The Farm Is Shifting Into Summer

The rows are filling up with plants and seedings to produce lovely summer produce

We had an amazing Plant Sale season and it was gratifying to see so many new and familiar faces at the farm this spring. While the Plant Sale has wrapped up, we will still have a selection of leftover plants available at the farm stand this weekend.

Summer Planting

Activity at the farm is now shifting fully into summer planting season. Over the next couple of weeks we will be planting tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers, celery, lettuce and zucchini, along with nearly 900 ginger plants! We will also be direct seeding beans and carrots for summer and fall harvests.

It is a hectic and very physical time of year. Our farm plan is always more of a suggestion, and with the influence of Mother Nature it is constantly evolving. The challenge of growing what people want, what grows well in our microclimate, and what we realistically have the labour capacity to manage is always a moving target.

But now entering our sixth season, Farmer Don and I feel like we finally have about 80% of it dialled in.

Preparing for Summer Weather

Science is pointing toward a strong El Niño pattern this year, which could mean a hot, dry summer for our region. In our very first season farming, we experienced the heat dome and still remember going into the hoophouses every half hour to spray the tomatoes and cool the plants down. At one point temperatures inside the tunnels reached 57°C.

Since then, we have added misters in the hoophouses, invested in shade cloth, and made improvements to help both the plants — and the farmers — survive the summer heat a little more comfortably.

And yes… we finally decided to get a small above-ground pool this year too.

The Farm Stand This Summer

If you haven’t heard yet, we decided to move the farm stand up the driveway, just inside the farm gate.

Not going to lie — I worried people might not want to drive into the farm to visit the stand. But we are doing our best to make the experience feel just as welcoming as previous years (and hopefully even better!).

So please come check it out. If the “Farm Stand OPEN” sign is out by the road, that means we are open and would love to see you.

Our hours may be a little more limited this summer, but you can always message us to reserve produce for pickup the following day. Cash and e-transfer to saywardhaven@gmail.com are both available.

Same farm stand, new view!

As always, we deeply appreciate all the support you continue to show our little local farm.

— Farmer Tracey