Summer CSA Newsletter: June 18th, 2024 (Week 4)

The beautiful view of the farm from on top of the hill!

Hi Folks,

Week IV.  

It’s a heat wave and the fireflies put their first big group sparkle on the fields behind the house Monday night as a prelude to this heatwave.  It looked like lights reflecting on ocean waves, as far as we could see it was a sea of flickering firefly lights.  Each flicker of their light is beckoning to a potential mate.  Wowers that’s a lot of loving going on in the fields!!!!  The bustling of all forms of life is very apparent as many fledglings are flying now and fawns are roaming with their mothers.  Many summer weeds are maturing, the yellowdock’s first branches are setting mature seed, the burdock will soon be in flower, we are seeing our first blooms of Yarrow and Queenanne’s lace, AKA (wild carrot, the ancestor of the cultivated carrot), and soon we should be seeing the first monarchs coming north just in time for their feeding on the milkweed blooms.  The wildflower blooms are a good way to measure time and the seasons, as some of them are loved by certain birds, butterflies or beetles that also appear out of nowhere when the blooms appear.  We saw our first locust the other day.  We have heard this year is supposed to be a big locust year.  Two species are expected to pupate!  We are a little concerned about our Blueberries, as the second year for our Blueberries they did put a hurting on the plants.  We are contemplating putting our household flock of chickens down in the Blueberry field if it gets to feel out of hand with locusts.  Maybe the chickens can keep them at bay?

At this peak moment of summer with around 15 hours of light during the summer solstice, take a moment to be present with your sweaty brow & heartbeating blood coursing through your veins, as you breath deep breaths of hot air.  On these hot days it feels easier to see the intrinsic link that you are a part of this life cycle. Is your body buzzing from the heat?  Similar to entering a jungle, the life forces buzzes like no other.  Life is humming around us, so many languages of other species are talking, the sun brings us all more together outside to interact in the water, and be outside of our homes. 

Last night we had a wild rain storm, and another is expected tonight.  The wind was making the trees talk with the rustle of their leaves and many branches screaming as they broke. Like your body exudes sweat from your pores, here in beautiful verdant western Pa, the soil exudes lots of plants that support the birth of many life forms. You sweat out salt, yet you eat salt.  This is a great example of, you are what you eat.  Summer is here!  Soon more and more fresh delicious fruits and veggies are maturing.  Remember when you are hot and sweaty and uncomfortable, the fruits and veggies are happy!  The spring crops are now hitting full stride, and the summer crops are flowering and some have even set fruit that we will be harvesting and eating before you know it.  

 As we are enduring our turn (pun intended) in direct alignment with the sun, this cycle of seasons.  It’s the time of light!  Happy Solstice Everyone!

Your Farmers, 

Chris, Aeros & The Who Crew