August 22nd, 2014

Dear All,
It has been a while.  We just completed a caterpillar tunnel over two rows of tomatoes in hopes to have a longer season and protection from late blight.  It was an exciting hour to put the thing p.  I had researched it for days.  We got it up in 1.5 hours and it is snug, so the wind hopefully can't blow it over.

It happened that the tomato posts, covered with cans to protect the plastic if rubbing, can be used to hold the plastic open along the sides when ventilating.  We put the string outside the plastic attached to rebar posts up before pulling the plastic, so it was held in place right away and tightened them later.

With all this rain we anticipate blight trouble coming soon. Tomatoes are starting to ripen in numbers.  There are almost no tomatoes at market, and customers keep asking for them.   You are getting the first and best.
 Jeremy and Ian are digging potatoes right now for your boxes.  Unfortunately the carrots are slow to recover from the earlier eating.  The fall carrots look good and they probably all come in at once later in the fall. 
We have new eating in the Mixed Greens by gourmet loving porcupines.  We covered the greens with row covers.  Spinach and cilantro also got totally mowed down.  I set a trap and caught a 30lb raccoon that was hissing and snarling at me.  It stuck his little hands through the cage.  I was glad when he was released a few miles away.  Do racoons eat spinach and cilantro?

I am looking for a worker or help the next four weeks. Sal moved on, Sharon is ill, Jeremy is going on vacation and Ian is going back to college, becoming part time.  If you know anybody looking for work or an experience, let me know.  I am planning on getting up earlier, but the cow needs my evenings and the cheese is so yummy.....
I hope that the students are back soon to help.
Dulli