The middle of last week saw a partial frost that knocked down some squash on the Northwest corner of the garden, a full week to 10 days after our normal first frost.  Monday morning brought a full frost…and I was ready!  The warm month of September allowed a lot of squash to finish, and I was almost “finished” gathering the daily crop of summer veggies.  Now we can slow down a bit and get the garden ready for winter while we harvest the fall crop of squash, pumpkins, and root crops.

We have a great crop of garlic, onions, and assorted other veggies on the stand, with winter squash and pumpkin’s transitioning onto the stand as the summer veggies play out.

I should have more time now to work on my thoughts of a “sweat equity” CSA, where we exchange your labor for veggies during the summer.  I’ll try to have more on that within the month.

I realize that it is early, but cut trees have been ordered and should be here the week prior to Thanksgiving to help lift our holiday spirits!

Stop by and keep me on my toes!

 Regards…Rick

The igloo is starting to look like a produce stand, you know, one of those places that have produce on display?!  Some things are in limited supply, depending on the daily production, but I have lots of lettuce, Swiss Chard, garlic, walla walla onion, new potatoes, Dill, red beets, rhubarb, and the ol’ reliable, summer squash (zuccinni and crooknecks).  The road-side sign lists stuff in large supply, the smaller sign lists everything in production.

A new crop this year is Portabella Mushrooms.  They wife has cooked a few and they are to die for… ask me and I’ll pluck some for you, just like our somewhat limited herb supply.

I also have a good supply of round zuccinni.  Yup…Round.  Cut out the stem end like a pumpkin, spoon out the center core, stuff with a medley of chopped veggies, meat, etc, bake for 15 to 20 minutes, and serve.  If you like stuffed zuc, you’ll love the round stuff.

Lots of good produce yet to come on.  Stop by and keep an eye on all of it.

Regards…Rick 

The weather has not been kind on the plants, but as you drive by you notice other things going up.  I have put reflective tarps west of the tomatoes to knock down the wind and intensify the heat.  We’ll know in a couple of months if it works!

I’m also erecting a cold frame structure east of the raspberries to fulfill a multitude of needs: 

           covered in the fall:

                                          to shelter picked squash from heavy frost,

                                          to display cut christmas trees inside,

                                          to start and finish melons and or tomatoes,

                                          to harden transplants on their way out to the main garden in                                       the spring.

Last but not least I started a row of trees to the north of the garden, running the whole 450 foot length, intended to knock down the strong breezes we get every sping.  Hope I live to see if they work!  They are fast growing, and should provide relief within a few years…we’ll see.

Now that we have had some warm days the garden crops are responding.  We should have produce out before you know it, keep an eye on us. Garlic scapes should be on the shelf next week, good for salads, steak rubs or whatever.

Stop by and keep me on my toes…Rick

I received a visit today from Jamie Oliver, England’s own “Naked Chef”!  This all started about two weeks ago when a young lady named Katie called from London and told me that they were planning a shoot in Wyoming about the “wild west” and she had found my website.  Would I mind if they dropped by once they got to Cody? (Yes, I actually answered the phone…I was in the shop freezing from one of our blustery days in the springtime Rockies.)  I allowed to her that it would be fine with me, but crops were just going in, and the pickings may be few and far between.  She allowed that would be OK.

Last Tuesday she called again (I was in the shop cleaning eggs and yes, I did answer the phone again) and said she was standing in front of the Igloo, could I please come out and show her around?  I jumped on the 4 wheeler and dashed out before she could hang up!  Katie is easy to look at, and it was one of the nicer days that we had last week, so the tour went well.  I showed her the garden and she asked me if I would mind being videoed with the Chef.  I allowed that I am better suited to the radio (not photogenic) but acquiesced to her pitch.  Nice kid that Katie.  She said others would be popping in before The Chef came on Monday, and off she went.  Friday, 3 more ladies arrived at the garden, again on a very nice day, and again all easy to look at and chat with.  I realized it was for real when one of them started to rearrange the eggs within their cartons, sorting them by color (I sort by weight).  Then they set aside some veggies, popped into their SUV, and went down the road.  I could start to like this stuff!  

This morning Katie came back with a photographer and they started making ready for the Chef.  A few moments later a pickup with 4 people pulls up and sits across the road.  (Now mind you, we were back to our Rocky Mountain springtime; 50 degrees with 15mph winds gusting to 50 mph.)  The driver of the pickup looked like one of the locals, must have agreed to show them about, nothing special except for a new cowboy hat, which a lot of locals wear.

By now it seems as though there are cameras everywhere; sure am glad I got in the hot tub last night to wash up a bit.  I had also slipped into a clean shirt and jeans, which I normally do on Mondays.  I had slipped on my fishing cap, and when I saw Katie’s eyes well up I knew what the problem was; she really liked my broad brimmed garden hat.  I tried to explain that one doesn’t tease Mother Nature by wearing brimmed hats in the wind, but she prevailed…I went and got my garden hat on. 

I no more than got the right hat on than the pickup with the sole occupant drove up and went into my Igloo!  As I rode up on my four-wheeler he asked if I knew the gardener here and introduced himself as Jamie Oliver!  This guys a big time Chef, with a hat like that?  Jamie turned out to be the type of person you would like to have your daughter date.  Nice guy, and boy does he know his gardens!  I entrusted him with a particularly sharp knife, that I normally wouldn’t do, and he went to work.  Did you know that asparagus stems have names?  He claims to have found several that had his name on them.  Then he got into the herbs and cleaned up my garlic chives, chives, chocolate mint, and German celery…on the way to the rhubarb.  Yup, Jamie knows his gardens.  And do you know how I know Jamie is such a nice guy?  Even when the cameras weren’t rolling he was cheerful and bantering and questioning and full of life. Yup, Jamie’s OK in my garden anytime.  His entourage is also welcome, but try to pick a better day so that this poor old man can enjoy the lasses more!

Finally we went back into the Straw Igloo where he loaded a large box full of veggies and stacked more on top, along with multiple cartons of eggs, and headed out the door.  I understand he was heading for cow camp with some real Wyoming Cowboys on the Pryor’s, and wanted to be sure he had adequate supplies for the day.  I hope those eggs make it to the camp.

What a neat morning for me…even if the wind didn’t cooperate.  Yup, that Jamie is all right in my book, and he surrounds himself with some pretty nice folks as well.  If they end up with a decent shoot and decide to air it I’ll try to find out when it will show and put a note up here.  Thanks again to Jamie and his whole entourage, a nice crew of folks.

PS:  Jamie, if you read this, please don’t wear the hat back to London.  It makes you appear like one of us country blokes.

Every year I order pullet chicks to assure a good egg supply over the winter.  Normally I order for Easter arrival, to keep with the season.  I lost so many last spring that I delayed the order this year to bring them in during decent weather.  I needed so many due to last years failure that I split the order to arrive a month apart so they don’t suffocate one another. (The second half will arrive in early June)

The first 50 chicks arrived Saturday morning!  They are Araucana (Americana) pullets that produce pastel colored eggs; blue, green, and tan.  I’ll keep them in the Igloo for a week or two (until they become offensive) before moving them out back with the big hens.  Bring a young child and stop by to see them.  It’s ok to handle them briefly and gently.  I encourage letting young children hold them, just don’t let them squeeze too hard! 

Stop by and share our little bundles of joy.

Regards…Rick

Potatoes have been in for a while, and garlic planted last fall is on the rise.  Onions are in the ground, 9,000 of them.  Also put in over 3,000 Gladioas, some dalhlais, and other bulbs.  More to follow.  I’m putting out 4-6 dozen eggs daily, a lot of them small or Pee Wee, but have a good supply of large, extra large, and Jumbo.  I don’t believe I have ever had as many minnows as I do now!  Stop by and keep me humble.

Regards….Rick

I spent last weekend engrossed by my seed catalogs and my “needs” list.  Finally have everything ordered, until I find out about the seeds I overlooked!  Most of my seeds come from Johnny’s seeds in Winterport Maine (they have produced well for me over the years).  A smattering comes from other sources that have varieties that I would like to have on hand.  I’ll pick up more seeds locally as I get closer to planting.  Right now I have over 100 different seed varieties on order, if I do anymore I’ll have to expand the garden area!  On second thought, while gardening is good for the soul, the acre I have in garden is probably more than my soul can handle for now…maybe next year!

The greenhouse is back in shape, so I plan to start planting inside the Igloo after the last big nasty blow of the season (next week?) and transfer out to the greenhouse sometime in mid to late February.  If all goes well, I’ll have extra plants (tomatoes, peppers, globe artichoke, etc.) for sale in mid to late May!  I’ll bring them back into the Igloo if it all works out, but ask me if you would like something in particular! 

Stop by and watch us grow in 2009!

Regards…Rick 

Cut trees out of Kalispell, Mt. will be in tomorrow afternoon, Nov. 22, 2008.  We will have them spread out for display and sale by Friday, Nov 28.  They had a great season for trees this year, so it should be a nice crop for your selection.

Arbor Day (see arborday.org) tells us that cut trees are environmentally friendly and economically sound.  Environmentally friendly in that they are beneficial to the planet, and recyclable (vs plastic trees that end up in a dump.)  Economically sound in that they are grown in the US of A and contribute to our economy by providing work and income to our citizens.

We hope to have a nice selection, priced from $15 to %120, for your family or business.  As in past years, we will have a selection of wreaths,  stands, and other accessories to round out the season.

Hope to see you at the Straw Igloo!

Rick 

Mother Nature turned on us last night with a light frost, first of this fall.  Our normal first frost date is September 15, but this season has been “special” to us since mid March, and not in a kind way.  I have figured that less than 60 percent of my seeds germinated, of which many were killed by the most weeds I have ever seen,  pollination was held back by cold weather and ???, with a result of less than 30 percent of normal production.  Oh well, as the farmers in this area allways say, ” Wait Until Next Year!”

The corn is still coming on, and should be ok with the frost.  Pumpkins and winter squash remain to be seen.  Thankfully the Cut Christmas trees are positively affected by the weather, and we should have a bumper crop following Thanksgiving.

Please stop by and perk me up!

Regards…Rick 

I tell everyone that my garden is almost where I would have liked it to be 3 weeks ago.  The cold spring, combined with the frost that we had on June 10 and June 11, has set production back that long.  Stay with me, stuff will be there, albeit 2 to 3 weeks later than the norm.

Some of the crop, carrots and radish, didn’t choose to show up.   The corn is very spotty.  I have taken some lettuce and am just getting started on a decent looking crop of garlic.  The onions that choose to appear are looking good, for 3 weeks ago.  We have flowers on the zuccinni and cucumbers, so we can expect those to come along in the next week or two.  Everything else will come on, albeit a few days (weeks?) later than normal.  Warm and dry will help.

Enjoy!…Rick