My Last Entry

Sad to say, I no longer live at Longhaul Farm. It was a wonderful summer and an amazing opportunity. It's a bittersweet feeling, I'm sad that I'll no longer live there, but I can be happy too knowing that I've made some lifetime friends at the farm. Lorri and H.O. are some of the most generous and kindhearted people I've been lucky enough to meet, and they really made the team feel like family. Steve's moved into my old "chateau" and hopefully he's settling in nicely with Marie. Sophie and Lib are still working the store and the fields until Sophie goes to Mexico and Lib goes back to teaching. Amanda's been back at UNH for a couple weeks and Ben continues his awesome cooking in the Pavilion kitchen. It was truly a great experience, and I hope that someone else picks up where I've left off on the blog (Lorri perhaps? now that she doesn't have to run around as much!). Lorri, H.O. and everyone else at the farm, if you're reading this, I love you all, it's been great.

Fried Green Tomatoes Anyone?

Our tomatoes are late this year but they're finally starting to come in! Steve and Amanda picked a bunch of green ones after some tomato plants got blown over. So if your looking for fresh, organically grown, local tomatoes then look no further!

The Farm Bears Fruit

Basil!

Eggplants starting to grow!

All the planting, watering and weeding is really starting to pay off and we've got lots of fresh vegetables at the Farm Stand! Our tomatoes are still ripening but we have eggplants, beets, basil, carrots, scallions, onions, zuchinni, summer squash, so many cucumbers we don't even know what to do with them all, and even blackberries! So stop by if you like fresh, organically grown, local vegetables!

My Little Sister Comes to Visit!

I went home to New York for a couple days for my sister Charlotte's 13th birthday and then she came back up with me to stay for the week! I saw her last in May and I swear she's grown a couple inches since then! I've always told her she'll never be taller than me but she's shooting up so fast I'm afraid I might be looking up at her one day. Anyway, yesterday Charlotte spent the day with me in the store, it was so nice to have company, and of course I put her to work helping me husk corn for the barbeque. We then got to enjoy some of the corn we husked in the evening (along with hearty buffalo burgers) while listening to the lovely sounds of Open Tunings. Today she's with me in the store again, but I think we'll go for a hike and a swim after.

Bee Balm or Bomb?

Just a silly little anecdote to start the day.. Lorri and H.O. were quizzing us one day on the names of different plants and flowers, and this little red riot pictured above was one of the plants. I can't remember if Steve or Amanda answered correctly that it was Bee Balm, but at any rate, when they said it I thought they were saying Bee Bomb. Later that day, I was looking at the flower and its unusual petals that thrust up into the air in all directions, and I said to Steve, "Bee Bomb really does look like a detonated bomb."

Well, Steve then informed me of my misunderstanding but I maintain that this plant would be more aptly named Bee Bomb.

The Great Pumpkin Growing Competition Continues!

In the lead (so far), Amanda's Paul the Giant Pumpkin.


 


Close behind, my own emotionally insecure Herbert.









Second to last, Lib's little Linus.

 


Third so far, Steve's tattooed Arnold the Terminator.

 





And in last place so far, Sophie's poor and aptly named Lil Mama.

The pumpkins are continuing to grow, so who knows how this contest will end! Personally, I'm hoping some misfortune will strike Paul, or Amanda and Paul will be disqualified for using some kind of fertilizer laced with steroids or something... Perhaps Paul will come down with whatever unfortunate disease has been killing off Lil Mama's pumpkins, who kept turning up rotten and dead before they'd even started growing! 

The funny thing is, because all the pumpkins are yellow, people keep asking what kind of plants we have growing in the front yard!



Back in Action!

I realize it's been a shamefully long time since I posted last.. but I mean to make up for it this month by posting frequently! Basically my excuse comes down to, July and August are busy months here, I do not have the internet in my place and Lorri and H.O.'s computer was so slow at one point that trying to use it was more torturous than pulling teeth. But no more excuses! Steve helped Lorri and H.O. clean up and speed up their computer, so now it's useable again.

Ok, that aside.. This past weekend was a crazy one here on the farm becasue of the Holderness 250th Anniversary celebrations! On Friday I worked with Steve, Lorri and H.O. at the Little Church Theater serving people steamers, Mexican corn, and Sandwich Creamery ice cream while a street dance went on in the parking lot to the great sounds of Postage Due. I can't really consider it working, it was too much fun! We all got some time dancing to the music and there was a good turn out despite a sudden downpour right at 6 p.m. when the event was supposed to start. Luckily, the band's equipment didn't get destroyed from the rain, the weather cleared up, and though the coals of our grill were put out, H.O. got them started up again quick and no one was worse for the wear! Steve has some photos of the event, and as soon as I can find him and get a hold of his iphone I'll post them!