Summer’s bounty continued into September at the farm. Harvesting on the farm was hindered by the copious amount of rain, but our tried and true crop, okra, didn’t let us down. The okra was towering over farmhands Lexi and Marley, and picking was done almost every other day. For those of you that have never picked okra before, it is a full body workout that will leave you sweaty and itchy. This is our best crop, a bestseller at the farm stand and in hot demand by our favorite local restaurant Walnut Kitchen.
October came in feeling like summer, but the fields were looking like fall. Squash, gourds and pumpkin vines raced across the fields keeping farmer Brad busy. Rows of sunflowers, some with heads the size of dinner plates opened their faces to the sun, following its light and warmth as the days got shorter. Our second planting of zinnias bloomed, proudly adding beauty and color to the fields.
Our abundance was shared in Mid-October at the local Maker’s Market. As the featured grower, we brought our best organic pumpkins, gourds, okra, peppers, early greens, and flowers to take to town, as well as cases of Randall organic great northern, black and pinto beans. Throughout the day we met a lot of new friends and customers, in addition to some familiar faces. We shared the story of our Randall Beans family and introduced many to the best beans on the market. Needless to say, we’re looking forward to being back next year!
November 4th marked the loss of another hour of sunlight on the farm. Whatever your feelings on Daylight Savings Time, for us it means the end of the season is nearing. Turning under the remains of the early fall and summer crops gave a little closure as we prepared for sowing cover crops. However, mother nature had other plans.
Rain came in torrents, and the sun hid for weeks it seemed. One week we actually went all seven days without a break in the rain. This meant we had lost a large window to get any cover growing for the coming winter. Some of our late crops were affected by all the rain, too. Turnips and radishes sprouted beautiful greens, but the root veggies themselves were a little stunted by the excess moisture in the ground. Sadly, we missed a window of opportunity to plant garlic due to the excessive rainfall.
Thanksgiving is a bittersweet day that marks the official closing day of Open Spigot Farmstand. Owners Scott and Meredith cleaned off the wagon and bid our customers a happy winter season ahead.
December and January have been months for planning and rest. We still have some carrots, turnips, collard greens, late broccoli and cabbage on the farm providing our Open Spigot farm team and neighbors with nourishment and pleasure. We finally were able to get some garlic in the ground after the new year! The arrival of the seed catalogs has brought us excitement letting our imaginations bloom for the upcoming season in 2019. Is there something that would be inspiring for us to grow? Let us know!
We wish everyone a healthy and happy 2019 and may your gardens be prosperous. Stay connected with Open Spigot Farm over the winter through our Instagram account and Facebook page.
