Who Needs Modesty?

And now, because everyone likes to brag occasionally, I'm bringing you the Top 5 Victories of the Farmer. Don't worry, it's still me--tomorrow I will bring you the Top 5 Failures of the Farmer. :) Bragging and I are not the best of friends.

1.) The carrots are somewhat spaced and actually growing!

2.) The Lemon Boy tomatoes are growing like champs, and they have the heirloom irregularities in shape that I love.

3.) This is a watermelon. No really. And there are four more just like it growing in the watermelon's expansive area. Not the expansive area I carved out for it mind you, because spacing is totally overrated. But the watermelon plants sure are thriving on all the bare earth they can find.

4.) The Romaine is growing! In July! In heads! Without bolting! After I almost pulled it in late June!

5.) This one is more a victory of the cucumber plants than of the farmer. But still. With the giant infestation of yellow striped cucumber beetles, who especially like to eat the flowers off before they're pollinated, this is a victory on all counts (and look at all the promising baby cukes around this bigger one).

Farm Vitals
Yesterday's high: 80F
Yesterday's low: 62F
Warnings: The nights sure seem to be getting colder already...
Mood of the farm: Growing as fast as possible in an effort to impress Anonymous K on her final visit to the farm
Reason to consider a new career: Farmer's secret has been found out. She waters the cukes with vinegar and dill instead of actual water to grow dill pickles instead of boring old cukes. But now that H made that secret public, what's left??

MiniChuck-View of the Farm

Announcing a new feature here at the blog... MiniChuck's Wednesday View of the Farm. That's right. Every Wednesday, I will be venturing over the back fence and onto the MiniChuck Highway to bring you an update of how things have been growing over the past week. As always, you can click the picture to see a larger version and Judge me for all of the weeds I did not pull. But I hope you'll just look for MiniVeg, Where's Waldo style, or marvel at all the Growth and Bounty. Too bad I didn't start this sooner...

Somehow I Thought Peas Only Grew Frozen or Canned

I've been avoiding the urge to post pictures of every last harvest because really, who wants to see a million colanders of lettuce? But since this is a Harvest involving the very first cuke and the very first Wando peas, I couldn't hold back. Farmer confession: not only have I never grown my own peas, I have never ever eaten a fresh, never-frozen pea in my Whole Entire Life.

I've read a lot about growing Wando peas the last few weeks, and I can tell you one thing. The fact that I even have a few to eat is one gigantic miracle. Peas like to be planted when it's cold, they can withstand frost (not only threat of but actual), and their growth slows to a crawl in the July heat. So here we are on July 21st, a full two weeks before these peas are even supposed to be ready, temps in the 80s and occasional 90s, and lo and behold, the peas are delicious, if few in number!





Farm Vitals
Yesterday's high: 85F
Yesterday's low: 63F
Warnings: Hungry Farmer On the Loose (no really, that's an official weather system warning)
Mood of the farm: growing, quickly and surely
Reason to consider a new career: None, at the moment. Suburban Gardener dropped by the Farm this weekend, and she has pronounced it Officially Not Wrecked. At least for now.

Green Thumb Sunday: Get Your Zucchini Recipes Ready Edition

Green Thumb Sunday: Get Your Zucchini Recipes Ready Edition

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Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

The Farm Is Huge, People.

It's official. The Farm has reached giant-size, and it's only the middle of July. In addition, I managed to crowd the thing all up like the novice farmer that I am, and so not only is it huge, but it's hard to walk around without stepping on any of the many tendrils trying to attach themselves to anything nearby.

Here's the whole crazy mess, including the tomatoes as tall as my Belief in Boston:






































I did several hours of weeding on Wednesday, but there's still a lot more to do...

The lettuce is still going strong, thanks to the cayenne pepper. Whether the pepper keeps the rabbits away or it makes thieves think there's something wrong with the lettuce, I have no idea. But whatever it is, it seems to be working, because this is what the lettuce looked like after I harvested a massive amount for H's taco salad-stravaganza.














And now your latest installment of MiniVeggies.
MiniCuke:















MiniWatermelon:















MiniTomatoes (which are less Mini than when I left!):






























Farm Vitals
Yesterday's high: 83F
Yesterday's low: 69F
Warnings: Break from Humidity Alert
Mood of the farm: Fearing actions of the Farmer
Reason to consider a new career: With the most crowded Farm of all time, I am considering "Fall Plantings." No really.

More Harvesting

Hey look. Chef H, assisted by Chef N, used farm lettuce (a whole ton of it) for taco salad dinner. Note: picture taken on new phone.



Farm Vitals
Yesterday's high: 89F
Yesterday's low: 68F
Warnings: Cucumber beetle attacks in progress
Mood of the farm: happy for rain
Recent Question: Suburban Gardner asks: "What's the 'farm box?'" Well, the farm box is my term for the community supported agriculture (CSA) share Dr. J and I share from Rock Spring Farm (see link on right). It's a weekly delivery of veggies and herbs from their organic farm.

Harvest Day 7/16

After a full morning of farm work, today was a Harvest Day. There were so many green beans the plants were starting to fall over. Between the Farm Harvest and the Farm box, my whole dinner was covered!




On the menu: salad greens (my farm) and spinach (my farm) with lemon-olive oil-garlic dressing, sun gold tomatoes (farm box), shaved raw beets (farm box), green beans (my farm), cucumbers (farm box), and baby shallots (farm box).

I'll get y'all an update of the Farm soon (some of the tomatoes are up to my shoulder!?).

Farm Vitals
Yesterday's high: 92F
Yesterday's low: 69F
Warnings: thunderstorms. maybe.
Mood of the farm: trying to perk up