There are so many exciting things happening on the farm right now. I thought I would take this opportunity to share a little of what the RDF crew has been up to.

Each week we reach another significant milestone in the farming season. Last week we prepared the ground and planted our tomatoes and basil. We were all dreaming of BLTs and other summer delights, even though the weather was a little gloomy.

The week before, we built two new hoop houses, which are mobile greenhouses we move around the fields from year to year. This year their inhabitants will be four different kinds of peppers. It’s our first year growing peppers in hoop houses and we’re hoping for success to share with you!

I just finished working up the field where we will plant winter squash, corn, zucchini, melons and green beans. This year we are planting over 60 beds of different winter squash varieties that will nourish us through winter.

Our potato plants are growing more and more every day. Pretty soon we will be watching for little tubers under the soil, and before we know it, we’ll be digging up new potatoes, a personal favorite of mine that I have eaten since childhood. I especially love them boiled alongside fresh green beans with a little salt.

About once a week we move the pigs to new ground so they can forage for goodies and fertilize our fields. This week we moved them from one side of the farm to the other, which was a blast, and now they’re loving their new home. Soon we will be planting buckwheat and other cover crops for them to graze in the late summer.

As always, we are plugging away in the greenhouse, trying to keep weeds at bay and harvesting the bounty that seems never ending.

~Lane