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Do I Have to Mention the Weather?!
It's hot, dry, and today, windy. I've had about 2/10" of rain since June 1, and that was between July 19 and August 2. I don't see a change in the forecast, either. It's so depressing. This is climate change smacking us in the face! We have to roll with it, though. Adaptation is key.
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All my lettuce bolted or got eaten, so I gave up on it. Without having to water it every day, I was freed up since the rest of the garden only needs water every few days, so last week, I treated myself to a play week! I rode my bike every day, went hiking, had friends over, visited friends, met new people, read, did some artwork, and napped. I did NO adulting! I was so relaxed, it was hard to shift gears and drag myself to the Talpa farmers market on Friday! I managed, though, and it was a productive day. I made new book marketing connections and saw people I hadn't seen in years!
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Downtime is as important as work time.
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August Garden Tasks
August is a big harvest month! Get ready to put food up for winter through canning, drying, freezing, fermenting, and making entire meals for the freezer.
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Collect seeds from open-pollinated crops.
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Divide irises and daylilies.
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Towards the end of the month, get ready for the first frost. Be on your toes and watch the forecast for overnight temperatures.
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There's so much more in The Book, available at Gutiz, Moxie, KOKO, Dixon Market, Cid's, Taos Herb, and Petree's.
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When I read the August chapter in the book, I thought to myself, 'Sheesh, I don't know what to tell people anymore. The weather is so whacked, the book can't cover it! And I'm just winging it myself!'
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There have been dry years when I just gave up and let everything die (except the lettuce!). This year, I'm conserving moisture by taking the biggest leaves off of the squash and broccoli plants. I'm also going to pull one broccoli patch that's not producing enough side-shoots to warrant the water use. I'm going to check my carrots and see if they're ready to harvest. They take up a lot of space, too. I'll plant lettuce mix in that bed when the skunks stop rooting for grubs.
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A friend dug up several sumacs for me this spring, and I planted them thinking we'd get rain. I watered them until they were established, but I let go of the smallest ones that were struggling. I have a LOT of plants in containers waiting for rain or cool weather or even fall to plant. Normally we'd be transplanting with the daily monsoon moisture!
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I have several inches of straw mulch on the garden beds. This year we mulched the pathways over cardboard. I think that's helping with moisture retention, too. The struggle is real, as they say!
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The good garden news is that the beans and squashes are doing great! I still have good side-shoot production on my Solstice broccoli, the garbanzos are starting to dry, and the pickles and lemon cucumbers are cranking out future snack food. So it's not a total loss.
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New Extension Agent in Town!
A couple of weeks ago, I had a 'Power Lunch' with my favorite guys (Kevin Wittman, Pablo Cruz, and Jeff Cochran) and the new Taos County Extension Agent, Will Jaremko-Wright. We were deciding the fate of agriculture for the county. Ha! Just kidding. We were discussing the Master Gardeners course and figuring out better ways to educate upcoming farmers, home gardeners, and landscapers. We covered a lot of ground over good food at Gutiz (where you can also get The Book!), so stay tuned for news on that front.
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Will is smart, knowledgeable, and open-minded, and he has the youthful energy that we need worldwide in agriculture. He's a joy to hang out with and I'm honored that he asked for my opinion. Here's a bio he sent me to share with you. He did leave out that he taught at Highlands for many years! Please contact him. He's eager to hear what we have to say!
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Will Jaremko-Wright is the new Taos County Agricultural/4H Extension Agent. Extension offices provide technical support and hands-on resources for farmers, ranchers and gardeners, at any scale. If you're growing 25 acres of hay mixture, we want to help. If you're growing 5 squashes in the backyard, we want to help! If you're wanting to try something new and experiment on your own operation, we want to help! If you're thinking of getting some goats to combat noxious weeds, we definitely want to help! New Mexico Cooperative Extension Service's mission is to deliver practical, research-based knowledge and programs that improve New Mexicans' quality of life. If you have an idea or proposal for a workshop idea for the extension to host and bring in specialists, please reach out to Will at wjaremko@nmsu.edu or call the office at 575-758-3982.
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The Book!
The Book will be at Taos Folk this year, from November 18 - December 24 along with my paper weavings and collages! It's so exciting to have been accepted. Jessie, the owner, said she'd already planned to buy The Book as a Christmas gift! So, new venture, new people, exciting and terrifying all at once.
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On Fridays, Casey Flynn has The Book with her at the Talpa Community Market. She sells beautiful bouquets and healthy plants, many of them native. I'm there with her most weeks, too.
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The Book is always available at KOKO, Gutiz, Moxie, Earthgoods, Petree's, Dixon Market, Cid's, and Taos Herb. And you can always contact me for a signed copy and get the 'farm tour'!
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Auntie Nannie's Seed Exchange
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The seed exchange has taken up residence at the Taos Land Trust! We'll be having a seed swap and book signing during their Fall Harvest Festival in October. Details are still being worked out, but figure on October 7 for the swap. Follow Auntie Nannie's Facebook page to stay informed.
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