Are we slowing down yet? Heck no!

That's what people keep asking me.  "Things must be slowing down at the farm?"  My answer is "yes and no."
Yes, they are slowing down in the sense there isn't as much daylight so we literally CAN'T be working out in the fields as much.  (Does anybody know a good source for floodlights to light up about 8 acres?  Just kidding!...Mostly.)  However,  when we do have daylight there is sure still LOADS to be done.

What Farmer Georgie looks like after a day digging potatoes!

This last week of dry/sunny weather has been a huge boon for FINALLY getting all the very late maturing dry beans pulled and to cure. We finished the last row yesterday so that means next week we can get back on digging potatoes, only maybe 2000 or 3000 more lbs of taters left to go!  Eek...
And then there are the overwintered crops that need to be weeded, fertilized and even planted....And garlic!  We must start planting garlic!  And overwintered onions!  And we need to pull all the tomato plants out and plant out the greenhouse to winter greens....And harvest the rest of the winter squash.  And pull up all the drip tape.  And disc all the empty fields and plant cover crop.  And, and, and....
Really...a farmer's work never REALLY ends.
And then of course, there are still three more Bayview Farmer's Markets to go as well.  And on that note (notice my very clever transition), let's get down to what I know most of you REALLY care about - what's fresh, young and vegetable like coming to market TODAY????
NOTE - There are NO MORE Coupeville Farmer's Markets til spring (wah-wah).  We have 3 more Bayview Farmer's Markets.  HOWEVER - soon (possibly next weekend) we will be starting "Endless Summer" with Rosehip Farm and Garden.  For those of you who haven't done this before, watch for an email from me.  We will combine available food from Willowood, Rosehip Farm and Garden and Prairie Bottom Farm (all 3 Coupeville area, organically grown - but not certified - small farms), and send you the list.  You order by the specified time.  We pick to order (first-come, first serve).  You come on Saturday to Rosehip Farm & Garden in Coupeville and pick up your food.   It's a GREAT way to keep on getting some great local harvest-time food, and for us local farmer's to keep on selling it!

ALSO - IF YOU PREORDERED POTATO OR BEAN BAGS DURING THE FARM TOUR IN SEPTEMBER - You are welcome to come by the market today and pick up today - what we have.  Due to our cool September we still don't have all the things on the orders ready (beans that still need to be threshed, and potatoes to be dug), but we do have some of it.  I will be emailing everybody shortly that hasn't already picked up at the markets about your preorder. 

And now, for the list...
Coming to the Bayview Market TODAY!
* Rockwell Beans!  That's right, the famous Rockwell Bean!  In 1 lb bags with my Grandma's amazing recipe on it!
* Potatoes, potatoes, potatoes. We LOVE our potatoes.  And we've got them in all shapes, sizes and colors - Yellow Finns, German Butterballs, Maris Pipers, Romanze, Mountain Rose, Purple Majesty, Peanut fingerling, Red Thumb fingerling, Ozette Fingerling....
* 10 lb Potato Bags!  This is a GREAT way to stock up for winter.  Reduced pricing and in mesh bags that are great for winter storage.
* Garlic - Food grade including 1.5 lb bags at reduced pricing!
* Garlic - Seed grade!  It's not too late to plant (we plant all the way up until Thanksgiving...).
* Chard
* Kale - multiple kinds!
* Collards
* Mesclun Bags - a new crop!
* Arugula Bags - a new crop!
* Onions - three flavors!
* Leeks!
* Winter Squash - oodles in gorgeous colors and shapes.  Perfect for fall decor and great to eat as well!
* Ornamental mini pumpkins and gourds
* Baby carrots
* Lots of BEAUTIFUL, SWEET HEIRLOOM TOMATOES!  Just about the last picking, so get them while still can!
And something we are surely forgetting....
Ah yes, Mikey from Whidbey Green Goods yes he has quite a few of lovely wild-picked mushrooms!
And since it's getting to be that time when I can actually start to see daylight, I better sign off and go pack the truck.  Hope to see you at market today!
Farmer Georgie
Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie


 

Market list and potato harvest party!

Hello All!
Just a short post this morning as the roosters begin crowing which means the sun must surely be up soon and time to get busy finishing the morning madness for the market day rush....
We've been busy on the farm enjoying all this lovely late summer weather. This is the time of year for harvest while also the time of year for new plantings. To that affect, we've been working on harvesting potatoes, beginning the first steps of harvesting dry beans (pulling them up and windrowing them), and watching the daily burgeoning winter squash and the growing quinoa seed heads! Meanwhile, new crops of fall and winter greens are coming along and should soon be making an appearance - radishes, turnips, rutabagas, mustards, collards, brocolli, cauliflowers, brussel sprouts, arugula, mesclun, chard, kale...In short, pretty much insanity as usual!
As a matter of fact, if any of you would like to experience the farm insanity FIRST HAND - we will be having a Potato Harvest Volunteer Work-Party this Tuesday. We would love for you to join us if you would like to get dirty and take home a few freshly dug taters! The details:

Willowood Farm Volunteer Work Party - Let's Harvest Taters!
When - Tuesday, Sept 15. Time - 11 to 3.
What To Bring - Lots of water and a sack lunch. We'll break for lunch at 1.
Where - Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie. 399 S. Ebey Rd just outside of Coupeville.
Let Us Know - If you think you would like to come, email me at willowoodfarm@gmail.com and let me know. I'll give you directions to the farm as well!

For this weekend, however, here is the list of lovely food coming to the Bayview and Coupeville markets -
From Willowood Farm
- Cabbages, cabbages, cabbages! They may be big but don't be scared - they hold forever and make FABULOUS sauerkrat and coleslaw. Great end of summer treats.
- Kohlrabi. Add them to the coleslaw!
- Potatoes....loads of potatoes!
- Garlic!
- Summer squash
- Red Kuri winter squash - our first winter squash that is ready to harvest. Nutty, rich flavor great for soups!
- Cucumbers
- Shell beans - dry beans before they are dry! A seasonal treat that we might get one more weeks picking out of before they are too dry in their pods.
- Lovely yellow cooking onions
- Parsnips
- Squash blossoms
- Organic certified yellow sweet corn from my neighbors Ebey Road Farm...

From our friends at Prairie Bottom Farm -
- Semi Savoy spinach! Yum!
- Lettuce Mix
- Dill bunches
- Beets
- Carrots
- Green onions and other onions
And at the Bayview market Michael from Whidbey Green Goods will be bringing -
- Tomatoes
- Plums
- Gravenstein Apples
- Beets
- White Sweet corn
And probably many other yummy treats!

Happy Indian Summer!

Farmer Georgie
Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie
www.willowoodfarm.net

A Fall Frame of Mind

Fall really is my favorite time of year. As a farmer I love it because I start to see the fruition of many of our endeavors, and anything that didn't work out? Well, it's too late to worry about now anyways so might as well regulate that to the "will do better next year category." But I also love the colors, the temperature, even the "smell" of fall as cooler nights and rotting leaves intermingle with the enveloping warmth of a sunny fall afternoon.
And of course some of my very favorite veggies come on in the fall. Beans, the fabulous beans. Winter squash. I would grow it just for the fabulous colors and shapes. The fact that they taste great is just a big huge bonus for me! Corn - oh, so fabulous. The sweet kind and the outstandingly beautiful ornamental corn. And of course the endless amounts of garlic and potatoes. Food to feed the masses.

We are just starting to get into the fall season, and I'm anticipating a lovely one this year. Lots yet left to do and many harvests yet to complete. But to start getting everybody into the "fall frame of mind" I thought I would post a few photos taken last season by one of our interns, Tali Aiona. Thanks Tali for these awesome, harvest season photos!
And of course, we are still certainly coming to the Bayview and Coupeville Farmer's markets tomorrow. Rain or shine - we don't care what the weather report says, we'll be there! (There is no such thing as a fair weather farmer, so I expect to see all your chipper faces out there, nevermind the dire predictions of forecasters. Who are they to spoil our fun anyways!). Those that are hearty enough to brave the weather, will be well rewarded with a great selection of fabulous fall treats:
From Willowood Farm:
- Shell Beans! The ever famous Rockwells plus several others.
- Taters, 8 kinds!
- Loads of garlic.
- Summer squash, summer squash!
- And some winter squash too...
- Cabbage. Frightening large. Amazingly good.
- Kohlrabi (repeat above).
- Sweet Corn - organic certified! From our neighbors at Ebey Road Farm
- Cucumbers
- Beets
- Chard
- Sunflower, ornamental corn and other pretty "harvest color" stalks to decorate with...
- Onions, several flavors

From Prairie Bottom Farm
- Amazingly fragrant Dill (seriously, I was putting the horse away 100 yds from the packing shed and I was freaking out that my old quarterhorse had seriously eaten something weird. He smelled like a pickle! Then I realized they were bunching the dill 100 feet away. Those bunches throw a powerful pickling punch, I tell you...).
- Semi-savoy spinach
- Mixed salad greens
- Baby carrot bunches
- Scallions
- Lots more summer squash
- Beans

And for those of you coming to the Bayview market, Michael at Whidbey Green Goods is also bringing a nice selection of tomatoes, slicing cucumbers, carrots, plums, figs (I'm really excited about those! I keep trying to plant a fig tree and so far my only success has been at killing them slowly...), and more goodies!
And a final photo from Tali to get everybody hungry...
Happy eating!
Farmer Georgie
Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie