Summer is in Full Swing!

August through October are busy months around here at Moonstruck. The onions are being cured. The tomatoes are coming in and being frozen or canned. It is the beginning of apple season and thanks to Brian Ranch Orchard we are canning applesauce already. Peaches from Valle View Ranch were made into peach jam and the jalapenos are being frozen for Jalapeno Burgers or my favorite green salsa recipe!! This is not to mention the root crops are being squeezed in everywhere they can be and the greenhouses are being prepped for lettuce and the doors will be shut soon with the approaching Fall weather. I woke up this morning and it was 62...time to close up the old greenhouse I told Michael. I will vent with the front door and the above head irrigation for the remaining hot days. We need to preserve as much of the ground temperature as we can and if we don't close up at night we will lose tons!! The pigs are feasting on the extra large zucchini, patty pans, cracked tomatoes and lots of eggs...their absolute favorite!! Filet is becoming friendlier each day and her tongue is now licking me every chance she gets...it actually abraised my hand today....maybe she is seeing how I would taste!! The chickens are laying like crazy so eggs are being frozen for winter baking so that more eggs will be available to the customers and eggs are being tucked in the refrigerator for hard boiled...yes they have to get old to be easily peeled!! We also found a great spot for the cellar and just prior to the 50 new fruit trees arriving in January we will dig the 50 holes and the cellar hole...basically we have decided to build another small basement. We know how to do block walls so might as well stick with what we know best. Thanks for all your support...we would not be where we are without everyone's support....customers and fellow farmers!! Moonstruck signing out!

Long week.

Well the changes are coming fast still. This change was a very sad one, and is really knocking me through a loop. The Bashaws are closing their doors effective Thanksgiving. I am sure the chicken will be gone by then too. People are preordering every last batch that is available at this point to try and maintain them as long as they can since it will be a year before Moonstruck can fill in the blank. We have switched pork and beef operations here, and lamb is slated to be filled in in the Spring, but poultry is a huge undertaking with a processing plant and brooder houses required so unfortunately it will just have to wait. We also need to finish prepping the beds out front where all the onion, garlic,shallots are being moved to this next year and the cellar has to be dug this year...I am out of room. The good news is the Chanterais cantaloupe is looking great along with the Raveena eggplant, and the Moons and Stars watermelon sound hollow, but the tendrils are still green. The red Cipollini onions were all pulled in so that more Fall planting could be completed, and the old greenhouse is showing signs that lettuce may be okay to put in as soon as this heat wave passes. Our prayers go to the many facing the hurricane on the East Coast including my best friend Janet in Portland Maine who has not faced a hurricane since she was pregnant with her 20 year old. My heart is heavy but the sweet voice of my 13 year singing the Star Spangled Banner is truly music to the ears. Moonstruck signing off.

Nice longggggggggg green beans!!

Wow summer has been spinning by so quickly that I cannot remember the last time I blogged. We have been so busy fine tuning irrigation everywhere, adding animal pens, animal watering systems, and planning for the new beds out front and the cellar and harvesting for a growing business that blogging did not even come to mind!! Lemon cucumbers, Red Kuri squash and lots of zucchini and patty pan squash have kept me busy harvesting along with our kales and Swiss chard that have been producing through the summer. The Fortex green beans pictured are the best surprise of all...grown in the high tunnel in the 100 degree summer!! The new rhubarb and asparagus bed (sorry it will be a few years for customers) are producing beautifully. Lemon grass has been a new hit, but the artichokes are not producing...way too cold of a summer I guess. Everyone is waiting for Moonstruck Salad Mix including me!!! We have Sangria, Dancine and Little Gem Romaine lined up for head lettuce. It is so nice now to buy seed by the pound!! No worries about running out and a lot less ordering time. Speaking of time, which is so desperately needed we made the decision to drop the Wrightwood Market from our agenda...hard decision to make, but the right one. Starting tomorrow we will be announcing that we will be servicing our loyal Wrightwood customers with every other week home/business delivery in the Wrightwood downtown area. We will be there to deliver to the Wrightwood Coop baskets at 8 am and then take off from there performing deliveries between 8 and 9 am every other Friday beginning 08/26/2011. Any questions just email us at moonstruckfarms@verizon.net.