 minutes away. Visitors will get to see our property and learn about our unique circle beds, as well as seeing the sustainable cut-flower operation of our landlords. Everyone is invited! Click here to learn more. They are also looking for volunteers to help everything run smoothly. If you can't make it, we will have a Farm Share dinner later in the season and you can see our farm then!
Many of you are getting turnips this week. Our favorite way to have them is sliced thinly, tossed with olive oil and salt, and roasted. To make this even better, add the summer squash and garlic scapes too! You can also throw the turnips in with eggs or a stir fry, or grate them into a salad or slaw. This will probably be the last week for garlic scapes and peas. Enjoy!