This September will be a bit different as we will not be doing our Brewfest. However, we still look forward the first day of Fall, and finally cooler weather! And hopefully some rain!
September on the farm is a time to wrap up harvests and start preparations for next growing season. The potatoes are all dug and the harvest was plentiful. We had almost no issue with scab this year due to adjusting the soil pH based on soil test recommendations and planting a resistant variety. Beds are being tilled to plant fall / winter crops including turnips, onions, and kale.
Hop harvest on the farm is completed for the year. It was a light but intense harvest due to lack of rain. Still coming is the much-anticipated harvest of the unique Monocacy hop currently being grown at the Univ. of MD research farm in Keedysville. It is a much later hop and probably won’t be ready until mid-October. Look for its debut in bottles in February.
The second cutting of hay is done. It was a very light harvest due to so little rain. Most years we will be able to get a third cutting although at this point the grass is not growing as it is just too dry. Once the hay is all off the fields those that need to be treated for weeds will be sprayed. This is only one of several approaches we utilize in controlling weeds. Most importantly is timely mowing as this returns the vegetative matter to the soil and can prevent the formation of seed heads on the weeds thus limiting their spread. We also try to be very particular about the hay we feed our livestock so they are eating that with the lowest weed content. This also helps to reduce the number of seeds that are put back on the fields through manure. And then there are the birds….While we enjoy our birds considerably they do contribute to a lot of weed spread.
Lambs are really starting to grow up. The boys have been separated from all the girls as they are quite capable of breeding even though they are not yet a year old. We will soon be sitting down to determine which ewes to breed to which rams around the end of October. In the meantime we will plan to get all of the sheep shorn in time for them to grow back enough fleece to be comfortable in the cold weather.