Bring on the Heat!

We have had an incredibly mild (& cool) Spring. In spite of the fact that we were hovering around 100 degrees a few weeks ago... Nature has decided to throw another curve ball and make temperatures unseasonably cool. And while it feels wonderful to be outside working ~ it's quite confusing to the plants in the field & the fruits of the orchards! Especially the tomatoes & peppers! They just don't seem sure of themselves at the moment.

Good news on the horizon... weather patterns will shift to a more suitable heat and we should get a big push of growth in the fields! Can't wait... We planted several new varities of heirloom tomatoes this year. There are several hundred to choose from! So~the task of choosing can be a little daunting because they all sound incredible! Here's a peak at the growth stages in 1 area of the tomato field:

We decided to get the tomatoes out in the field a little later this year than last. We actually held off until almost mid-April. And it's ok. With this crazy Spring weather... there was a killing frost in early April that caused a lot of crop damage in Solano & Napa counties. So ~ I was probably spared some disappointment by waiting a bit. But now I'm so excited about what we'll have coming in! There are about 35 varieties of heirloom tomatoes out there - large, mid & cherry! Just to name a few.... Black Cherry (one of my FAVORITES), Yellow Pear, Green Grape, Marvel Stripe, Lemon Boy, Green Zebra, Mr Stripey, Berkeley Tie Dye, Ferris Wheel, Red Boar, Boxcar Willie, Pineapple, Cherokee Purple, Rosalita, Black Krim & several more!

We're also anxiously waiting the arrival of lots of peppers!... Golden Bell, Chocolate Beauty, Ivory, Purple Beauty, California Wonder, Thai Hot, Jalapeno & again... many more. I love peppers. Especially hot peppers. And eggplant! A nod to my Meditteranean heritage...

Since we are certified organic ~ we look for ways to increase the beneficial insect population. I have found that having our lavender fields near our row crop fields, orchards & vineyards has really helped to boost the bee population! I know there's a bee crises in the world right now and that can have major implications for future food production. Very scary. So - I feel incredibly grateful for the colony of bees we have buzzing around our farm. I took a few shots yeterday of a beautiful bumble bee hard at work & seemingly enjoying himself immensly in the lavender field!