July 27, 2021
Happy High Summer, dear ones!!!
It’s been a wild ride since my last post in - YIKES - April! All those beautiful seedlings matured into plants that we transplanted in late May and they’re thriving.
Drought in June presented a huge challenge to our sandy soil and we rotated watering between 3 wells and managed to keep everything alive - but it was so bad you could feel the parched earth crack and gasp between waterings. Our main focus was keeping the transplants alive, and hydrating the strawberries who rewarded us with a stellar crop. Red currants also gave us their best yields ever - thanks to Ralph’s careful rotational watering.
Deluge in July replenished the aquifer and plumped up the berries, and this time our steep slope gardens withstood Mother Nature’s challenge because in this case, sandy soil was our ally. We’re in the process of picking from light crops of raspberries and blueberries, and just beginning to harvest a booming load of blackberries. We’re also picking cukes and zukes, and the first of many many tomatoes and peppers. The flower beds are flourishing - growing all kinds of posies and making bouquets gives us great joy.
In the kitchen we’ve been busy making pops of many flavors - grape, red currant, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, and strawberry. We’ve put up vinegars with garlic scapes, French tarragon, and Blenda d’Italia and Lemon Italia, and Ralph’s been busy making pickles with cucumbers, dill, nasturtiums, peppers, grape leaves, and whatever else catches his fancy (these are not for sale - just for us and our friends.)
He’s also turned his favorite dark chocolate cake recipe into “Dark Chocolate Moon Cakes” filled with freshly whipped cream and strawberries (or sometimes chocolate ganache) and they’re so very yummy and they’ve been a huge success.
Tiny Farmstand has been working out very well in its second year as more and more people discover us on our remote road, and return whenever they’re back in the area. Social media has been a huge help in getting the word out. (I know lots of folks scorn this new method of advertising, but it’s been a godsend to this small farm, and I heartily encourage anyone who is on Facebook or Instagram to follow us because it’s the best way to keep up with farm happenings - and beautiful photos can brighten any day!)
Mail order has been very busy too (thank you all!) as is our wholesale business. We only sell to a few friends - mostly local farmstands and bakeries, and also to our dear friends at Tower Hill Botanic Garden and the Monadnock Food Coop. As I always say, “Small is Beautiful” and we have zero interest in being in large venues. (A huge store in NYC once tried to buy a pallet of Raspberry Vinegar and couldn’t understand why I didn’t jump at the offer…”because then there’d be none for anyone else.”)
Abbey is still the happiest creature I’ve ever seen and barks and squeals loudly whenever someone comes. Nearly nine now, she’s slowing down, but that’s actually easier for us as we’re slowing down too. And we try to make every one of her golden days as happy as can be.
Wishing you all joy on these golden days of high summer!
With love,
Patti and Ralph and Abbey
