July 24, 2006

July has been an incredibly busy month.  On the 3rd, we were visited and interviewed by Jessica Lowe of "Oklahoma Horizon," an OETA affiliated program, for a spot which aired on the 23rd.  On the 11th I made a short presentation to a "Horticultural Therapy" conference on the OSU campus on the topic "Nurturing the Child.....In Each of Us."

In the midst of this, I started 150 pounds of sauerkraut and put up seven cases of pickled beets.  Because of the weather, garden yields of both cabbage and beets were well below normal.  As a result, I will have to put in a fall planting if I am to have enough sauerkraut and pickled beets for the year.

Other garden produce seems to be doing ok: peppers, tomatoes, beans, peanuts, pumpkins, and winter squash.  I never got the grains planted because I broke the tractor working up the ground.  By the time I got replacement parts too many other things were going on, such as the "Open House."  I now have a little time and today began to put it back together.  Baring any unforseen problems, I should have it operational in a few days.

I also did some remodeling in the commercial kitchen, making significant progress towards converting the old master bath into a temperature controlled "fermentation" room.

We continue to take our wares to the Stillwater Farmers' Market.  I am able to go both Wednesdays and Saturdays, having completed the Master Gardener course that had occupied my Wednesdays for several weeks.  The bulk of my volunteer efforts in that program have been associated with a "Head Start Community Garden" project, which has gone reasonably well.

The Open House at the farm on May 20 was a success.  We had nearly 80 people come through.  I did a lot of walking and talking that afternoon; conducting three tours of the operation.