You Don't Need a Weather Man

-->The seeds of life are not what they once were

Mother Nature and God don’t own them anymore (Neil Young)

This is being written on December 30^th, 2015. It is 48º and raining. The mid-west is being hammered with tornadoes and the Mississippi River is escaping into various cities along its path. The scientists are anticipating an El Nino weather event that could be the most powerful on record. Some areas of the country will see record warmth, record storms with attendant flooding and landslides causing devastation. Today the North Pole temperature was 40º above normal.

Last season, despite seasonally cold weather, Z Food Farm continued with its Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square Market through the first Saturday in January 2015. The last farm stand was the Wednesday of Thanksgiving week. The diversity of available produce at market was limited, but it was still cost effective to do the market. This season the weather has been unseasonably warm. This has allowed the farm to continue having a bountiful harvest. Though most of what is being sold is cool/cold weather compatible, the warmer weather has allowed certain crops (kale, chard, spinach) to continue to grow and thrive. This has allowed the farm stand to open for the three Wednesdays after Thanksgiving and to continue at the Rittenhouse market. And on January 2, 2016 we will be providing a wide array of produce at the Rittenhouse market. As the pictures that follow will convey, Z Food Farm will have quite a bit to offer.

As an overview, since this blog has not been kept up to date, farm season 2015 was far more than not successful. There were snap peas in the spring, a great harvest of watermelons, and a great crop of tomatoes, among many other successes. There were a couple of crops that did not fare as well as in previous seasons and for one reason or another there were a few things that never got planted. Farming is an ongoing challenge that requires the farmer to do their best on a daily basis with very little time to sit back and relax. Regardless of where you live, or which farmers’ market you go to, the next time you see a farmer, convey your appreciation for what they are providing. As a general guideline, your local farmer will provide you with produce that is fresher and tastier than what you will purchase at a grocery store.

Support local farmers. Support sustainable farmers. Support certified organic farmers. 

This is the produce that was available for Saturday, December 18. Most of this will be available for the January 2, 2016 market.  What's not pictured are bags of salad mix, spinach, baby red russian kale, and Asian greens.

Sadie and Ernie say hello. Over the course of the season Sadie demonstrated that she is a true successor to our old dog Hule in ridding the farm of ground hogs. Ernie is an able assistant, but he is more of a lover.

  

Happy and Health Eating To One and All.