The Farm Report 7-20-2018: We're Under Attack, But Still Growing

The Farm Report 7-20-2018: We're Under Attack, But Still Growing

The view from my shop window

Click this link to see the photos in the Google Photos Album

 It is gorgeous here at Oakdale Farm right now, as long as you can stay where it is cool. Here is a view from my shop window. Thursday last week was 105F. And what was I doing? Putting up hay, of course.The newly tassled 2d sweet corn planting looked like this just 2 weeks ago. Yes, I think you can hear corn grow at night in this weather.

But we are under attack! The Japanese Beetles have invaded. They have come 'not quietly like thieves in the night, but as raging hordes of cavalry!' They find the sweetest trees and fruit and swarm them like bees. Absolutely devastating....

Japanese beetles don't seem to like Persian Walnuts though. These trees began bearing nuts 2 years ago - after only 17 years of growing. They are beautiful trees. They are Carpathian Walnuts, sometimes called Persian Walnuts, or here in the USA, California or Christmas Walnuts. Can you find the nuts? They are hard to see. Unlike black walnuts which fall to the ground in their messy husks, these nuts will open up and fall free and clean this fall leaving the husks up in the trees. If I can get to the nuts before the squirrels ( a daily task ), they make wonderful 'pecan' pies and pastries.

So if it is too hot to be out, and it isn't time to make pecan pies, then it is time to make sausages! What do you use to smoke them with, I'm often asked? My Grandma Chlorus' favorite - good old Iowa corn cobs. If you've never tried it, tip your nose down from out of the sky and give it a go. I'll bet you never would guess how good they can be.

And for Martin especially, here is Zoey being passive/aggressive. Miss Kitty, the official shop cat, refused to use her new kitty basket. Zoey decided that if Miss Kitty didn't want it, SHE would sure use it-even if it was a little small. Of course, that made Miss Kitty jealous and she wanted it back. Watch the video to see what happens. Hint: Zoey ain't movin'. (You may have to go to Google Photos Album to see the video.)