Lohbrunner Farm: A Brief Reprieve

Photo courtesy of Sam Godfrey

Reaching July on a mixed vegetable farm often brings a bit of relief. That may sound strange as a lot of the harvest is only beginning or only starting to come on in earnest — it may seem like things are still ramping up. However, once the Summer Solstice has passed and the days begin to shorten, if you’ve stuck to the planting schedule and stayed moderately on top of the weeds, there is a short reprieve before the huge harvests of August begin to roll in.

By July the fall storage crops are mostly in the ground, the greenhouses are planted and beginning to bear fruit, irrigation is set up for the year, and many crops are getting large enough to hold their own against the ever eager and present weeds. The work is by no means done but the hard work has paid off and the farm has some of its own momentum for now. You get to ride on its’ coattails for a change.

So this is where our farmers at Lohbrunner Community Farm find themselves this strange July. Because, global pandemic or not, our farmers are growing a lot of food (and flowers – food for the soul!) for the surrounding communities this year. We have had to adapt how we do it, and how we sell it. We have had to deal with upheavals and uncertainties in our world and markets (like everyone has this year), but we have thrown ourselves into that work with gusto. Because what else is there to do? We all need to eat, and the soil, with some coaxing and care, is generous and wants to provide.