Oh Please Some Sun!!

Okay, I'm tired of talking about the weather, thinking about the weather, fretting about the weather, and yes...even complaining about the weather. The sun shone a bit today, but it was mighty cold up on Honey Hill. Our friend Lincoln Fishman from Sawyer Farm, horse-powered farmer extraordinaire, sent out an email newsletter today (visit the website to sign up for his wonderful writings and stop by the farm to visit the most charming little store around!). I'm going to steal a few lines from his missive...
"So far, in May, there have only been 4 days without precipitation. And today is only the second day in May that will have more sun than clouds (Alice's comment: nope, didn't happen here today!). In April, there were only 9 days without precipitation, and just 5 days with more sun than clouds. It has rained 32 out of the last 45 days, and only been sunny for 7 of the last 45 days!" GLOOMY!

Lincoln went on to talk about climate change and the seemingly insurmountable challenges this poses for farmers, particularly small farmers. Like he and Hilary, this is the latest we've ever planted our "early" crops. The plants we've managed to get in the gardens, as well as our greenhouse plants, are mostly just sitting there...waiting for sun and warmth. Like the rest of us. The rapidly changing conditions created by climate change are going to require great resilience, creativity, perseverance, and flexibility. We'll learn more and more about reaching out to, forming connections with, and sharing resources with neighbors.

Which reminds me of another story. Amy and I were visiting her folks, Mary & Dick, tonight for our customary Wednesday night dinner and card game. But first I digress. On our menu this past week I had an item called Roasted Rhubarb & Beet Salad. Fiddleheads and Rhubarb are my two favorite harbingers of spring. We were visiting Mary & Dick this past Sunday and Mary reminded me that I needed to go pick some of their gorgeous rhubarb for the salad. It was snowing, so I stalled and...yep...I forgot. Monday morning I was making the salad and realized I didn't have rhubarb. I sent our visiting friend Kate out to our pitiful rhubarb patch and she came back with a dozen pencil-thin rhubarb stalks. I got a few from someone else and managed to make do. Now back to tonight! When Mary had asked if I still needed rhubarb, I let her know that I "got by" with ours. She reminded me that they grow MUCH better rhubarb than us. Which she claimed was the only thing having to do with food or gardening that she has an edge on. And I reminded Mary that she makes better salad dressing, green salads, and fruit desserts than me! So if you're lucky enough to be invited to the Pulley's house for dinner...I hope there's salad and any fruit dessert on the menu. And whatever havoc climate change wreaks on our gardens and farms...Mary and Dick will have enough robust rhubarb to feed several hilltowns! I'm quite sure there's a Mom Pulley Rhubarb Pie in our near future.

The plants in Amy's Wing and A Prayer Nursery are looking healthy and ready to burst with growth when we have sun and warmth. Her regular Sunday/Monday hours, 9:00-3:00, begin this weekend, May 19th and 20th. After a long winter, her lovingly-tended plants are ready to fill our hilltowns landscapes with food and shelter for the butterflies and bees. I'll work on getting an updated plant list for 2019 loaded onto my website soon. But feel free to email or phone with inquiries and questions. Or check out their facebook page, "Wing and A Prayer Nursery". Stop by and browse; it's worth the trip!

Community Supported Foods Members AND A La Carte Customers:
click here for this week's menu

For Carly's Cupboard click here for this week's offering

Amy's Nursery, Wing & A Prayer Nursery: here is a partial 2018 list of plants. All of Amy's plants have been chosen for their usefulness to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

Please visit our website at www.aliceskitchenathoneyhill.com. It is a joy to provide delicious, nourishing, and beautiful foods, prepared with care and love, for our community.