Oak Slough Farm

Then there were three

Today, Kat and Asa are leaving to go back to school.  Our time with them has passed so quickly.  They spent most of last week fixing up Asa’s car, Rexy, a 1984 Mazda Rx7, for the road trip home.  They were supposed to be working on it throughout their summer vacation, but they were too busy helping us with farm stuff to do so.  It seems like they have been working pretty much non-stop since they got here.  We are already feeling the loss of our two best workers in both their labor and their companionship.  Hopefully, they have a safe trip back to North Carolina and hopefully they have a good last year at school.

24/7

With Kat and Asa fading out, we spent more and more time in the field harvesting.  Sometimes it feels like all we do is harvest.  I suppose that is a good thing, since the farm continues to be productive.  It’s just a challenge to find a little time to do some much-needed weeding, bed prep for new crops, and sleep.  

I usually pick the new cucumber bed and Kat and Asa pick the old one.  The first day I had to pick their cucumbers I realized that the dead rows beside them had become a mess of start thistle that poked me every time I bent over to pick a cuke.  You can imagine exactly where they did the poking.  I did manage to find a little time that day to do some mowing.

Farmer Friends

Last Sunday we went to Cisco’s Downtown Ale house to hear a singer song writer, Ruby Lee Hill .  It was a great show, and as always nice people were there.  This time we met two farmers from Red Gate Ranch, Jake and Jesse.  It was fun to talk to them and get to know some of Red Gate’s secrets for success.

On our farm we also have some friends.  We have three or four groups of wild turkeys.  They are mommas with their babies (which are getting pretty big now.)  At first I was concerned about having them in the vegetable area, because they dig around and also might eat the vegetables.  But it has been impossible to keep them out, and for the most part they don’t seem to be bothering the plants.

Recipe – Taco Salad

With Asa and Kat gone, I am running late, so just a quick suggestion.  Taco salad is one of our favorite summer foods, because of all the good fresh vegetables you can put into it.  We love pinto and black beans, and we take a bowl with some tortilla chips in the bottom, then lettuce and possibly some cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers (hot and sweet), olives, a bit or chopped garlic, onion, and the warm and seasoned beans.  Then toss all that with a French dressing (ketchup, vinegar, and oil) and top with cheese.

Be well – Josh