Some things coming along in the garden.  We only had a few of our cucumber plants make it through the wet, buggy, then dry as a bone summer we've had up to this point.  But now, the ones that made it this far are beginning to produce some cukes!

More and more zucchini!  I am now just trying to stay ahead of it and keep it reasonably small but for the few that I let go for the purpose of getting larger for breads, soups, frying, etc.  Staying ahead of zucchini is no small feat!  This is our Raven Zucchini.

And here is a Golden Glory Summer Squash.  Like our cucumbers, we didn't have many transplants make it but enough to get one every day or so.  I mix them in with the zucchini at market for color and interest.

Green Tiger Zucchini

Another Raven

Golden Butterwax Bush Bean.  My favorite bush bean for fresh eating.

This was the scene above me last night while I was snapping photos, digging walking paths and being outsmarted by a groundhog.  Quite nice actually.  (The moon, not the groundhog).)

One of my favorite 'firsts' in the garden each year is the Sun Gold crop.  First one always goes to Lizzie but I'm not far behind.  They are coming along nicely and we included them in our Member's Choice Email this week and hope to have them in the Farmer's Choice Bags as soon as we can harvest a good quantity.

Fordhook Giant Chard

Bright Lights Chard

Ailsa Craig Onion - Hard to believe it's almost time to harvest the onions and garlic and begin curing them all!

Green King Broccoli.

These are flowers for our Royal Burgandy Bush Beans.  Beans forthcoming hopefully but I love the way these look in the field.

Boothby Blonde Cucumber.  A Maine bred heirloom.

Lemon Cucumber.  Another 'weird' variety I saw in a catalog and fell in love with after giving it a try.

Well, that's all for now.  Back into the fray.

Hi all:  Sorry I've been a little lax in the blog department lately.  I've been so busy growing the plants we want and trying to stop the ones we don't that I haven't had much time to take photos or type up a blog post.  Today, Lizzie went for a day trip with Grammy and her cousins and I spent the day with Martin.  We had a great time on the farm and made a delivery to Barrels Community Market in Waterville.  

 Here is Mars watching the pigs just after I fed them.  We sold 4 piglets this weekend to a family in Newburgh.  The remaining 7 are ours to raise for ourselves, our family and our members.  We have 4 half pig shares left to sell but for now Martin is enjoying learning about the 'iggies'.

 Just on the other side of the pig paddock you can see that haying season is upon us.  John is on the tractor in the distance.  As Dave Mallet sings, 'You have to make hay when the sun shines...'.

And now for some shots of some of the wonderful items available from our gardens at this time of year.

 Red Saladbowl Lettuce

 Provider Bush Beans

 Costata Romanesco Zucchini

 Sunburst Patty Pan Squash

 Raven Zucchini

 This is one of the trial zucchini we're growing for Fedco Seeds.  Green Tiger.  It's really cool!

Blue Wind Broccoli

 Red Russian Kale

 White Russian Kale

And here are the honeybees hard at work.  If you look closely you can see them flying in with their finds.  It is so fun to watch them.  On the other side is a window.  I hope to get a photo of the inside of the hive for you before they swarm!

Other than that I've been weeding in the evenings and trying to keep ahead of cultivating with the stir-up hoe in the afternoons when it's hot and the weeds don't stand a chance.  Things are looking good in the garden.  Keep your eye out for our email about this year's Parker Family Farm Annual Member Picnic.  Details coming soon!