Flood

The rain we have gotten here at the farm the last weeks has been rather alarming. I put a five gallon bucket out at the chicken coop on Sunday, empty, and it is now FULL. EEK. The gardens have several places where small streams have popped up and every time it rains, the creek in the back fills to the point of taking out the land bridge there. I think crops should be okay, just a few will be smaller than expected because of being washed out. The volunteer funny squash-I think I will name it that permanently, is coming up again this year, which is great. That means I have my decoy crop for squash bugs to give the desired crops a chance to grow a little before battling the little buggers. Everything else looks to be enjoying the rains. I have a couple things I had not planted yet, as I was waiting for the nights to be nice and warm first-watermelons and okra. They will go in soon, though, as soon as the ground dries a bit. I am in desperate need of grass clippings. All you in town peeps who do not use chemicals on your lawns and don't want to pay the city to haul off your clippings, I will take them off your hands for free. Just email me or bring them in bags to the farm pick ups. I will dry the bags out (so as to not add garbage bags to landfills) and return them. Then you can refill them and bring them back. There is no such thing as too many grass clippings. I don't even care if there are weeds in them. Honestly, the heat and moisture will break the stuff down. Coverage is more important-especially with all the rain.

We also got our new shipment of chicks-plus a few turkeys. So cute. Already thinking of Thanksgiving dinner;)

And on the pest note, again, Mexican Flea Beetles has already gone after the eggplant. They have taken them out the last couple years. I have never had issues with them-that is until we moved out here. I am guessing it has something to do with local big farmers and their soybean crops. So, we have crop covers on to try to deter them. I may have to break down and use some Bt-a bug killer. Organic, yes, but still, I hate to spray if I don't have to. We will see.

In the meantime, exactly one week till the first farm pickup-YEA!

And we named the ducks. Couldn't help ourselves. They are just too funny to watch. They are now, Jemima (female), Emma (female), Ice Cream (female) and Doughnut (male) Puddleduck. I named Jemima. All the others were Pony Gal's picks. She has named one of the bigger chicks as well, Meeko. Which one, I don't know, but she does. Hopefully it isn't a rooster, or she may be disappointed later...