Thyme, thyme, thyme, see what’s become of us! While we’ve yet to dip fully below freezing, things have been chilly enough that our crops are certainly feeling it. Our days have included quite a bit of madcap winterizing as we work to get the high tunnels closed up. In case any of you were wondering, wiggle-wire has indeed won the title of ‘nemesis of the month’, as it will every October for the foreseeable future. But while we’ve likely some holes in our plastic to patch up, and quite a few tunnel maintenance tasks on our to do list, things are chugging along quite well, nonetheless.
Many of the students who work during the semester have rallied tremendously this week, since we’ve got the odd timing for pick up – and let it be known that this is no easy task in the midst of classes. Folks have been chipping in spare hours when they can and it’s been a huge help for navigating a very chaotic week. The Purdue Student Farm Organization also was out harvesting peppers, and the Small Farm Experience class will be out this afternoon. Many thanks to everyone, truly.
In other news, most of the honeynut, delicata, and hubbard squash has been harvested, but butternut and spaghetti squash could still use a bit more time to ripen (crisis averted). The last hurrah of field tomatoes is also underway, as temperatures are getting a little too low for things to ripen as we’d like, but our tunnel production is holding steady. Meanwhile, in our tunnels, we’ve got younger crops like spinach and peas that are taking to our fall weather quite well. Hope you all are staying warm and cozy as we start to see that hazy shade of winter!
