Oh, the heat. Good ole dog days of August. I knew that when it was 83 and overcast with appropriate rain the whole month of July that we´d be in for it in August. And here we are, with a countdown of 14 days till the worst of the heat is virtually over. The lack of rain has left us dry and with irrigation duties to fill. Because of the drought conditions, we´ve not been able to cover crop (see RJ´s last article)...to sow them when there´s no rain in the forecast leaves the seeds to be eaten, to dry up, or to die. But, we´re getting our irrigation back in the swing of things, and the plants are still doing pretty darn good.

Things on the farm are "over the hill" one may say, our summer crops are dying down, half of our intern staff has moved on, we´re over half way done with distributions, and the fields are becoming emptier by the day. Don´t fear, we still have 10+ distributions, but soon you´ll be seeing more fall crops and less out in the fields. We´re sad to say goodbye to some of our favorite crops and even more so Lauren and Mary, but so goes the cycle of the farm.

This past week, I suffered a combination of heat exhaustion and flu like symptoms. The 103-degree weather does strange things to us. As I was leaving work on Friday during the heat of it all, I realized that I wasn´t sweating and felt cold. So, this past weekend, I rested and got rid of my fever so that I could come back to battle the heat again this week. Finally, today, I feel normal again, no more weak, achy feelings, just myself and the farm and the ability to enjoy the work. Slowing down this weekend reminded me that it´s important to do that every once in a while...just relax and let all to do lists, stresses, and obligations float out the window. It´s made me come back to the farm happier, more appreciative for what is here, and thankful for my health in general. RJ and Matthew have been absolutely amazing pulling up my slack as I was a sickling, and they have been doing some of the hardest work in the hottest times, so please thank them as you see them...our food wouldn´t be on our tables without the hard work of these guys.

Not to steal the spotlight of this newsletter, but I must also mention that I will be going away this coming weekend for a whole week. I´ve never gone away for this long during the prime of the growing season, but when I saw how competent and dedicated that the crew was this year, I decided that a break would be beneficial to me and the farm as I will come back with more vigor and energy. I am headed out to see a previous intern, Niki, in the great West. Our original plans were to climb Mt. Ranier, but seeing that the glacial conditions are becoming a bit scary, we have decided to move on to other mountains to climb. I will miss you guys, but look forward to the magic that Matthew and RJ perform on the farm.

So, now on to vegetative matters. I was wondering what to write about in the field today, and I thought that I would just answer some questions that I often hear about the vegetables that we provide each week. So in no particular order here are some facts...

∗ Garlic will store until wintertime. Put it in a dark spot with adequate ventilation like a climate controlled room and you can enjoy the Serenbe Farms alliums all winter!

∗ Certain crops we harvest in the summer and save to ration to you as the fall shares become slim. Included in these are onions, garlic, winter squash, dried beans, and potatoes.

∗ Back to garlic, we grow 2 distinct kinds of garlic, one is the soft neck variety that you are most familiar with. This is the kind we´ve been giving you up until now. The other kind is known as hard neck garlic. It has a more pungent flavor and has more consistent size. I prefer this flavor; it is considered rare and hard to grow in most climates (including ours).

∗ Winter squash are actually harvested in the summer in Georgia. They are called winter squash, because if they are cured properly they will last till wintertime. Homesteaders rely on these crops for nutrition into the winter in cooler climates when nothing else will grow.

∗ Celeriac is actually a celery root. It is a type of celery that is grown for its bulbous bottom that barely protrudes from the ground. Its gnarly appearance is a bit scary, but the flavor is mild and delectable. There are so many ways to prepare celeriac, visit World Wide Gourmet for more information. This root will also last for weeks if stored in the refrigerator. Experiment away!

∗ The varieties of winter squash that we grow are: delicata (my favorite), golden kabocha, pumpkin, butternut, buttercup, and carnival. Most of these have yummy sweet yellowy orange flesh. My favorite way to prepare them is to cut the raw squash right down the center (except for the delicatas, which I leave whole), then place it in a casserole dish with a little bit of water, and bake on 350 until the skin starts to brown. I peel out and discard the seeds, then peel the rest of the squash out. The baked flesh is ready for mashing, soups, or whatever your heart desires. Visit What´s Cooking America (for pictures, recipes, help preparing, etc.)

∗ Our winter squash crop was planted a little bit too late this season, so the many of you who filled out your surveys last year saying "less winter squash," will have your wish. With squash, I´ve learned that the earlier you plant them, the better advantage you have on diseases and pests. This is similar to most crops, hence the need for a greenhouse and early seeding. The only problem with this method is that by August, most sustainable farmers actually take breaks from CSA or market. August is transition time from summer to fall and the heat makes it difficult for anything to grow.

I hope you all are staying cool and enjoying your vegetables. Can´t wait till the chilly mornings when we are again picking root veggies and greens.

Thanks for your attention, signing off,

Paige and the dwindling crew