Spooky!!!

In honor of the upcoming Spooky Holiday I have featured some scary pictures from the Farm.
First we have Eggplant from a pretty ominous point of view. It is closely related to the nightshade and the smooth orb does have that mysterious "thorn" that punctures the skin somewhere on the green hat that you can not later find when you more closely investigate.
Here are some scary tomatoes also from the nightshade family. From the darker recess of the plant fruit will still appear well into November if we don't have a freeze; but do you dare put your hand in.
this artichoke is kind of spiky and could be threatening en mass; The Farmer has a different feeling in this season when just a few post earlier he remarked on the handsome nature. Now there is a deep shadow.
This ghostly shapes are the peppers. Mostly mild and crunchy.  They are a Romanian variety  (for real) and so perhaps they were the Count Dracula's ghostly favorite.
For some the thing that is scary is the food itself. Turnips do not have the most favorable of reputations. I think this are more attractive and probably more intelligent then the Farmer's Congressmen?? Just asking questions?
The Farmer's Wife labored to make the nice uniform turnip cubes and the Farmer was scratched by the turnip greens that seemed to not to want to come in however the work of the labor was very yummy.
Large harvest of another 4 KG this week. 4,511KG to be exact.
Total 221.672 KG

GREENS!!!

Fall may have yellow and red colors for leaves but in the Southern Garden it is time for GREENS. It is to hot and buggy for many greens in the summer. The Farmer's Daughter did find that sweet potato leaves can be used like spinach. Now the Farmer has some Oriental Mustard to show off with these wonderful purple green leaves.
In addition lots of head lettuce, mostly romaine. Some of the spring onions let go still provide a good seasoning for the greens.
Radishes are being eaten every day. None of these silly red bombs but delightful Breakfast Radish goes great on sandwiches or with cheese.
Another meal of the field peas and the Farmer was going to pull them up only to find that they are still blooming!
This will be one of the few squashes this fall. Terrible time with a bug that eat most of the fruits.
Still there are some summer things like a few figs and peppers and okras that still produce. The okra was pulled up to make room to plant some more greens.

212.557  KG and to add this 4.606KG gives the Farm 217.163 KG for the year. 

Fall Food and Last of Flowers

The zinnias are over. The plants were looking pretty bad with lots of brown leaves. The Farmer did get enough for one last bouquet for the table.
These are my French Breakfast radishes. The Farmer will need to put out a new row since they grow so quickly. 
Theses are turnip greens that I have thinned to make room and the Farmer cooked up the nearly one pound of greens. Even the Farmer's Wife thinks they are pretty good.
This is probably one of the last eggplants and about one week more of okra.
Tax Banks and Not Food was our message at the Occupy Birmingham March today. 

4.307 KG this week brings us to 212.557KG which is 468 LBS.

New Farms and New Farmers, Some Fall Crops

This handsome plant is an artichoke. The Farmer will probably only get to admire the plant as it is not likely to make it through the winter and usually doesn't bloom until the second year. Still I admire it nearly ever day.
News Flash: New farms and new farmers. The Farmer has built some raised beds for a food bank and a veterans housing.
The Farmer's Wife and a colleague help with some of the heavy lifting.
Some Farmer Friends from work also helped out.
They are 8  by  4 feet in size and a little over a foot deep.

The Farmer has planted a fall crop. It may be a little late but still lettuce and I am confident some some of the hardy winter greens will be able to feed some veterans and others soon.
Here is a plate with radish, tomatoes, rocket and romaine.
The Farmer loves the little mild French Breakfast Radishes
At the same time there is a harvest of peppers
There is also lettuce
Swiss Chard
Nearly 2 KG in a single day


 The total is now 208.250 KG with the over 8.318KG since the last post.

Cooling Off but Still Producing

Still some warm weather items like this large basil plant. Lots of friends getting basil and having pesto at work.
This beautiful flower is the okra plants now nearly ten feet tall. The storm knocked them over but the are still producing well. The white flower means that this is night pollinators and with the color temperature the insects may not be as active.
I love these little eggplants that are just the right size for a meal for one.
Since this is a cornucopia of figs and then some of the fall vegatibles.
Finally it is time to have salad again since the weather is cool enough to have lettuce. I will have lettuce for the rest of the year.

 The total is now 199.940 KG with the over 5 KG since the last post.

Still Producing Although the Temperatures is Lower.

The temperature is lower and that makes it nicer to be outside.
There are still some hot weather crops such as the eggplant, okra, peppers and tomatoes that I have  examples of the harvest. However, although there are blooms they may not set fruits as often  with the cooler weather.
Another warm weather fruit that is still producing is the figs. Lots of green figs and they may mature somewhat randomly. However, over a week there has been over a kilogram figs picked which is more than you can safely eat and so shared with friends.
There are also still a few peas to pick.
I will be taking in a lot of basil over the next few days this weeks.
The New Farmer and the Farmer's Wife did some planting this week and already some cool weather crops like greens, radishes and beets etc.
Or like these. 

 
190.099 KG as the base with 4.773 KG is 194.872 KG

I think that is is likely that we will make it to 200KG this month. 

Working to Clean Up More Things to Plant

I had enough figs today to make another batch of preserved figs that is about 100 figs that I have canned.

The New Farmer has been posting but does not have the ledger to keep up the totals.

The Farmer worked hard pulling up old plants and weeds and raking down pine straw to make the garden more presentable. The greens, turnips and radishes that were planted just last week are starting to come up. This has encourage me to pull out more of the old plants. The tomatoes are still producing. We have had some cool days but there will be some more pretty hot days. Planting in the fall you have to watch for insect issues more.
There is a get together tomorrow and I think a good ratatouille would be well received and a good use of the eggplants.

The sweet potatoes were something of a bust with lots of vines and very little tubers but still they are pretty.


With the additional harvest before the storm there was 6.765 KG to add that bring the total to just over 190.099 KG