THE HARVEST.

Here's what we have been harvesting (and eating) lately. After the almost exclusively green harvests of the early spring, we are finally starting to see the rainbow of summer!

A MONDAY IN THE LIFE.

Yesterday I randomly decided to keep track of what I did and at what time of day. My original intention was to figure out where in the world the day goes, but ultimately had an interesting enough day--with an unusual enough ending--I thought I would share it with our readers. If you've ever wondered what a day on the farm might look like, this is a relatively standard, though mercifully abbreviated, one.

Sunrise - 5 a.m.Though Hannah takes care of the pigs, goats and chickens, my first chore every morning is to water and feed the turkeys. As our mentor says, feed your animals before you feed yourself. I then started a fire and got breakfast going to do precisely that.5-6:30 a.m.This time block is always dedicated to writing, and has been for years. Unless I have something extremely pressing to tend to, I never miss a morning writing. So far, business as usual.6:30-10 a.m.Mondays are unique in that we harvest for one shareholder who picks up on that day, then some of the less perishable items for our Tuesday delivery.10-10:30 a.m.Hannah and I had an impromptu meeting about market which I would be attending by myself for the first time in weeks the next day. Towards the end I was reading the "In utero" version of "Oh the Places You'll Go" to Hannah's belly.10:30-1 p.m.It has been our dream to give some honey to the shareholders, so we decided to harvest a super off our most productive hive. The honey is still a little young, but we had the time and sometimes that's just how farming works. This harvest went better than the last, but we have still not caught our rhythm. At one point we inadvertently bumped the hive, and the bees came out angry. I was stung on the stomach through the shirt, and we all remember how well I react to bee stings. I now have a welt the size of an Orange on my belly.1-2:30 p.m.Lunch (pancakes) and a brief nap. I love naps and Hannah, who has never been a napper herself, has become a napper with the pregnancy. Needless to say, I am happy to have my partner indulge in this wonderful pastime so I can no longer feel guilty while she works after lunch and I snooze.2:30-4:30 p.m.We're getting better at extracting the honey efficiently, we just lack good tools for the job. It definitely took longer than it should to get our nearly two gallons of honey. But, on the other had, we got nearly two gallons of honey.4:30-6:30 p.m.Went to the garden to finish the pepper trellis and it was so hot I wound up talking to my mentor for half the time. Oh well, sometimes conversation is farming, and I got the support stakes all pounded in, so at least something tangible was accomplished.6:30-8 p.m.Cooked dinner (pasta with fresh broccoli and peas) then ate it while listening to a "Radiolab" podcast.8-9 p.m.Hannah went to bed and I spent this time finishing an article then went to sleep hopeful (but incorrect) that my day was over.1:30 a.m.-3:00 a.m.We awoke to a suspicious chicken cluck outside. It sounded odd enough that I decided to get dressed and go check it out. I heard some shuffling in the day lilies and cautiously walked into them yielding a piece of wood should I have to fend off a raccoon. As soon as I got close enough I saw the striped black tail and smelled the faint whiff of the last thing I ever want to find harassing the chickens––a skunk. Shortly thereafter I spotted Wendell by the house eyeing me curiously with his head cocked to the side. The skunk was feasting on a clutch off eggs where one of our broody hens had been sitting (and squawking) as he ate. Wendell picked up on this and got involved, chasing the skunk off into the woods and disappearing in a blur. I could hear the two of them running through the cedars, but Wendell was not heeding my warnings. Soon, I caught up with my poor dog who was now rubbing his face in the dirt, freshly sprayed. By the time I got back to bed and calm enough to sleep, it was about an hour and a half before I was supposed to wake up again. I'll be setting a live trap for the skunk tonight and, God willing, we'll be able to get a good night's sleep, because there will be no napping at Market tonight. I don't know about your job, but there is never a dull moment in this farming gig. Not even in the middle of the night. -Jesse

THIS & THAT.

Multiflora rose in full bloom.Busted!  A bunny in the garden.Lulah and her jay, Little Blue, at Hill and Hollow's CRAFT event.Crazy black radishes! Pretty typical front porch scene: beehive, beer, pregnant kitty, guitar.

GRILLED PIZZA.

YOU GUYS! This is a pretty big deal for us....we got a new grill. Since we cook completely on the woodstove in our house, the summers have been pretty tough. Plus, we don't have a way to bake. We had a teeny tiny Weber grill that was good for making grilled cheese, but now...we have a real grill. A way to cook outside in the summer AND (with a little practice) a way to bake! So far we've mastered pizzas and biscuits. We used our honey pizza crust recipe and it worked perfectly! Up next....bread! Anybody have any tips?