As farmers, we’re perennially balancing the past, present and future. Each day we watch the results of our actions unfold and make mental notes of adjustments for next season. This August, this means watching our plants come-of-age with plenty of heat and little rain. Many of you have been asking, ‘How’s the drought?’

The truth is that drought has its benefits:
·      Dry weather is excellent for weeding and our crew has kept morale astoundingly high as they hoe up and down rows all across the farm.
·      Looks like we’re growing our best tomato crop yet! Gorgeous red slicers, sweet cherries and delicious, quirky heirlooms are staking out more and more real estate in the farm stand these days.
·      Popular wisdom tells us that melons grown in dry conditions are small and sweet. After cracking open a few delicious cantaloupe in the beds of farm trucks this week, I can attest!
·      Jim gets even more of a work-out than usual hauling irrigation supplies from field to field!
We’re doing our best to build resilient farm systems at Langwater. These ‘stressful’ bouts are what we’ve been training for! Welcome to the ‘Farm Olympics’, folks! By stewarding soil rich in organic matter (from our own compost and a blend of cover crops), rotating our crops, growing healthy seedlings and training a strong crew, we’ve been working towards these hot, bountiful days of August. Wish us luck as we compete & haul in all those tomatoes. Enjoy those tomato sandwiches…