September: Where Did It Go?

Here's what is happening in our garden beds at the end of September.

Our hoop house #1:  Salad greens grow behind the peppers which are still going
strong in the front of the space.

An overview of some of the outside beds.  You can see the bright greens of
 lettuces going strong in the third row from the rear.

Arugula is one of our favorite crops.

A close-up of some recently planted broccoli transplants.

Just one more day left in the month of September and then we will be moving on to October when it truly becomes fall here in Middle Georgia.  Wow!  Where did it go?  Of course we are already having cooler nights and milder days, but it still gets into the middle or upper 80's pretty regularly.  However, I must add that these small changes and the shorter days have already made a difference in the way things grow and thrive in the garden.  We are starting to say our good byes to many of summer's treasured crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers and okra, as they slow down and we are welcoming the fall favorites (lettuces, kale and collards) as they begin thriving with the cooler nights and milder days.

We have had an unusually rough time with the transition from summer to fall here at Elm Street Gardens with unusual onslaughts from insect pests (the result of the unusually mild winter here???) and unusual weather patterns that have inhibited germination of the fall crops.  (It probably falls into the misery loves company department, but I was perversely gratified a few weeks ago to read a post on FaceBook by a prominent organic grower in Georgia on her need to sew some of the fall crops a second time after the first seeding had failed.). But the fall crops seem to be humming right along now; we may be just a tad later than usual with some of them.

But such is life in the garden.  If it all worked the same way each year, it would be unnatural.  And not nearly as interesting.

Suzy

Community Spirit in Hancock County

More than 300 people came together on Labor Day for a picnic on the grounds of Elm Street Gardens’ home place.  The event was the third annual Hancock Community Labor Day Picnic and it turned out to be a lot of fun.  Everyone pitched in and did their part so things went smoothly and we were left with clean grounds and happy memories.

Jackie Craig starts the set up of the serving line.

Opening ceremonies.

Lining up for the food and getting comfortable in the shade.

 It was an old-fashioned potluck affair with everyone bringing something yummy.  There was also whole hog barbeque and grilled organic chicken from White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia.  Some of the highlights included sack races and other fun games for the children, our lively emcee, Tommie Ingram (who did just enough talking sparked with good humor and enthusiasm to move things right along), a nifty scavenger hunt and a raffle that had everyone waiting to see if they had won (the grand prize was a Farm Box from Elm Street Gardens with the addition of pork from Three Centuries Farm and grass fed beef from Fort Creek Farm).  Hancock “4-H Club” and “Young Doctors” helped greet and serve and were a huge help to the adults. Everyone got plenty to eat and then took time to sit around and visit with new friends and old.  And garden managers, Brad and Megan, led a tour through the gardens. 

Young folks race with "egg spoons" on their heads.

Our wonderful servers help to get the pig ready to eat.

Start of a sack race.

Great fun as all hop toward the finish line. 

From my standpoint, it was terrific how everyone really made this picnic happen.  From set up to clean up, everyone took part and got it all done.  It truly was a community event in the best sense. And, although it threatened rain all day, there was not a drop until we had a brief cloudburst just as we finished cleaning up!  Perfect.