Month: August 2020

The Eat Goes On . . .

I did not recognize my Blog when I went to it today to write this entry! I wonder if it has anything to do with the notifications I have been receiving (and ignoring!) from Word Press? So much to do and so little time! Let us see if I can navigate this new layout today . . .

The Farmer’s Candy . . .

The last day of August is tomorrow and we roll into September. I find it amazing how rapidly the year is passing. Our gardens are a weedy mess right now. Truly one would wonder that any veggies had ever come from them! Well, except for perhaps the tomato gardens which are still in pretty good shape.

Tomato plants continually tied up by loving hands.

You can see where Robert has spent hours tying up the plants to keep the fruits off the ground. Of course, the blight has affect some parts of the tomatoes and the beans. Still, this is today’s harvest, so there will be a few beans this week.

Green beans and yellow, flat beans.

The eggplant are beautiful this year! We have received so many comments on how the skins are not bitter at all. There should be plenty more of these beauties coming from the gardens. Oh yes, as with every vegetable, we plant MORE THAN ONE garden!! This is the one hedge we have to keep the pests and blights at bay on at least some of our produce!

Italian eggplant on the vine.

If we did not take this precaution of spreading out our various waves of crops, all of the tomato plants would look like the ones in this blighted section. Unfortunately, the blight spreads on the wind and by one walking through the garden. Simply a fact of Blight! Just imagine how many tomatoes we would have if not for the blight!

Blighted tomato plants still attempting to produce fruits.

In the box this week look for Italian eggplant and Asian eggplant and sweet peppers–bell and a long shape. Also, tomatoes for slicing and small, round bites of goodness in orange and red which we call “The Farmer’s Candy.” There may be beans or potatoes, depending on the day’s harvest. If you find a rare squash or zucchini, it may have come from my brother-in-law’s garden! Although, we still trust our last planting of patty pan squash will produce those yummy treats.

Tomato stuffed eggplant topped with sweet bell peppers! Ready for the oven!

The eat goes on . . . the eat goes on . . . the garden keeps pumpin’ produce to the farm . . . If you are of a certain age or listen to a certain genre of music, I trust you will have this tune moving through your brain for the rest of the day! And I think I can work quite well with this new Word Press format; but, I may make time to go back and read those notices!

Butterflies & Personal Shoppers

Something Robert and I have observed this summer that is of concern is related to the butterflies. We have huge butterfly bushes in our front yard. Typically they are loaded with butterflies –so many butterflies they cannot be possibly counted! However this year, we have one pair (that’s two) yellow and black butterflies. Sometimes there is a black and blue pair that makes a visit, but not always. This one pair is all that we see consistently. I wonder why? We do not have a Smart Meter on our house. We keep our cell phones on Airplane Mode except to occasionally check messages. It’s not because of Wi-Fi or 5G as we live at the top of the mountain and our home has “hard-wired ethernet” for the sake of the bees and butterflies. Perhaps something elsewhere has interfered with their migration pattern?  The butterfly bushes are blooming as always.  We just don’t understand  . . .

Butterfly Couple 20200820_132538 (2)

One thing I do understand better this year is the hesitancy of some people to join a CSA where by design another person chooses the vegetables they will be eating. We always try to do our best and give our CSA Members the best quality produce available in any given year. Actually, our members get better veggies than what we eat since we choose to eat the damaged produce rather than to put it in the CSA Boxes of paying customers. The reason I have gained this understanding of hesitancy can be tied directly to Covid-19!
With the advent of Covid-19, French Broad Food Co-op, Whole Foods, and many other stores have been offering door-to-door or curb-to-car delivery of groceries. It’s not that I’m afraid to go into the stores; that’s not the reason at all. It is just that with the convenience being offered, I have discovered it extraordinarily useful to have my grocery shopping done for me! I was hesitant at first. I wondered if the avocados would be the proper ripeness or if my frozen items would arrive frozen and my cold items cold; but to my extreme delight, everything is working out exceptionally well. There simply are not enough hours in the day to get done what I need to do. I have discovered the convenience of a personal shopper to be worth the cost. So now I understand . . .
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We see some beautiful peppers in the garden.  We are growing bell peppers and a long-shaped pepper.  Both varieties  start out green. Some will have started to turn colors before being harvested; but for the others, you can experiment. If left on the counter, they will ripen like a tomato and turn red or yellow or perhaps orange. They have nice thick walls for the most part and are very sweet. Pepper’s have a large amount of Vitamin C! Enjoy these peppers raw or sauteed or roasted–whatever is your pleasure. Once they are rusted or sauteed, they do freeze well if you feel you want to save some for the winter months. We like to slice some very thin before sauteing and them on our homemade, gluten-free pizzas throughout the year!
Squash & Zucchini 20200817_173451 (3)
Rain? Yes, we continue to get more than our fair share. And the next couple of days don’t look a whole lot better. Say a prayer for your vegetables and your CSA Farmers.
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Continue to look for Italian eggplant and Asian eggplant and sweet peppers. Also, tomatoes for slicing and small, round bites of goodness in orange and red which we call “The Farmer’s Candy.” There may be beans or cabbage or potatoes, depending on the day’s harvest. If you find an ugly cucumber or a rare patty pan squash or zucchini, consider yourself one of the fortunate ones.
Summer Flowers 20200820_132407
As that look at the front yard I see the Sedum Autumn Joy starting to turn a light-greenish color mixed with pink which is a sure sign falls on the way. By this time of the year, we have made peace with the weeds and I’m able to say the some of them are actually beautiful.

Pretty Weeds 20200820_133121 (2)

Pretty Weeds 20200820_132311 (2)

Political Correctness Can Kill

Here I go . . . off topic again . . . but I feel this information, indeed, this truth, needs to be said and needs to be heard and needs to be taken to heart. I gotta say in this instance, I certainly agree with Bill Maher . . . SHAME ON OUR LEADERS AND THE MEDIA for not highlighting THE MOST IMPORTANT THING our country could do in order TO CONFRONT COVID-19. We should all be enraged. I applaud this comedian for having the “guts” to say this. Please watch and share this video.

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/08/14/how-should-we-combat-the-coronavirus.aspx?cid_source=dnl&cid_medium=email&cid_content=art1HL&cid=20200814Z1&mid=DM621212&rid=940367431

And KUDOS to all of our CSA Members who are doing their best in trying to eat healthy, local, nutritious food. In addition to being kind to your body, you are supporting the local economy, helping to keep green space in the community, and setting a good example for your children and grandchildren. You are OUR HEROS.

Spring Garden 20200626_175111

In the box this next week look for Italian eggplant and Asian eggplant. Also, tomatoes for slicing and small, round bites of goodness in orange and red which we call “The Farmer’s Candy.” There will be potatoes and onion and perhaps a few beans and cabbage. It is possible green bell peppers will make an appearance this week. If you find an ugly cucumber or a rare patty pan squash or zucchini, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. The cucumber plants are still alive and do have flowers, so there is hope for more in the future. The squash and zucchini which were replanted are starting to grow–so again, there is hope for more of these in the future.

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Robert has found it necessary to replant more crops and more often this season than any other season in the last 27 years. This is simply a testament to how cruel Mother Nature can be and has been in the 2020 Harvest Season. Not all has turned out as we would have preferred. Despite this, we are proud of the veggies boxes we have been able to provide to our CSA Members and we intend to continue for as long as possible! Most years we make it until Thanksgiving. One year we made it until Christmas! One year we only made it until Halloween. And ONE YEAR only the month of JULY.  We keep on trying! And we expect you to keep on showing up for your veggies until you get a direct email saying that we are closing for the season. Now for another photo of Troyer’s Country Amish Blatz gardens. Did you know they have B&B offerings and a wedding venue, too?

Troyers Country Amish Blatz Fairview Flowers 20200807_165011

Perhaps before joining a CSA, you did not understand now how the weather–frost, cold, heat, hail, and rainfall–can affect crops and their ability to grow and even their flavor. Perhaps before joining a CSA, you thought inclement weather only meant canceled golf outings, tennis matches, picnics, or how lush your front lawn looked. But you joined a CSA. Perhaps after joining a CSA, you have a deeper understanding of the contentedness of weather to your source of food. Perhaps after joining a CSA, you will even attempt to grow your own garden in the future–in either your back yard or your front yard! No mater what you decide, we are very happy to have you joining us on our Local Food Journey this season!

Welcome to the Garden 20200626_180636

 

National Meeting About Satellites

I know this topic is not related to our CSA veggies except in the sense that we grow our veggies on Planet Earth; and thus, we have a deep and necessary connection to the health of our planet’s total environment. If when reading this Blog you find you have missed the meeting about satellites, please search for it online. The information being discussed is so urgent, I feel certain it will be replayed.

“But will you wake for pity’s sake”~~from Christopher Fry, A Sleep of Prisoners, 1951.

 

NATIONAL MEETING ABOUT SATELLITES, AUGUST 13
On Thursday, August 13, 2020, from 7 to 9 PM EDT (2300 to 0100 UTC), Americans for Responsible Technology will host a meeting about the 5G satellites on Zoom that will be simulcast on Facebook. In the first hour, four presenters will speak for 15 minutes each.
Ben Levi, technology consultant, will summarize the current satellite situation.
Joe Sandri has a law degree and has training and experience in radio frequency engineering. He will describe how the satellites work. How will a typical 5G transmission use the satellites?
Arthur Firstenberg will talk about the impact of the satellites on people and the environment. How will the electrical environment of the earth be altered by constant transmission of 5G signals?
Julian Gresser, attorney, will address what is being done legally to stop this. What right does the FCC or any other agency have to authorize the use of space for private commercial interests?
The second hour of the meeting will consist of a discussion among the presenters.
Attend by Zoom (limited space). Participants must register in advance: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwkdeqoqjIiGNx6dqXjti7HrZHqle3LNwrH

In a Newsletter I received today from Arthur Firstenberg, he states, “The out-of-control satellite industry is one of the stupidest things humankind has ever created. It treats the life-giving envelope of our atmosphere as if we don’t depend on it. It poses an immediate threat to life on Earth, in so many ways.

The 100,000 planned 5G satellites, each with a designed lifespan of 5 to 10 years, must be constantly de-orbited and replaced. This means that at least 10,000 satellites will have to be launched every year, forever into the future. If an average of 50 satellites can be launched on each rocket, that’s 200 rocket launches per year, just to maintain the satellites used for cell phones and Internet. And it means the de-orbiting of 10,000 worn out satellites per year, burning them up in the atmosphere and turning them into toxic dust and smoke. And that’s not counting the ever-increasing numbers of weather, research, tracking, monitoring, surveillance, military, and other kinds of satellites and missiles being launched in what will soon be a parade of rockets burning prodigious quantities of fossil fuels, punching holes in our atmosphere on a daily basis, and treating the source of all life as Earth’s largest garbage pit.

Martin Ross of the Aerospace Corporation and other researchers have been modeling the effects of daily rocket launches on ozone and global temperatures. Rocket exhaust, depending on the type of fuel used, may contain chlorine and/or oxides of nitrogen, hydrogen, and/or aluminum, all of which destroy ozone. SpaceX’s kerosene-fueled rockets deposit enormous amounts of black soot into the stratosphere, where it accumulates, absorbing solar radiation and warming the stratosphere. The warming of the stratosphere accelerates the chemical reactions that destroy ozone.

Most rockets are launched from the northern hemisphere. And the winter and spring of 2020 saw the largest and longest-lasting Arctic ozone hole in history. Ozone-watchers did not know what caused it, but they were not communicating with the scientists who are studying rocket exhaust. Our world is full of specialists, deaf and blind to other specialties, collectively asleep and marching toward oblivion.

Atmospheric physicists do not study astronomy. Astronomers do not study electricity. Electricians do not study biology. Medical doctors do not study acupuncture. Doctors of oriental medicine do not study atmospheric physics. But the universe is not fragmented, it is a whole, and our culture has forgotten what that is, to its peril and to the peril of everything alive.

The ionosphere is a source of high voltage that controls the electric circuitry of the biosphere and everything in it, including the fine-tuned circuitry of every human, every animal, every tree, and every fish. If we do not immediately stop the destruction of our fragile blanket of electrified air, upon which we depend for growth, healing, and life itself, climate change and ozone destruction may not matter. Beta testing begins in September.

CORONAVIRUS’S HIDDEN THREAT

When SpaceX begins its beta testing in the northern United States and southern Canada later this summer, the single biggest obstacle to recognizing its effects on humans will be COVID-19. Because no matter how many people sicken or die in that part of the world, it will be blamed on the coronavirus.

As I (Arthur Firstenberg) pointed out in a previous newsletter, the pandemic began with 5G. 5G came to Wuhan shortly before the outbreak of COVID-19 there. 5G came to New York City streetlamps shortly before the outbreak of COVID-19 there. COVID-19 deprives the blood of oxygen, while radio waves deprive the cells of oxygen. COVID-19, alone, is just a respiratory virus like the common cold. But together with 5G, it is deadly. To deal with COVID-19 effectively, society must first recognize the harm done to the body by radio waves. 5G is radio waves on steroids. Instead of acknowledging the harm from radio waves, society is tearing its fabric apart by instituting measures that are protecting no one and are instead sickening and killing people. I (Arthur Firstenberg) will mention just one of those measures here: facial masks.”

 

I (Glenda Ploeger) will stop quoting the Newsletter which I received today at this point as I am aware how divided our society is on the topic of wearing facial masks.  HOWEVER, IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN PURSUING THIS TOPIC FURTHER, I will be happy to forward to you Arthur Firstenberg’s entire Newsletter complete with references as the two topics are related. Or you may prefer to tune in to the above mentioned National Meeting of Americans For Responsible Technology.

Go Well . . . With Peace and Love and Local Food . . .

Empathy And Respect

It is disheartening for a farmer to hear rain falling for the second or third time in a given day. We have been receiving entirely too much rain and the dampness is taking a toll on our gardens. No more patty pan squash or zucchini for the foreseeable future and the potatoes seem to be rotting as quickly as I can bag them. WARNING: Eat the potatoes first! However, we do have tiny squash and zucchini plants emerging from the soil. We trust in a few weeks, there shall be more of these tasty delights for our CSA Boxes. And one can always hope the next variety of potato we attempt to dig will “hold up” better than this first variety. Hope springs eternal in the garden!

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What saddens me even more is that people are so unable to show empathy for and respect for the opinions of others who are their fellow travelers on this journey called life. Consider where our world be if we did not have differences of opinions and a mutual respect for each other’s ideas and thoughts? We may as well be robots! I will not claim to have any answers to the current problems facing our world. I only know that without respect and empathy, there can be no discussion; and without discussion there can be no solutions.

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Robert and I truly appreciate the empathy being shown by our CSA Members who are or have attempted to pursue gardening. Any one who has tried to grow anything has some idea of what an uphill battle it is to face Mother Nature day in and day out. And for those who “never gave it a thought” before joining the Local Food Movement, I trust getting a farm share of vegetables is proving to be a beneficial learning experience. We feel our veggie boxes have been awesome thus far; and we trust we shall be able to continue in this manner. Farming is not an easy vocation. However, the respect our members give to the fruits of our labor makes all the frustration worthwhile. Please eat with gratitude.

Creative Cucumbers on Bread 20200805_134044 (2)

Our Grandson spent a night with us this week and I got him to eat a cucumber! It took a bit of creativity which I gleaned from a Japanese Food Artist. She swore this snack tasted like watermelon. Our seven-year old Grandson agreed! It must have been the combination of sweet strawberry jam and chocolate chip watermelon “seeds” mixed with the cucumber “rind” on bread that did the trick. Or perhaps it was making the snack all by himself? This is the first time he has ever liked “watermelon” with seeds!

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In the upcoming boxes you will find the first eggplant (Italian globes and Japanese varieties), tomatoes, potatoes and onion, green beans or flat beans of yellow and green, cucumbers, and cabbage.

Troyers Country Amish Blatz Fairview Flowers 20200807_164931 (2)

I went by Troyer’s Country Amish Blatz today just to walk through Bonnie’s Gardens. The sight of her many beautiful flower varieties was refreshing to my Soul. Small pleasures can mean so much. I ate a bit of chocolate from their store while on my stroll which also helped my mood.

Troyers Country Amish Blatz Fairview Flowers 20200807_165345