We farmers had a little break last week. We went camping in Virginia for a few days. Our interns got a little experience in running the show without us. No one was injured and the barn didn’t burn down. Well done! They managed the challenges they came across very well.
With all the rain we’ve gotten in the past week everything is growing rapidly, including the weeds. The eggplant is starting to produce, and the sweet corn really is almost ready. I’m predicting there will be corn in next week’s box. The field tomatoes are starting to turn red, and once they really get going we’ll have LOTS of tomatoes, unless late blight kills them (with all this rain, that is a possibility). The melons are getting larger and the first round will be ripening in about two weeks. The sweet potatoes are growing very well, vining out all over their beds. And then there’s the prickly pigweed. As the name suggests it has spines on it. This weed is well adapted to this area, grows very rapidly with its deep root system. It’s those spines that seem to lunge out at you as you pass by. This is a weed that not only gets in the way of the crop, but also attacks the farmer.