Harvest Day

Harvesting Collards for Great Falls folks

Harvest days are hectic. Especially now that summer is officially here, so is the heat. We are running against time, the heat, mosquitoes, harvesting 20, sometimes up to 40 shares all before lunch. Today we harvested 20 full-shares of: radishes, bok choy, collards, Tuscan kale (a.k.a Lacinato or Dinosaur kale), Rainbow chard, and spinach for our members in Great Falls. 

Tuscan/Dinosaur/Lacinato KALE!

It's been challenging to stay hydrated and enthusiastic through the day while fighting off hordes of aggressive mosquitoes. I hate complaining, but these mosquitoes are unlike any I have ever encountered. I've been to places in the world notorious for mosquitoes: China, Mexico, Costa Rica; but none of these places have mosquitoes as cruel and tenacious as the ones here in Montana. They even taunt you with that buzzing mosquito sound I thought only existed in movies. Then, when you think you've scared them away with a swat of your hand, they come and get you from behind, and when you realize your butt cheek is itchy, it's too late.

Next to bugs to fight against are the weeds. With our veggies booming in growth, so are the weeds. In the next few weeks, we will be honing in on ridding them. I'm a lover not a fighter, but weeds, for my novice agrarian friends, take away nutrients, space and other resources from the crops we want to focus on. Weeding reminds me of my time at the Garden School Foundation and my reflection on weeds. Here on the farm, we have lots of lambs quarter and dandelions. 

It was wonderful to meet our share members of Great Falls today. It was my first drop-off here. Jacob and I stayed from 4:30 to 5:30 at Gibson Park. It was a nice to just relax under some shady trees and reap the benefits of our harvest today, the smiles and appreciation from our customers. It was nice to see faces and to  hear about how people are excited to try the recipes in our newsletter, which I am happily responsible for each week. 

All in all, the farm is looking more beautiful and lush by the day, and I'm getting antsy for tomatoes and peppers which we got into the ground this week!!

*Photos by Tiffanie Ma