November 26, 2023
‘Tis the season of gratitude for the bounty of the harvest, and we are truly grateful for every fruit, every flower, all the vegetables and herbs, for the loving help of Elisha, Lara, and Beth, and for YOU!
When I last wrote, we were embarking on spring-sowing and the very first shoots were up. The seedlings grew and flourished, were planted out in perfect timing, and ample rains gave us some of the most beautiful gardens we’ve ever had.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for fruit. On the morning of May 18, temperatures plunged to 24, and 90% of the strawberries were lost. This was particularly sad because the girls had worked hard to cover them with cloth and straw, and Ralph had risen at 3:00 a.m. to hose them down with water to try to keep the temperature above 30. He did manage to save the seedlings in the greenhouse, but many fruit buds were lost. In addition to the strawberries, many of the currants, blueberries, and the summer raspberries and blackberries were lost, and most of the apple blossoms were killed. In February, mild weather led to peach blossoms breaking dormancy early, and they were subsequently lost when winter roared back a week later.
But farms need work even when the crop is small, and the girls worked hard in hot, humid weather, picking the fruit when it was perfectly ripe, and weeding, mulching, staking & tying, trimming, mowing, and doing everything that needed to be done so that the flowers and vegetables thrived. I ate my first tomato sandwich in early July, and (in further demonstration of “seasonal shift”) ate my last tomato on October 30 just before the latest killing frost we’ve ever had in my 50+ years for gardening.
We were very lucky with our later fruit - autumn-bearing raspberries and blackberries did very well, and our elderberries were the best ever, thanks to the abundant rains of summer. Likewise, our newly-planted Damson Plum trees grew spectacularly, and our 3 year old peach trees tripled in size, which bodes well for 2024.
In fact all the fruiting plants look great going into winter. The rains meant that they put on a lot of vegetative growth, which translates into fruiting in the following year, so 2024 looks very promising. Our new strawberry planting looks lush as it awaits its winter blanket of straw, and our new garlic bed is already covered and all tucked in.
For all these reasons, we’ve decided to suspend mail-order until January 1, 2024. We love sending out holiday gifts, but many factors lead to anxiety as we try to make Christmas happen for others - including the capriciousness of our internet connection; USPS’s internet; ice, snow & freezing slush on our mountain road and the consequent demands on our beloved local postal workers; as well as so many out-of-stock preserves.
If you have any special needs before January (especially if you need Elderberry Syrup or garlic), send me an email and I’ll take care of you.
We will keep Tiny Farmstand open for local pickup as long as we can keep it heated with our tiny space heater. We’re usually good until temps drop below 10. We may need to close, then reopen if temps fluctuate wildly. We hope to be open until December 24; we’ll see…
Pie sales and Mooncake sales have been wonderful and have provided the money needed to pay the girls and keep things going. Ralph put up a sign on Rt 10 that said “Pies 1.6 miles” and suddenly, folks discovered us on our little side road up the mountain. We are more grateful than words can express for everyone who has discovered us, and for the wonderful notes you write in the little book!
We will reopen Tiny Farmstand again in the spring as days grow longer and warmer.
Happy Abbey is doing well and loves the attention she gets from visitors to Tiny Farmstand. She was very sick in May and we were afraid we might lose her to a tick-born disease, but she took doxycycline and turned around and had a fantastic summer. She loves winter and is looking forward to prancing and dancing and making snow angels again.
Ralph and I are doing well - better now that we decided to skip the December mail-order rush. We’re both exhausted, and he has projects he wants to do. I’m happy to putter with house plants, and do some cooking just for us. I like making braided bread and cheesy crackers; he likes making ravioli and all kinds of pasta. All my instincts are telling me to curl up and be cozy, and to save my energy for the time when the light is returning, not diminishing.
Juncos are back, and chickadees, but lots of birds are absent - probably enjoying the bounty of seeds in the woods - although we do have a winter wren around whose song makes my heart soar. Oh and a bear family has been visiting regularly and enjoying the fallen pears in the orchard….I think they’ll hibernate soon, just like us.
Our wish for you, dear friends, is for a cozy and warm winter, good health, good time spent with loved ones, and comfort and joy.
Sending love and peace, p&r&a
Signs of “seasonal shift” - view from the gardens on October 27, the latest day before a killing frost in my 50+ years of gardening.