Yesterday was a good day for wildlife viewing at the farm. In the morning, while harvesting rainbow chard, we found a quarter-sized tree frog camouflaged on a glossy leaf. With a fuschia midrib running down the middle of the plant it was a dubious choice for a hiding spot, but it made a beautiful contrast! Finishing up the harvest, I drove past a pile of brush in the field and noticed a Coopers hawk perched at the top of the tangle. Now it was my turn to take advantage of camouflage, as my truck full of cabbage apparently posed no threat and she let me get close enough to see her striped tail and mottled breast. She flew off when a few deer put up their white flags at my approach and made a dash for the forest. By mid-day most of the animals were keeping cool out of sight, except for two mama turkeys and their bobbing flock of football-sized chicks weaving their way through the hay field, hopefully vacuuming up every tick in sight! I finished the day at dusk with a walk back from starting the irrigation. Circling above the pond were hundreds of dragonflies catching their dinner.
A small farm is an interesting convergence of natural and unnatural wildlife habitat. On the one hand, we till the soil, mow the fields, fence the vegetables, and do everything we can to tame the wilderness for our own purposes. Some days I feel that I am literally waging war against the woodchucks, beetles, funguses and deer that would happily consume our hard work. Not exactly in harmony with nature! But on the flip side we provide a haven from further development and a complex landscape of edges that many animals thrive in. From field to forest, pond to reeds, brush to woodpile, there are many nooks and crannies for wildlife to utilize. I love watching them go through their routines each season, from the ducks arriving in the spring to the bucks rubbing in the fall. As long as they stay (mostly) out of the garden we’re happy to share this place!
Now, on the the harvest.
Cheers, Norah and the Sweetland Crew
Week 11 Harvest, Brimming Basket
- Rainbow chard, large bunch
- Summer squash & zucchini, 3 pounds
- Cucumbers, 2 pounds
- Fresh garlic, 2 heads (fresh garlic has not been “cured” by the sun, so keep this in your fridge)
- Savoy cabbage, 2 heads
- Mix & match: choose 2 (Our solanaceae crops are ramping up!)
- Sungold cherry tomatoes, 1/2 pint
- Eggplant, 1
- Slicing tomato, 1
Week 11 Harvest, Half Pint
- Rainbow chard, small bunch
- Summer squash & zucchini, 2 pounds
- Cucumbers, 1 pound
- Fresh garlic, 1 head (fresh garlic has not been “cured” by the sun, so keep this in your fridge)
- Savoy cabbage, 1 head
- Mix & match: choose 1 (Our solanaceae crops are ramping up!)
- Sungold cherry tomatoes, 1/2 pint
- Eggplant, 1
- Slicing tomato, 1
Recipes of the Week
- You could dice many different veggies into the filling for these stuffed chard leaves.
- Time to rotate stock and clean out your veggie drawer with a stir fry!
- A simple side: butter braised cabbage
- Summer comfort food: summer squash gratin