Fall is here and the farm is moving along as best as it can. It's been another challenging year, I am thankful that the low amount of rain has helped keep the weeds in check.
These are Rouge D'Hiver lettuce, a variety developed in France in the mid 1800's for tolerating cold weather.
It is a mini red Romaine. The few that I have managed to grow in the past seemed to dry up their outer leaves, protecting the hearts within.
In the past, I had a lot of trouble germinating this variety in the the mid summer heat.
On a hunch, I tried freezing the seeds for about 48 hours and had much more success this season, enough lettuce to fill two beds and give everyone a chance to enjoy this late season treat.
Although cold tolerant, the lettuces will still require protection from frost and drying effects of wind. I'll be using a combination of straw and row covers.
Most of the food out here is very cold tolerant, even frost. Many crops, such as these brussels sprouts improve their flavor after frosting.
I was an instant convert after eating farm raised sprouts.
Wish I had grown twice as much this season. However, I took a chance and tried cut and come again broccoli.
I'm not sure if this is supposed to be the result, but I have my doubts. The florets are minuscule.
Speaking of less than expected yields, this season I had a rare experience of a crop doing worse than previous years. Each season, the celeriac has steadily yielded more pounds per root. I achieved this by first separating the plants at a wider spacing (from 10" to 12"), then by increasing the fall application of compost, and finally increasing the amount of moisture.
This season, the only space for the celeriac was in a slightly shaded area. I assume that is the culprit for these disappointingly small sized roots.
A customer requested gold beets last season, and this variety Touchstone Gold did not disappoint.
Although I continue to struggle with a consistent beet yield, these ones have shown that the field has potential to deliver some decent sized beets.
I'll continue to grow the red ones, though at least one variety will be taken out of circulation when the seed is finished.
The fennel has steadily improved as well. the size is up to where I want it and now I just need to harvest it on time - I found with the first succession this season that I held onto it for two weeks too long and the bulb was a bit tough.
Closely related to celeriac, the celery has done better than previous years.The second round of celery in particular is very good, last Friday's customers found that the stalks were not only well blanched, but quite blemish free as well.
Some of these are a new variety for me, an heirloom called Utah Tall. It requires about three more weeks to grow, not sure if I will continue to grow it after I finish the seed.
Another customer request that I was very pleased with this season. The romano beans were, in my opinion, one of the two best fresh beans I have ever tasted.Before they finished, some customers requested that i deliver them dry.
Not sure if this was a wise move this season, as the crop was planted mid season and may not have enough time to dry out before it gets burned by the frost.
Another casualty of the spraying. There was no time to maintain the rock garden and now it is out of control, full of weeds, quack grass, and just about everything else.Another headache's worth of work to contend with next spring, when time is precious and days are still short.
The red and white flowers look nice, though...