Last night I sat in the cool rain got wet, and gave thanks to the Lord! This morning we had .20 inches of rain in our gauge! Today the HEAT continued… yesterday the USDA released wetland CRP acres for haying, today they said 50% of our nations ag acres are in extreme drought, which is about how our Heikes Farm produce production is going… 50%! Enclosed is a short video clip of our potato and beet digging , As you can see our soil is very dry and hard. Since the potatoes were planted in mid-March we got a pretty nice crop, not affected so much by the drought but some by the weeds. We will store the potatoes and the beets in Stewarts cool basement for longer life… for your shares into fall.
Here’s our pick this week: lots of really nice BIG tomatoes and some sweet cherry tomatoes, and of course lots and lots of beets and potatoes, big pick of peppers both sweet bell, yellow banana, and 3 varieties of hotter peppers, 1 more small pick of sweet corn, (probably the last without rain), some cucumbers, 1st cantaloupes, some watermelons, herbs and maybe eggplant, and flowers. Even with daily watering we are still suffering in the heat!
I measured up my irrigatable production acres this morning to be sustainable for you: 11 ½ acres will take a well with 90 gal/ min output. Several of you have asked about a fruit share… I’m considering 22# lugs of Colorado peaches if there’s enough interest? I need to know ASAP .As you may know we planted 80 fruit trees this spring, we are hoping for some small production next year. I also have an Iowa grower source for apples and cider this fall. We should have good Heikes Farm Honey again this fall. I’ll need to know who wants itraw not pasteurized. We will start offering new shares early this fall, Please tell your friends and neighbors to join us at our Heikes Family Farm’s CSA, Sustainable organically grown produce.
See you Saturday
Sincerely, Sam Heikes