July is usually a bit of a slower month on the farm and very weather dependent. The first cutting of hay is done. Second cutting will start later this month – hopefully. It all depends on the weather! The hops are all strung, growing to the top wire, and starting to produce ‘burrs’ from which the hop cones develop. Our Monocacy hops have hit he top wire and are producing their characteristic side arms. Now we hope strong thunderstorms don’t blow them down. We will soon turn the sheep back out in the hop yard and they will do their job of trimming the bottoms of the bines. This helps with weed pressure and air flow to help reduce disease.
The lambs have all had their booster vaccinations and are grazing well. One of our quads from last year was the star in a ‘Lions for Literacy’ book reading in New Windsor. She was the shearing demonstration sheep to go along with the reading of the children’s book, Shearing Day on the Dean Farm. Summer means watching the lambs VERY closely for signs of parasite infestations. You may wonder how sheep deal with the heat. Their fleece actually helps protect them from the bugs and sun but mostly they adjust their behavior, staying in the shade during the day and grazing at dusk and early morning. They also have plenty of salt, mineral, and water.
Vegetables have been sequestering the sun’s energy and more and more are coming ready for harvest. We have stated to dig new potatoes. This year we have Russetts, Yukon Gold, Pontiac Redskin, and Kennebec varieties. Did you know potatoes originated in the Andes?
Sweet Corn and tomatoes should be coming in around the end of this month. Planting different varieties as well as staggering the corn plantings allows us to extend the season for the fresh crop.Look for the farm fresh produce in our mercantile!