This past week, as expected, the cold has intensified, imposing its presence and cramping our style. In the last two days, we experienced our first significant encounter with freezing rain this season. Last night's downpour resulted in a delicate glaze of ice covering all exposed surfaces.
Yesterday, the soil remained stubbornly frozen until after lunch, which affected our ability to harvest certain root crops. We've mentioned before that learning to anticipate and counter these challenges is essential for extending our growing season.
While all of our late-season crops are somewhat frost-resistant, a direct and prolonged bout of freezing rain, followed by several cold days without a thaw, can unfortunately bring an abrupt end to even those resilient varieties. So even if we don't need to heat or protect certain crops from the ambient temperature, we do need a variety of techniques to protect against other seasonal issues like freezing rain.
But we're pleased to report that the crops in our greenhouse tunnels are thriving! The lettuces harvested last week, this week, and those planned for next week have all benefited from the protective environment of late-season tunnel growing.
Despite the challenging weather, we continue to grow and experiment with various plants in the open garden as well. We've been using insect netting as a barrier against
rain and frost for certain crops like lettuce. When compared to a fully exposed set of beds right next to them, the crops shielded with netting overnight—or before rainfall—are significantly less impacted.
Extension Reflection
As our CSA extension nears its conclusion, with just one week remaining for our weekly participants, we're quite satisfied with its progress. We're confident that with a bit more planning and effort, we can readily prolong our usual season deep into November. With additional adaptation and foresight, we even foresee extending our harvest into December. We owe a huge thank you to everyone who chose to stay with us for an extra month, providing the motivation we needed to stretch our capabilities.
This Week's CSA Share
Head Lettuce
Beets
Carrots
Bok Choy
Leeks
Thyme
Garlic
Potatoes
Onion