My goodness gracious. It has been so hot and DRY lately, things are dying all around us. Lawns are brown, trees are loosing their leaves, the people are wilting themselves. Team WWOOF is so bored, I can tell. They spend a lot of time, all day usually, watering. You see with the CSA, we can’t let things die on us. Our customers are depending on a crop. Let me rephrase that. We could totally let it ALL die and the customer would have to understand, because they signed a piece of paper, and something like drought is part of the liability. But we’re too nice, and since we have a lot of help and it’s too hot to do much else, we put a hose in their hand. It’s funny, because as I type this out, it is currently raining. The rain, which has only been going on for about 20 minutes or so has prompted me to write about the dryness, because I’ve been needing to. One of our CSA members asked me the other day how things were growing. I let him know how tough it’s been and how some things are just wilting away. He totally understood if the bags were empty for the next few weeks. He shared the story of his garden with me. He said he and his wife had been gone for three weeks. Even though they had someone watering it for them, they returned and their garden was dust. This “heat wave” that the weather man has talked about has lasted for two months now. It’s more like a heat tsunami! This wave won’t leave. I guess my message to you dear reader is respect the fact that there is produce at your grocery store, and there are many, MANY factors that go into its survival. Uh oh, the rain knew I was talking about it, it just stopped : (
Category Archives: dryness
More Potatoes!
We have an endless supply of potatoes in the ground her at Ozark Alternatives, and they’re for SALE (*wink*). Marine, Annie, David and I were digging potatoes, until Annie and David broke for dinner duty. We took a little breather when David brought out some wine, we were pretty much done for after that.
An exciting day of harvest
On this day, the team harvested potatoes. Shiori invited two of her friends from Fayetteville to come over and help, their names were L.J. and Hirona. We also received McKenna, she came to us from Louisville Kentucky on her way west. I can’t forget our newest recruits, David and Marine, coming all the way from Toulouse, France.
Excuse me, where are my manners
We have had a wave of exceptional help lately that has been a positive force in this whole circus. I can say “Thank you” until I’m blue in the face at them, I still don’t think it would do justice to the amount of appreciation that Paul and I have. Thank you again though, for good measure.
Everybody, meet Rose.
She has been a tremendous help for us these past few weeks.
This particular day we harvested the seeds from my spring cilantro and seeded a new bed with them.
Everybody, meet Beth.
Also a big help. Beth is interning on the farm.
Everybody, meet our county fair Grand Champion!
Everybody, meet our first place winner!
Now in this picture are more volunteers, Jason and Jen. I don’t have better pictures of them, sorry Jen and Jason. They too are a great help. This is a picture of the work party today.
Community Garden shots and Beyond
During the dry spell, I also took photos of the state of the Community Garden and our North beds.
Entry, south side.
Path, overgrown, but still there. These next pictures are examples of what’s going on in the community garden as of two weeks ago, give or take a few days. These examples show the effects of the heat and the lack of water.
Our neighbor Cliff planted Zinnias amongst his tomatoes, they were beautiful. Even in this “on the way out” thing they had going on.
These next pictures are of the North beds.
Arkansas Travelers.
Weepy Okra.
Overgrown, dead, raspberries.
Cherry tomatoes.
“Rachel” peppers.
Watermelons, that never got any water.
Example of the heat. Dead grass.
Cherokee Purples.
Brandywine, heirloom.
A look back, like a week and a half…
I have mentioned before that it was really DRY here. It didn’t rain for six weeks. Due to this lack of rain, a lot of things died. Those that did not die, suffered. Here are a few photos.
Pathway through some peach trees to my house, dry grass.
Victory garden, the Japanese Maple Paul planted wilted and turned brown. The tree is still alive, it just got heat stroke I guess.
View of Victory Garden from the deck.
The grass in front of my house. I just couldn’t believe it. It died. But it has been raining, so now it’s green.
More views of Victory garden.
Suffering.
Herbs that died. I believe this to be my oregano.