A well is coming!

The Health Department came to the farm yesterday and gave us the okay to add a well! Since the creek that we normally get water from to water the plants is pretty much dried up, this is FANTASTIC news. We’re just waiting for the written permit to arrive in the mail, and if it does by the end of the week, we’ll start drilling next week!

Along with having water for the crops, a well means we can irrigate. But that’s not all. We can also fertigate, or add natural fertilizers like fish emulsions and kelp to the water to help the plants grow faster and stronger.

And for you, Edible Old Dominion fans and CSA members, this means more veggies! Hopefully your bags will be fuller with bigger, stronger, more delicious produce each week.

Think Rain! The ongoing draught has taken its toll. The creek I usually pump from is dry. Thank you for your patience during our lower production. -FR

Bryan Market I spend Tuesday mornings picking for market and am often late in arriving. I do attempt to be there by 3:30. Sorry for any inconvenience. - FR

Farm Update

We’ve been busy planting and harvesting out at the farm. Look for okra, Japanese turnips and arugula coming soon.

The recent rain has actually hurt some of our crops. Yes, normally rain is good, but the recent showers have been so heavy and hard, they actually washed away a few rows of greens and other crops.

We’re planting lots of beans and fall/winter squash. Along with Jade green beans, a highly productive heirloom variety, we’re mixing in some Royal Burgundy beans, which look purple raw but turn green when they’re boiled or steamed. Mixing up our varieties helps add biodiversity to the farm.

Blackberry Goodness

This past week CSA members received some blackberries, and next week you'll be getting more. Some come from our farm and are painstakingly handpicked. Along with people, deer like blackberries, and tics like deer. For about every 50 berries
farmer Russell picks, he also has to pick one tic off his skin. We're also
getting some blackberries from other Virginia farms to round out the supply.

While these berries are delicious eaten just as they are, you can also use blackberries to make some tasty desserts. Why not mix them with some more of the season's finest offerings and make a Triple Berry Crisp? This recipe comes from the cooking queen Betty Crocker and is guaranteed to be delicious. Watching your waistline? Why not make a single-serve crisp in the microwave instead?

If you're looking for something on the fancy side, try Cheesecake with Minted Blackberries. This recipe from dearly departed Gourmet Magazine is both indulgent and elegant at the same time. If you're in a hurry, you can also buy a cheesecake and make the Minted Blackberries to serve on top.

The weather is warmer and the rain is slowing. Irrigation will began in the next week or so, and continue through mid Sept. Dreams of a well are frequent.

Experimental Farming

In order to continually diversify our farm and expand our horizons, we plant an experimental crop every year. This means we plant less of it and see how it goes. Last year it was soybeans, this year it's leeks. A select few share members got some Bleu de Solaize French leeks earlier this season.

After last year, we were able to plant more soybeans this year, and we're hoping to be able to do the same with leeks next year. These heirloom leeks have blueish leaves that turn violet after cold spells. We'll also be experimenting with Brussels sprouts this year.

Farm Pics

Here are some lovely shots of the farm. Thanks to volunteer Amy Whitehurst for sharing these awesome images with us.

Sorry if we missed you at the Bryan Park market. When lightning comes through the market has to close. All of canopies are just giant lightning rods.

Over night our largest chicken tractor, holding our oldest flock, was raided by a predator and all hens were lost. CSA eggs will be outsourced from Eden Farms.

Save the Rice!

Another way we recycle on the farm is by using rice hulls. Rice hulls are the hard protective coverings of grains of rice. The hull is pretty much inedible and in the past, California rice growers would burn them, which isn't the best for the environment.

Today, we use the rice hulls to help break up the red clay in our soil. The red clay on our land has lots of valuable nutrients that can help our veggies grow stronger and more flavorful. In order to get these nutrients out of the clay and into the vegetables, the clay needs to be broken up, and it needs a lot of water. When we mix the rice hulls in the with soil, it allows the clay to have more access to air and water.

We tried using rice hulls on lettuce this year, and found that 20 to 30 percent more of our seeds sprouted. Hooray!

In the past we used perlite, a volcanic rock to break up the clay. This worked, but the perlite never was fully absorbed into the soil and would eventually wash away. The rice hulls will rot and become a part of the soil, creating more of a lasting effect.