© Sarah Lang, Assistant Farmer
Good News: No More Potato Beetles!
We stopped the Colorado potato beetle from eating the eggplant! We spent part of each day last week removing the pests from every eggplant and pepper plant. The Mycotrol natural pesticide arrived last Wednesday, and by Saturday, few beetles remained. During the period of heaviest pest pressure, we got much-needed help from Drumlin campers, volunteers, and staff members. Thanks to everyone who helped with this work!
Bad News: The Drought
The plants are suffering terribly in the extreme heat and drought. The next push will be to water what we can using buckets and cans, or by driving the transplanter over crops and letting water trickle down. These are painfully slow ways of getting water to the field, but the need is immediate.
Good News: Our Soil is Magic
We’re alarmed by the weather and by the wilting and damage we’re seeing in some crops. At the same time, the soil continues to support most plants and produce beautiful food. There’s white sweet corn at the farm stand today, and tomatoes are beginning to come in. We’ll see how the fields continue to do their magic in the coming days.