We are now 6 weeks into the summer. The cucumbers are still coming in at nearly 100 per day but the squash and zucchinis have slowed down. The tomatoes are struggling with rot forming the top or bottoms so we are not looking at the output we had hoped for. Josh seems to think it is from a lack of calcium. I still had an amazing heirloom tomato he picked for me today.
The best news is that the USDA grant for a high tunnel is just a form submittal away. Now to carefully select the greenhouse we want and to plan on how best to handle production and what to produce. We will be operational by September and the possibilities of linking with schools is very promising. It would be hard to keep Josh on the staff if we did not have the ability to extend the growing season and engage in proper winter preparations for next Spring with a greenhouse. I am so happy that the plans we have made are completely on track. Nancy and I had a small raised bed garden next to the house which has failed miserably. Truly an affirmation that Josh is a talented farmer and there is so much for me to learn from him.
I appreciate all of the feedback and interest I have received from this blog but I am considering presenting at ACA National and the MAEOE conference to share our success with my peers. My campers are so interested in the garden and the most involved campers have learned so much from Josh. There are tons of kids out there who are hungry to be involved and need more places like mine to tap into. There are a lot of Millennials who are taking a different look at farming and the current food chain and generation behind them are showing even more interest. I really believe that food production and diet will be very different in the coming years than the processed food production that has impaired the health of so many Americans. So much for the soapbox.
I am attaching a few more pictures of the kids in the garden and veggie orders going home on the bus with campers.
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