September 22, 2005
The earth has yielded its fruits, and we feel truly blessed
The yield from the garden this year has been tremendous! With lots of sunshine, heat, and just enough rain, almost everything we planted has produced very well. Noah and I were out in the garden to see what needed to be harvested today.
A nice head of cauliflower was ready, so we cut it off the stem. Right next to the cauliflower the broccoli plants had already been harvested, but the plant grew some small heads of broccoli which have flowered. The bees were enjoying the abundant yellow blossoms. Some more tomatoes were ready. Karen has been busy making tomato sauce and salsa with the good tomato crop. The potatoes have done well, too. We dug what was left of the row of Red Norlands, and picked up almost 100 pounds. If it had been a full row, we would have gotten almost 150 pounds of potatoes from 10 pounds of seed potatoes. The four rows of Kennebecs are still waiting to be done.
We feel very lucky here. The summer has been a good one with fantastic grazing for the cows, a good crop of hay, a plentiful garden, and lots of nice weather for us to enjoy. Seeing the images of destruction left by Hurrican Katrina have made all of us here feel even luckier to live where we live. Our boys made us proud by wanting to donate immeadiately to the relief effort for the victims of the hurricane. It made them feel better knowing our donations were part of the effort to help the people they saw on the news everyday. The outpouring of help to the ravaged areas in Louisiana and Mississippi from Vermont and across the nation has made us proud of our country. We are truly blessed to live where we live.
--Jonathan, Howmars Farm
Franklin, Vermont
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Posted by Blogger Chris at September 22, 2005 07:25 PM
Your cauliflower is beautiful and I bet those home grown tomatoes are so delicious and flavorful you eat some while you pick some! Glad you had a good harvest.
I'm glad you mentioned your kids wanting to help the poor folks who lost everything in hurricane Katrina and your state as well. I, also am proud how our country comes together at times of disaster. Our church, Trinity Lutheran, where I am the secretary, is having an ingathering of much needed supplies this Sunday and they will be shipped to the disaster areas hardest hit.They will be transported by what we call "The Grain Train", a part of our Lutheran church's mission. God bless your family and as always, it's nice to hear from you folks!
Emily Bonette, Palm Desert, California
What a large head of cauliflower! It gets too hot too fast down here (in Arkansas) to grow really good early season crops!
I noticed the mutant pepper, and wanted to comment that I have seen more "mutant" veggies this year than ever before, even some peaches!
Beautiful veggies!! Beautiful farm!! There is nothing more beautiful than a farm with an abundance of everything!!! You seem to have that and more.
I love y'alls farm, and the fact that you're doing what you're doing! I now live in Memphis, TN, but I remember the "good life" living in the hills of northern California! I too will return to the land some day, but for now, I'm helping my Mom, driving a horse-and-buggy on Beale St., and purchasing what organic products I sometimes buy, from the local Wild-Oats!
Been seeing much more "organic stuff" all over, even Wal-Mart is now big on "organics". I know y'all produce milk for Stonyfield, so forgive my metioning the competition, but Horizon Organic (which was sold to Dean Foods year before last...) is really everywhere,...Sams, Walmart Kroger, etc etc....So, it's nice to see this "catching-on"!
Great work ya'll, and great stewardship of the most important commodity on earth, Mother Earth!
Sincerely,
T. Carter Wynn
What great looking veges! You definitely were blessed with a great crop, it seems. Makes me want to come to Vermont. =0) It also sounds like your family, your boys in particular, have great hearts.
Jonathan Gates reports from Howmars Farm in Franklin, Vermont.