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brookw_gw

you know it's too wet when

brookw_gw
13 years ago

You know it's too wet when you find a great blue heron resting on your farm gate. After detouring a flooded road to get to the farm today, we pulled up to the gate and found a great blue heron perched upon the top rung of the the gate. Thinking of starting an ark business. We got another 3.1 inches yesterday along with high winds. Everything is just mud soup. I had orders to fill and had to plunge in.

On a better note, I've discovered a really good seller--squash blossoms. I sold $55 worth of the things this week. I only pick the males and charge a dime apiece. You can pick hundreds in no time. Oddly enough, folks prefer the smaller squash blossoms while I love the big pumpkin and gourd blossoms.

Stay dry,

Brook

Comments (7)

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    13 years ago

    A dime a piece for squash blossoms! That is crazy cheap. I charge at least 50 cents each!

    Too wet, that is the truth. For me it is too weedy. No matter what I do, I can't win.

    Jay

  • brookw_gw
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Crazy cheap is right!! but the market here has bottomed out. I think unemployment around here is over 12%, and that is in summer when usually there is plenty of work. I try to sell huge, beautiful peppers 3/$1 and throw as many away as I sell, and I'm giving sweet corn to old folks homes. I even had to work to move my blackberries this year after they flew off the shelf last year. I'm hoping for better fall sales. My beans, melons, and tomatoes will be coming on full force while most others are dwindling.

    The weeds won the spring battle here hands down and are about to claim my new canefruit. I even have about 300 bags of leaves I wanted to mulch them with but am abandoning that after this last flood. They certainly won't aid in the drying process.

    Brook

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    13 years ago

    I am sorry your markets are bottoming out. I am glad ours are going strong. It makes it hard to go out and pick when you know that you aren't going to sell it. I had that problem last fall. I know I could sell X amount of cherry tomatoes. I would pick X amount and a few extra and I would always bring home the few extra and a few more.

    I wish I could take your peppers. I have been selling big green peppers for $1 and colored ones for $1.50. I have lowered my price to 75 cents, but I try to hold that price or I slice them and put them in the Freezer for winter.

    My tomatoes, beans and melons are going strong too! Haven't picked any melon, but they are a bunch growing.

    Jay

  • joe-il
    13 years ago

    18.6% unemployment in Rockford. Maybe thats why sales are a little sluggish lol.

    I have inch wide cracks in the ground its so dry. Thundering now, maybe we will get something.

  • brookw_gw
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Joe, wish I could ship you some rain. We got another 1.2 inches, and that was doom for my peppers and later tomatoes. Wednesday they were gorgeous; yesterday, they were all pathetically wilted. I know there's not enough O2 for their roots. They perked up some once the shade hit them, but it's been mid to upper 90's all week and isn't going to change much. Afraid I lost some beans too. I have at least 2 acres of winter squash and pumpkins, my main crops, and they're looking ok. Melons are coming on strong too. Bumper squash and cuke harvest, but everybody and his brothers are giving them away.

    Jay, I do can, freeze, and dry a lot. Last year, I put up 28 half gallons and 150 quarts of pickles alone. Onions freeze nicely too. \

    Brook

  • joe-il
    13 years ago

    I think you did ship the rain. Got about 8 inches last night. Its non stop thunder and lighting right now.

    150 qts of pickles ? thats insane, you eat them every day?

  • brookw_gw
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Believe it or not, I share them with my students. They would eat 2 gallons a day if I'd let them. I started out bringing them for my lunch and would share a few along with my deer sausage. Before long, kids were lining up for the handouts. I'm cutting back as it's just too expensive and too much work. I've had some graduates contact me wanting to buy cases of them. Some teachers bake cookies--I make pickles.

    Brook

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