June 6, 2024
The rain started to come just over a month ago and for some reason, it has continued to fall ... and fall some more. One thing we do know is that we have received significant amounts of rain, and it has caused widespread problems across our farming operation. It seems as if we go from one extreme to another, and can’t find that happy medium to make everything work, but we keep on going.
Right now, we still have a few hundred acres that have not been planted. It will remain unplanted for a bit longer because that’s just how saturated the ground is! We can’t even attempt to get our tractors into some of our fields because we know they won’t be coming out if we drive them in.
There are other crops we fight our way through and continue to do our best to stay on schedule to get them in the ground, like the corn for the Minnesota State Fair.
Looking on the Bright Side
While the rain has been challenging, we must look at the bright side and recognize that the copious amounts aren’t all that bad. All this rain has pretty much eradicated the soil moisture deficit left behind by the drought of the past 3 years.
Much of this moisture has gone to replenish levels of the aquifer where we draw irrigation water during the dry periods. We remind ourselves regularly that with the uncertainty of climate change, we could again be drawing from these reserves some day, as there is no guarantee these regular rainfalls will continue.
Grateful for our High Tunnels ...
It's times like these when we are also incredibly thankful for the investments we have made into our high tunnel operation. Our high tunnels have protected many of our crops from the harsh downpours and strong winds we have received over the past month, allowing them to keep on growing and even mature to a point of harvest.
... And an Early Harvest
This past week we started harvesting chub cucumbers, grape tomatoes, and zucchini. The early harvests are always small, but nonetheless, it’s a sign of summer and what’s to come!
You can find some of these early harvest treats at our local Garden Centers as they become available.
Around this time of year, we usually ask you do a little rain dance for us, but let’s hold off on those for a little while. Some warmer temperatures and light breezy days would do wonders for crops right now as we work to dry out and attempt to get back into the fields. Until then, we will do what we can to keep our crops progressing for you all to enjoy.
