Compost!
Right now we have quite a few 500 feet beds of horse bedding, manure, yard waste, dry leaves and vegetable scraps. We finally acquired a very efficient method of turning those fantastic raw ingredients into rich, plant-feeding compost.
We are working with Illinois State University and have been lucky enough to be loaned a compost turner and tractor for a while. In return we give ISU lots of daily records including temperature and CO2 content of the piles, as well as how often we 'turn', or aerate the windrows.
In the first few weeks after creating the pile, we will turn the windrows quite often to expel CO2 and incorporate oxygen to help the microbes breath, grow and eat. As we get better at making good compost this process should take us no more than 90 days to go from raw ingredients to black, earthy compost. Then, we'll spread this nutrient rich fertility liberally on our growing fields for healthy soils for years to come.
Pictured above is Chris lowering the roter attachment that will drill right through the piles.
Come out and learn more about what we do here on the farm at our August 6th farm tour. The tour will begin at 10am, please make sure you arrive at least 15 minutes early. The tour will start at 18080 W. Millburn Road. This is the address of our wash/pack facility and has plenty of parking. Please wear good walking shoes and dress appropriately for the weather. Having water with you and especially for kids is important! If by chance heavy rains came our way the night before or the morning of our tour we will have to cancel and will continue the tour on August 13 at 10am. Please make sure that you send me an RSVP at tempelfarmsorganics@yahoo.com so we could know how many people to expect. Thank you and we look forward to meeting all of you!
This week's CSA is for members that purchased a FULL vegetable share and/or fruit share!
Your vegetable share this week:
Lettuce Mix
Sweet Corn
Green or Rainbow Swiss Chard
Garlic
Red Sweet Peppers
Savoy Cabbage
Cauliflower
Yellow Crookneck Squash
Fresh dug Red Onions
Your fruit share this week:
Dark Purple Plums
Free Stone Peaches
Blueberries
Recipes! Recipes! Recipes!
Happenings on the farm...........
Tuesday we spent the day pulling Cippolinis, Shallots, Red Onions and Yellow Onions from our fields and are curing in the green house. These will make wonderful storage onions that will keep for months, we like to say "all winter long " until we can harvest them again for you.
Armando and Joe had the job of tying tomatoes while the temperatures were well into the 90's with the heat index. This is by far the hottest job on the farm and when they were done they had looked like they had jumped into a lake they were that drenched.
Wagons and wagons were filled with straw bales produced by Tempel Farms row crop division. These bales of straw will be used for bedding for Lipizzan Horses, our chickens and goats.
Our third batch of broiler chickens are growing well. These will soon be put out in the fields and will be ready by October.
We hope you enjoy this week's bounty! Please be sure to RSVP for our August 6th Farm Tour!
Your farmers,
Tania and Chris Cubberly and our crew, Joe, Armando, Michael, Francisco, Elliott, Charlie, Sherman and Mario!
