Next week is a big one for us. It’s the first week of harvest for the CSA. Regular farmer’s market will not start until July 14th but some of my produce is not going to wait that long so I’ll need to set up between now and the 14th with some of my extras. I’m struggling to get as much weeding done before this time because once harvesting starts my weeding falls to the back burner. The plants are looking much better than I could have imagined this year and my biggest fear right now is a hail storm.

With the start of the CSA season fast approaching I’m struggling to get into a routine of updating the CSA Facebook group, post to my business page regularly, and come up with content for a weekly email update. As harvest starts this struggle will continue but also lessen to an extent because the produce will become the focus of all of these. What I’m hoping that our CSA members will get out of this is a better understanding of where there produce is coming from, the process behind getting their veggies, ways to use these veggies once they have them, and if there is an abundance how to store the produce for later use. This group is my main focus this year and I want them to have the best experience possible on top of the best produce that our garden provides.

I’m also looking forward to the start of Mandan Farmer’s Market. There should be an abundance of produce this year allowing for a great market table. This year I’m hoping to provide a wider variety along with a higher quantity of produce for the market. Again the CSA will come first but market should also be strong this year. Another thing new to me this year is being able to take credit and debit cards at market. Hopefully this will make purchasing fresh produce easier for those that, like me, rarely carry cash.

Despite having me as a caregiver, the garden is looking very good this year. While there are a few plants that are behind I’m confident that everything will produce well. Every inch of the garden will be covered in produce by the end of the season. After the disappointment of last years garden, between the lack of rain and my split dedication due to the move, this year is a great boost in confidence. I find myself walking through the garden multiple times a day and always finding something new. Every dark cloud in the sky, and this year there has been a few, sends me running to look at the radar in anticipation of a hailstorm that will wipe it all out. While I’m loving the rain that we are getting this year the stress of a possible major storm is really messing with my nerves. It’s something that I can’t control and I should probably have that tattooed to my hand as a reminder to calm the **** down when it starts to cloud over. Or maybe start to listen to my husband when he says the same thing but sadly I’m more likely to listen to something inked to my hand. (He’s aware of this and loves me anyway)

I can’t say how much I’m loving living out of town. This whole experience has been such a blessing for us and although I’m turning into a hermit I wouldn’t change a thing.