Tomatoes Ripening & Kids Learning

Village Farm Team,

Thanks to the recent rainfall, some of our crops are showing prolific growth! The Sugar Baby watermelons for instance are already beginning to shoot out vines along the ground. Our herbs in the planter boxes are filling out, looking more like a sea of green rather than individual plants. And, our squashes are producing as fast as we can pick them! We’re starting to see more of our tomato varieties ripen, particularly our Indigo Rose tomatoes and our yellow varietals like Sun Gold and Yellow Pear. Pretty soon our larger varieties like Black Krim and Beefsteak will follow suit.

Now that the temperatures are rising we are making it a priority to ensure both our goats and chickens have access to cool water and shade. The warmer temperatures and recent rains also mean an increased chance for parasites. We take preventative measures with our chickens and goats by feeding them herbs with natural anti-parasitic properties like rosemary, oregano, and garlic. The chickens have been getting garlic and apple cider vinegar in their water as an added precaution.

We made another visit to Neill Elementary this past Thursday to meet with first and second graders. We chatted about all the crops we grow on the Village Farm as well as what their life cycles look like and how important pollination is. We brought lots of visuals from the farm including an edible head of red cabbage and one that has already bolted and gone to seed. The kids were amazed at how different the same plant can look from one stage of life to the next. As exciting as the red cabbage was, they were more amazed at what Brussels sprouts look like growing on a stalk versus what they see on their plates at home.

Make sure you visit us at the veggie wagon on Saturday from 8am to Noon so you can pick up a little Village Farm goodness for your holiday weekend plans! We’ll have yellow crookneck squash, a limited amount of tomatoes, and a variety of herbs. If you’re in search of some inspiration for cooking up your farm fresh veggies, make sure to check out our Seasonal Cookbook!