Milestones

As the weeks seem to fly by, summer’s progression for me is marked by a series of milestones–the hillsides turning from green to golden-brown, the harsh call of Caspian Terns returning to our area and the appearance of Amaryllis Belladona (or “Naked Ladies”) seemingly everywhere. These showy, tall flowers have never been my favorite–they’ve always struck me as somewhat garish against the more subtle landscapes they are set in, and I’ve never been fond of the color pink. But as someone who makes their living growing fruits and vegetables that have to be coddled every step of the way, one has to admire their hardiness and economy. Even in areas that receive no supplemental irrigation they persist–year after year. Long after the leaves from the previous season have dried up the flower stalks emerge out of the barren ground with impressive vigor. But, as much as I admire plants like these, it is impossible to escape one of the general rules of farming–the easier it is to grow something, the harder it is to make a living off of it. So I will continue to coddle away.

And speaking of coddling, this week marked another important seasonal milestone–setting out seeds for our greenhouse transplants for the last time. Although we will do another succession or two of the quick growing crops, like lettuce, mid-August marks the end for most of the other crops. It always feels like we are putting an abrupt, premature end to things when we cut off the production pipeline right in the middle of summer, but like all things in agriculture–timing is everything. Most of our transplants are in the greenhouse for around six weeks which means that the ones we plant now won’t be transplanted out in the field until October when the days start to become shorter and cooler. These are the crops that we will be harvesting for your Holiday meals.

In truth, August is the month when things can really start to drag on the farm. Much of the surrounding vegetation dries up and becomes drab, dust gets on everything, the surrounding hillsides are obscured by haze, and the weekly routine can start to feel onerous. By mid-September the anticipation of seasonal change provides a needed boost that builds through the fall. Until that time, however, it’s the little milestones that help to keep things interesting.