From The Farm: The Bounty of the Harvest
Our farmers have been hard at work for the harvest and finally feel like they are almost caught up. The fall crops are growing right along and looking quite nice at the moment. Most of the farmers are currently picking the last of the eggplant, peppers, okra and squash.
Georgia is lucky because we haven’t had a frost yet this year. So, our farms enjoyed the extended summer harvest that comes along with a late first frost. They were able to dig all of the peanuts this past month and were very pleased with the results. Several large batches have already been dried, then roasted or boiled and distributed.
And, don’t forget about the seedings! The first seedings of carrots and beets were highly successful and the stand looks to be close to 100 percent germination and emergence. As most growers know, seeding carrots and beets can be a bit “hit or miss” depending on conditions, so it is always nice to get a good strong stand the first time around.
The farmers have been setting out a wide variety of fall transplants over the last 4 to 5 weeks and, with the exception of a few stubborn cabbage plants, everything is filling out nicely. We are already starting to see some nice broccoli crowns forming and have had a couple of nice harvests of collards and turnips. On an extremely dry year such as this, our farms feel most fortunate to have a productive well to keep our crops irrigated. Fresh, clean water is truly a blessing that we often take for granted.
In talking about all of our lovely fall crops, we can’t forget everyone’s favorite fruit, strawberries! Although strawberries are not harvested in the fall, now is a great time to plant them for a late spring harvest. Our local producers set out several rows of strawberry plugs on raised rows, covered with plastic. This keeps the young plants safe and healthy and away from that first frost.
Our farmers want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and, if you have never tried a heritage breed turkey, try to seek out a local farmer that raises them and give it a try this year! You won’t be disappointed and it will give you something cool to talk about around the dinner table!
Brad manages our farm operations, which include our certified naturally grown farm outside Madison and the Kelly family’s plantation in Leesburg, Ga, known as Rock House Farm. Rock House Farm produces grass-fed beef, heritage Berkshire hogs, and two varieties of heirloom corn, among other crops.
Georgia is lucky because we haven’t had a frost yet this year. So, our farms enjoyed the extended summer harvest that comes along with a late first frost. They were able to dig all of the peanuts this past month and were very pleased with the results. Several large batches have already been dried, then roasted or boiled and distributed.
And, don’t forget about the seedings! The first seedings of carrots and beets were highly successful and the stand looks to be close to 100 percent germination and emergence. As most growers know, seeding carrots and beets can be a bit “hit or miss” depending on conditions, so it is always nice to get a good strong stand the first time around.The farmers have been setting out a wide variety of fall transplants over the last 4 to 5 weeks and, with the exception of a few stubborn cabbage plants, everything is filling out nicely. We are already starting to see some nice broccoli crowns forming and have had a couple of nice harvests of collards and turnips. On an extremely dry year such as this, our farms feel most fortunate to have a productive well to keep our crops irrigated. Fresh, clean water is truly a blessing that we often take for granted.
In talking about all of our lovely fall crops, we can’t forget everyone’s favorite fruit, strawberries! Although strawberries are not harvested in the fall, now is a great time to plant them for a late spring harvest. Our local producers set out several rows of strawberry plugs on raised rows, covered with plastic. This keeps the young plants safe and healthy and away from that first frost.Our farmers want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and, if you have never tried a heritage breed turkey, try to seek out a local farmer that raises them and give it a try this year! You won’t be disappointed and it will give you something cool to talk about around the dinner table!
Brad manages our farm operations, which include our certified naturally grown farm outside Madison and the Kelly family’s plantation in Leesburg, Ga, known as Rock House Farm. Rock House Farm produces grass-fed beef, heritage Berkshire hogs, and two varieties of heirloom corn, among other crops.