Sunset Farm

To be done.

1. W**d the tomato rows 5 , 6, 54,53
2. w**d the flower rows 9,10,8,11
3. Jason will install the new battery cable to the new starter motor on the vt farmall. After much testing we are 99% sure the starter motor will soon turn on when you pull the ignition loop.
4. Harvest yellow squash, zukes and cukes every day now. Zukes are in 61, 25 , 57 at the midpoint; they are scattered because the squirrels eat every one when they know where they are.
5. Remove the cover from 25 and remove the stakes too. Put the cover in a clear 50 gallon bag. There is a stack of them next to the tomatoe boxes in the open shed.
6 . Tomato boxes: we will need lots of them , new ones cost too much : about $3 I think, and they are sold by the pallet. Bring your own boxes may be our only option. Let me know if you know a source for used tomato boxes : UM Food service or Amherst College food service come to mind. Do you know a contact I should ask?
7. Feel under the still-growing potatoes and harvest a lug of new red potatoes. If you do it carefully, the vine will continue to grow the underground potatoes. Yesterday ,Yvon dug our about 30 perfect Norland red potatoes We split them up , everyone had them for dinner.
8. pick shelling and snap peas put them in the brown bags that we left empty in the gray cooler.
9. update sign at Amity st we will have eggplant, chard, kale, new potatoes, carrots , cukes, zukes,

Yesterday:

We hand w**ded goldilocks beans , row 42.
We folded back the edges of the heavy w**d fabric at row 45 (pumpkins) and were able to till down the w**ds along the edge ; It was great and done in about 30 mins Sharon, Yvon and I did it.
The okra row was dew**ded, bu Yvon . looks great.
Jesse burned our huge burn pile in the chestnut field... gone in a couple of hours. Because we are a farm we are permitted to burn year round : called Agburn. We still call for a permit since the state fire marshal determines if the weather conditions are ok.
Bob Cyr's truck is in the shop so he is unable to come up to install the mower parts that we expect to receive today.. it could be weeks before his truck ( and all his tools) and he will be back.
Meanwhile, when he needs to he will use his Harley.

IMG_6570.JPG New norland potatoes , peach sized and about 10/ plant. The picture is deceiving , they are fist sized.
IMG_6571.JPG Yvon, feeling for potatoes. They will be harvested by hand for the next month ,then we will dig the rows up with the tractor drawn single row potato digger. They continue to swell while the vines decline. Can even use the potato digger since the vines will clog it.

amherst weather

Heat Advisory
Today

Today: Increasing clouds, with a high near 88. Light south wind becoming southwest 5 to 9 mph in the morning.

High: 88 °F

Increasing
Clouds

Tonight

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming clear, with a low around 64. South wind 5 to 7 mph.

Low: 64 °F

Decreasing
Clouds

Tuesday

Tuesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Heat index values as high as 103. Light south wind becoming west 9 to 14 mph in the morning.

High: 97 °F

Hot

Tuesday Night

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 75. West wind 6 to 9 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Low: 75 °F

Mostly Clear

Wednesday

Wednesday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 95. Northwest wind 8 to 14 mph.

High: 95 °F

Hot

Wednesday Night

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. West wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Low: 65 °F

Partly Cloudy

Thursday

Thursday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 90. Light west wind increasing to 11 to 16 mph in the morning.

High: 90 °F

Hot

Thursday Night

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light after midnight.

Low: 62 °F

Mostly Clear

Friday

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 87. Light northwest wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning.

High: 87 °F

Sunny

Detailed Forecast

TodayIncreasing clouds, with a high near 88. Light south wind becoming southwest 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
TonightMostly cloudy, then gradually becoming clear, with a low around 64. South wind 5 to 7 mph.
TuesdaySunny and hot, with a high near 97. Heat index values as high as 103. Light south wind becoming west 9 to 14 mph in the morning.
Tuesday NightMostly clear, with a low around 75. West wind 6 to 9 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
WednesdayMostly sunny and hot, with a high near 95. Northwest wind 8 to 14 mph.
Wednesday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 65. West wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm in the evening.
ThursdayMostly sunny and hot, with a high near 90. Light west wind increasing to 11 to 16 mph in the morning.
Thursday NightMostly clear, with a low around 62. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light after midnight.

737am now

Bill Gillen
Sunset Farm : 20 Brigham Lane , Amherst , Ma 01002
413-374-5193 bill's cell