Hi Folks,
It sure has felt like summer the past 2 weeks. A walk through the gardens this evening looks more like June rather than May - with tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, even okra and squash, all in the ground and off to a great start. With long range forecasts calling for temps in the mid 80’s plus warm nights, we decided to gamble and plant out all of the summer seedlings 1-2 weeks earlier than we usually do. And plant we have… As of today, we have planted out more than 375 tomato plants, 400 peppers, 175 eggplant, 90 squash, 250 pounds of seed potatoes, and more…
Heat and wind aren’t the best conditions for salad greens though and so we had to harvest most all of the first plantings a bit early (while they were still sweet and juicy). We delivered a very hefty share of them to the Spring session members this week. We’ve re-planted them though - in hopes that the temps will moderate and we’ll be able to produce another crop or two during Spring session.
The best news this week is the winery. It is REALLY coming along. We are at that phase where all the finish work is getting - well, finished - and each time I am able to get over there to see it - there is an unbelievable difference in the look and feel of the building. It’s like those fix it up/renovation shows on TV where you see the awful “before” shots and then - if you are like me you go off and do a load of clothes and wash some dishes - and return just in time - to see the “after” walk-through. Well that’s how it has been here. I didn’t get to the winery/vineyard for over a week and the difference was breath-taking, literally… The scaffolding and construction debris is almost all gone, deck and porch railings ¾ way up, sidewalks poured - and the stonework - ooh maan… The fellows doing the stonework have painstakingly crafted rock collected from the woods into the most beautiful structures (walls, steps, fireplace, gate posts…) The thrill of the cosmetic transformation however was surpassed by the magic Mother Nature has made in the forest and landscape surrounding it all. Suddenly there is shade everywhere and the tree frogs were so loud we could hardly hear ourselves talk. But even better than that, as I stood in front of the building last night oooing and aahing over the things mentioned above, Neil told me to turn around and look and he pointed to the ground. There - growing just 10 yards from the front steps of the winery is a glorious patch of trillium. Looking closer there was may apple, ferns and a whole bunch of other plants and wildflowers emerging were I was certain nothing was ever going to grow again… I had long ago conceded that the tender woodland plants at the building site and along the lake site would be no match for three years of trucks, bulldozers, piles of construction materials and debris - especially that ginormous boom truck that parked right on top of them on 4 different occasions! But there they are. I walked the woods just a short distance - and I don’t know if it is because of the plentiful amount of rainfall - or if I was just too dang busy last year this time to have noticed - but the woods are jammed packed this spring in a huge assortment of wildflowers.
I can’t WAIT until we can invite you all out for a preview dinner and wine tasting. Though we can’t set a date today - it should not be too much longer (we get toilets installed on Monday - and Chef James’ stoves have been moved from the barn to the kitchen Friday- finally!)
Until then come up for a visit to see the vineyard, gardens, and soon to be finished winery and restaurant. If you are into nature journaling - please do come up, wander, and have a look around soon, while the trillium are blooming!
Now down to business…
A very important
announcement regarding the delivery schedule for the Food Guild.
After making 2 Spring Food Guild deliveries - and with the upcoming
Tuesday and Thursday markets we’ll be participating in at Krankies starting next
week, I need to make a slight change - in the Food Guild delivery DAYS in
order to make the commute(s) into town more fuel and time efficient. (The
delivery times at all locations will remain the same.)
Starting next week (May 5th)
and through the end of the Fall session deliveries:
· Winston-Salem/Lewisville deliveries will be made on THURSDAY’s
· Mount Airy deliveries will be made on TUESDAY’S
If this change in delivery day poses a problem for you, please let me know.
Farmers Market at Krankies Coffee begins May 5th!
As mentioned above, we will be participating in a Local Growers Farmers Market at Krankies Coffee’s 2 locations…
On Tuesday’s: 211 East 3rd Street downtown WS, we’ll be there from 11 am - 1 pm
On Thursday’s: 1208 Reynolda Road WS, we’ll be there from 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
We will be bringing certified organic vegetables, herbs, plants, and free range eggs for sale - and there will be several other local growers bringing in their produce and farm products (on Tuesday’s) as well.
Well, that’s about all I have time to write this week. I’m ready to make a Mojito (suggestion of farm volunteer Karen King and daughter Jacqueline who came to help plant “long beans” this morning. They saw the mountain of mint growing in the flower garden… ) and enjoy a little down time. See you next week!
Warm Regards,
cindy