beat the heat

over at the vegetable farm everything is still trying to adjust to the history making hot spell we are first breaking out of (praise jah). don’t get me wrong—we’re in georgia, it’s supposed to be hot—but, to use the parlance of our times, this shit is crazy. even the older folks can’t recall a summer that has been this hot for this many days without respite.

the unrelenting heat has caused many problems for many farmers around ga, and all things considered, we’ve made out well. the summer crops were a little lackluster, but based on my own energy levels and performance i can’t really blame them. the grubs, insects, worms, moths, caterpillars, ants, spiders etc. that normally peak near the end of summer, and disappear with the fall cool off, never really maxed out, or peaked. this lack of a final push has allowed them to semi-peak for a second round of attacks that is usually a complete non-issue come this time of year.

 due to the summer crops dying a bit early, and the fall crops off to a slow start, there will be a larger than normal gap in food productivity in between seasons. also, the cost of the plant starts, as well as mine (and others) labor in tending to them, will be a bit fruitless as they will most likely be redone in the cooler weeks to come.

when i sought advice from my mentor farmer j, who is nearing the end of his family vacation, his advice on how to cope with my struggling crops was: “…and pray, always pray.”

so, there it is kind readers: start prayin’ for us.