What’s Happening on the Farm in Fall
By Rebecca Stoecker
Hi there my fellow gardeners and farmers,September already! Can you believe it? This month is all about continuing to harvest those summer favorites and tending to the incoming fall crops, like our many types of winter squash, that are almost ready. There are so many types of winter squash unlike the more tender summer varieties like yellow squash and zucchini. These have a thicker skin that when stored properly in a cool dark place can last for several months.
These are some that we are growing currently or have grown before but there are even more! Winter squash is good in soups, roasted, baked or even as desserts.
Fun Fries Peel, deseed, and slice butternut squash into 1⁄2 inch thick sticks. | Muffin Mania Substitute 1 cup pureed butternut squash for oil in your favorite corn muffin mix. Add 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg. Fill muffin cups 1⁄2 full and bake at 350 degrees F Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. | Pie Chart Combine 4 cups pureed butternut squash, 1⁄2 cup sweetened condensed milk, 1 whole egg plus 3 egg yolks, 1⁄3 cup brown sugar, 1⁄4 teaspoon of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt into a bowl and mix until smooth. Pour into a 9-in pie crust and bake at 350 degrees F until toothpick in the inserted into the center comes out clean. |
In the Greenhouse we have been busy planting more fall crops of Broccoli, Collards and Kale and Cabbage that will be planted this week. We are also planting some young tomato plants in large pots to keep in our greenhouse. We are trying to keep a small crop of tomatoes to sell at the market well after the frost has killed off the plants in the field . Tomatoes are a popular seller for us during the summer, so we are going to see how folks enjoy still being able to have a fresh and local tomato in the winter season. If it is successful for us this year we will expand it to offer other items as well. But for this year we are trying a red tomato which is called better boy.
Back outside these beautiful celery plants will be planted this week. Next month I will share some pictures of the planting process. Have you ever seen celery with the leaves still on the plant?
Now when September rolls around people think it is too late to start a garden but there is still time.
Here are some fast growing veggies you can still plant from seed.
- Lettuce
- Arugula
- Spinach
- Radishes
- Bok Choy
- Bonus Parsley or cilantro for herbs
Next Month we will check in our peanut plants and see how they are growing! Come back for more sights around the farm!
Flower Challenge!
Can you identify what types of plants these flowers belong to? Scroll down to see the answers.
From Left to Right- Peony, Squash, Blueberry, cucumber