A pictorial essay on what too much water does...

It seemed strange with all the nice sunny weather we've had since Tuesday, but last Sunday's ginormous rain event left us with a lot of wet wet work this past week.   To keep this in perspective, our normal May average rainfall is 1.52 inches.  BEFORE last weekends rain event, we had ALREADY accumulated 3 inches of rain in May.  Then, in a 24 hour period we received 1.33 inches.  Even my sandy loam can't deal with that much water at all once.  So what does this do in real life for a farmer, well, they say a picture is worth a 1000 words so here ya go:

Garlic field swamped.  This photo taken AFTER pumping water off for about 8 hours!

River of water draining off the garlic field

Generator/sump pump/bucket in a hole of water set up

Water flowed like this for 2 straight days

What new arugula crop should look like

What 90% of arugula looks like after being waterlogged for 6 days. Brown sad, dying leaves.

So what does this all mean?  Well, not totally sure yet.  Will the arugula recover?  Maybe.  It might also just go to bolt  (or basically set flowers without maybe much of any leaves which is what we harvest).  Will the garlic be damaged - possibly.  So far haven't seen any signs but jury still out on that.  About 30 percent of the crop was under water like that so at least it didn't affect it all.  

So what to do?  What for the fields to dry out, replant and carry on.  It's what we farmers do...

In the meantime...We are coming to the Bayview and Coupeville market with the goodies we could harvest out of the not too wet fields including:

From Willowood Farm:

* Radishes - tons of them!

* Carrot bunches

* Baby head lettuces

* Spinach - mixed types

* Kale and chard bunches

* Braising greens

* Garlic greens

* Dry Beans

* Potato Bags

* Japanese Turnips

From Prairie Bottom Farm:

* Arugula (Coupeville only)

* Chinese Cabbage

* Chives

* Dry Beans

From Ebey Road Farm:

* Emmer Farro

Hope to see you at market!

Farmer Georgie

Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie

Sun? Sun? Sun? Perhaps it will be all okay...

Well, things are looking a bit more "sunny" this week.  Literally and figuratively!  Not only is the actual sun predicted to shine today and mostly prevail (except for apparently Sunday) for the following week, we seem to be making progress on the farm with our "emergency" drying procedures aimed at well, actually bringing into harvest some of the crops we've been working all summer to grow!

The ducks, however, thought all the rain was quack-tastic!

This past week we were able to create an "emergency bean dryer" out of my father's dump truck.  Mounted some pegboard up a few inches above the bed, installed some high-powered fans and a board to direct the air under the peg board and "voila" a bean dryer!  What's even better?  It seems to be working!  Our truckload of VERY soggy Rockwell Bean plants are, dare I say, dry enough to thrash perhaps even today!
Which is a VERY good thing considering we have at least 2 more truckloads of soggy Rockwell plants to go!  Not to mention the whole other 2 acres of different bean varieties!
I was also starting to panic about the garlic.  Which is normally just fine hanging out in the barn this time of year.  But not on this wet, wet fall!  The air was so wet that everything was starting to get damp, damp, damp.  And garlic doesn't like that!  Luckily, we had an extra cooler room to spare, which when rigged with a heater and a dehumidifier and what do we get - much happier garlic! (Not to mention a pleasantly warm, stinky room to hang out in!).
And even better, we had dry enough weather the past few days to get our first attempt at potato harvest!  Yee-haw!  We didn't have too much time and not near enough people, but...we were able to harvest 2 bins (1000+ total pounds) of potatoes out of two rows.  Wow!  That's some yield folks!
The jury is still out on the winter squash harvest - we need some more sun and warmth for that crop, for sure - but overall, definitely a more positive week to be a farmer this week than last!  Thank you sunshine!
But, I know you guys are all about one thing.  What yummy goodies can we expect to see at market today?  So, let's get right on it.

Shell beans - "pre-shelled."

One thing we are bringing in nice selection this week are shell beans. 

Shell beans, which most American's are not familiar with, are one of those great old-fashioned simple foods that use to be on everybody's plate come this time of year.  They aren't complicated - just beans that need to be shelled.  And oh so pretty and yummy. 
We will have several varieties to choose from and some recipes.  But basically, the deal with shell bean's is they are like a dry bean, only they aren't dry yet.  Which means they not only cook up quickly (figure 20 to 30 minutes, max), but they hold their shape well and are super sweet and creamy.  You do need to plan a bit of time to shell them.  But they come out of their pods quickly and it's a fun thing to do while drinking a glass of wine and enjoying a little fall sunshine!  We particularly enjoy them tossed with fresh pasta, fresh garlic, some sauteed kale greens and topped with a bit of Little Brown Farm's fabulous goat cheese!  (Available at Bayleaf in Coupeville for those of you who don't go to the Bayview Farmer's Market).
And now that I've rambled on WAY too long, let's get to the list!
Coming to the Coupeville and Bayview farmer's markets TODAY:
From Willowood Farm:
* Garlic - both seed (for planting) and food (for eating).  Nice selection of both!
* Head Lettuce - they are huge!
* Shell Beans - we have 3 kinds!  Peregion, Cannelini and Black Coco.
* Leek bunches
* Onions - Torpedoes (fabulous grilled!), Ailsa Crag (big and sweet) and Cippolinis (red & white!)
* Baby Pac Choi
* Kale  - Multiple kinds!
* Rainbow Chard
* Collards
* Potatoes of all sizes and colors
* Red Cabbage
* Some winter squash (just picked yesterday, needs to sit on your kitchen counter and look pretty and "ripen" a bit more!
* A few peppers!
* Tomatillos!
* A few tomatoes...
* And more...
From our friends at Prairie Bottom Farm
* Cucumbers galore - pickling, slicing, lemon, etc...
* Summer Squash
* Beet bunches
* Carrots
* Dill
* Spinach
* Arugula
* Lettuce Mix
* Chives
* Basil
* Scallions
And more...
Hope to see you at the market!
Farmer Georgie

Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie

Ah...Garlic!

DON'T FORGET - It's the Whidbey Island Farm Tour next weekend, Sept. 11 & 12th.  Willowood Farm will be open to the public for the farm tour (we are not normally!).  So come check out the farm!  We will be focusing on garlic, garlic, garlic so come check out all our cool varieties, taste some garlic, make some braids, wander around our historic farm and play with the turkeys! 
And now back to our regularly scheduled topic....

GARLIC! GARLIC! GARLIC! 

The pay-off!  Big, beautiful bulbs!

That's right, garlic gets me so excited that I have to say it 3 times!  In bold!  And capitalized! With exclamation points!
Who DOESN'T love garlic?  (Okay, I know some people don't and that is just, I'm sorry...plain weird!).
Well, at Willowood Farm, we love garlic!  Enough to grow a whole heck of a lot of it.  Like about 20 varieties!
You see, there is garlic and then their is GARLIC!  We grow the good stuff.  Of which there are 100s of varieties.  Romantic names like Porcelains and Rocamboles and Glazed Purple Stripes.  All with big cloves, big bulbs and outrageous taste.
Garlic is a crop you wait for for a long long time.  You plant it in October and then wait, wait, wait....Finally come July you start harvesting.  Then you frantically harvest, clean and hang to cure.  Then you wait.  Then you start cutting down bulbs and trimming roots.  Then finally you have THE WHOLE CROP in.  That's where we are right now.  And so today, we will be bringing out the BIG GUN displays.  Lots and lots of garlic.  Food grade and seed grade (For planting) garlic.

Hoeing young garlic plants in April

As far as seed grade garlic, well, that's the big stuff!  We sort our garlic by size, because, well in garlic, "size really does matter!"  At least if you are planting it.  Big garlic planted combined with decent growing practices should result in big garlic harvested.  Small garlic planted combined with even the best growing practices will result in only slightly larger bulbs.  If you continue to save back your biggest and best to replant eventually you will get big garlic.  So when we sell you big garlic it represents multiple years of our own "saving the biggest and best" so you don't have to! Not to mention, our garlic (we've been growing garlic for going on 12 years now), is well adapted to PacNW conditions, so it makes it a good choice for local home gardeners!
So if you want to come buy some garlic to eat, or buy some garlic to plant in your own backyard, come check out the markets today.  But never fear, if you miss us at the markets, we will be featuring garlic at the farm tour next weekend, not to mention we will continue bringing garlic to the markets and...you can also email me directly and I can pack an order for you to either pick-up, ship or deliver.  Just email me at willowoodfarm@gmail.com.
And other goodies coming to today's markets...
From Willowood Farm:
- Potatoes - multiple kinds
- Chard
- Beans, beans, beans
- Shelling peas!
- Beets
- Onions
- Leeks
- Red Cabbage
- Head Lettuce
- Shelling beans (Rockwells!)
- Fresh chickpea bunches
From Prairie Bottom Farms
- Summer squash
- Scallions
- Carrots
- Dill
- More good stuff....

See ya at market!
Farmer Georgie
Willowood farm of Ebey's Prairie

What? It's Mid July already?

And on that note...I've gotta get running!  It' already ten to 7 and time to get out and pack up the market truck!  This time of year, there never seems enough hours in the day to get it all done. 
But before I forget...today is the 100th year celebration for the Muzzall Family Farm, aka "Three Sisters Beef."  The Muzzall's are multi-generational Whidbey farmers and I've known their family since I was a kid in dairy 4-H.  They ran a dairy for years but several years ago (with the ongoing collapse of the dairy industry) switched over to grass-fed beef.  They know have a going concern with that business and are considered by many to have some of the finest beef products around!
So if you have a chance after markets today, swing by their farm for an old-fashioned, farm-style party!
Here is the invite from Shelley at Three Sisters...

Ron, myself, and the 3 Sisters would like to invite you to the farm this Saturday, to enjoy a tour around the farm, kids activities, education about the history of the farm, and trolley rides.  4-H members will be here to talk about their projects.  If you work up an appetite, a BBQ lunch will be available for purchase.
The 3 Sisters market will be open.  So don't forget your beef and eggs.  A portion of the proceeds will go to the 4-H program.
This event is this Saturday July 17th from 10-4pm.  938 Scenic Heights Road Oak Harbor 98277
Please pass this on to your friends and neighbors!
We hope to see you at the farm!
Shelly
3 Sisters

And now, getting right to the good stuff...

Coming to the Coupeville and Bayview markets TODAY!

From Willowood Farm

* Collard greens (and a "southern style" recipe card!)

* New potatoes including gorgeous little fingerlings!

* Cauliflower

* Head lettuce - lots of crunch romaine this week!

* Cauliflower

* Cabbage

* Chard

* Kale

* Loads and loads of fava beans

* English shelling peas

* Garlic

From our friends at Prairie Bottom Farm

* Beet bunches

* Scallions

* Carrot bunches

* Juicing beets and carrots (aka the big ones...)

* Red onions

* Snow peas

And more!  Gotta run and pack the truck!

See ya at market...

Farmer Georgie

Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie

We are HOT! On the farm...

So, what do farmer's do when it is suppose to be 80 degrees and we've got a cooler worth of veggies to pick?  We start at 5:30...This is Lauren, picking carrots, with help from "Porchelle" aka "Little Piglet," the newborn kitten she rescued...

And then we keep picking....This is Lydia, picking spinach, at 6:30 in the morning.

After surviving the heat of the afternoon, we start picking again. This is Dan, digging potatoes, at 8:30 at night.  Thank goodness for 15 hours of daylight in July! 








And I am also happy, happy, happy to report that the weather has cooled down nicely for market day today.  Still sunny and beautiful, but looks like we are going to have our more normal "high 60s" weather today.  Which is great, because all those veggies we picked early and late do not like sitting around at market day in 80 degree weather! 
We have a great selection today so check out the list...
Fresh veggies coming to the Coupeville and Bayview markets today!
From the hard-working crew at Willowood Farm:
* Gorgeous baby new potatoes!
* Carrot bunches
* Kale - 3 kinds
* Rainbow Chard
* Lovely summer cabbage - great for coleslaw!
* Garlic scapes
* Fresh garlic - roasting types!
* Spinach bags
* Pea vine bags
* Dandelion greens
* Agretti - this new strange very popular green from Italy.  We will bring recipe cards!
* Walla Walla Onion bunches
* Collard bunches
* Fava beans!  First picking!
* Head lettuce - gorgeous new crop
* Broccoli
* Romanesco cauliflower

From our friends and neighbors at Prairie Bottom Farm:
* Potatoes - bigger ones
* Red spinach
* Peas - snow and sugar snap
* Beets
* Mustard bunches
* Cauliflower
And more!

Hope to see you at market today!