we have finished '16 farmers market season!!
I did say that I farm.
It was a very rough start with my field looking more like a bog during the spring planting season. So we scrambled and pulled all sorts of tricks to fake our way through until our main cash crop came into production in July. Oui. I would have loved to have a professional photographer take pictures of my farm but it was just too embarrassing with rows after rows of failed crop.
It was really interesting growing year, an understatement if ever. There was no strawberry season to speak of. One farmer not only lost the crop but ended up with whole field of dead strawberry plants. And one of my main cash crop is vine ripened heirloom tomatoes. Well, none really ripened. Other farmers had the same problem. We ended up sampling fried green tomatoes and green tomato salsa to salvage what we could. We still lost thousands of pounds of green tomatoes. They never ripened even after I did everything I know to force the tomato to ripen on the vine.
Peppers were not much better. None of my ludicrously hot pepper made it. And milder peppers that were good enough to sell were on the small side. Our customers didn't seem to mind.
What I didn't consider my cash crop turned out to save my face. KALE and CHARD. They did fine through out the season along with late season summer and winter squash.
Well, the market manager, the person in charge of selecting vendors liked us, so, we think we are in for the next season. Talk about being stressed out for not having produce to sell.
So tonight, I'm looking back to what all went wrong and how to avoid it next year. Starting to plan out our planting schedule for next year and make changes to what we plant. Something went over well while other things didn't sell all that well. Regular acorn squash didn't sell so we'll only plant maybe two or three. And replace it with some other winter squash. It's fun figuring out my planting schedule and what to plant :)
Overall, I came out without looking too bad. Lot of other farmers had a very bad year too. Boo to climate disruption. Plants don't handle low 50's one day and high 90's or even in the hundred the following day for temp. We don't handle it too well and nor do the plants.
Taking a deep breath now that '16 season is over. :D
P.S. to the backyard gardener. Don't feel bad if your tomatoes didn't do well. Don't feel bad if your peppers didn't do well nor lettuce, radish. well just about everything. too bad I can't hibernate (just don't wake up on Ground Hog Day). ;)