Ronnie Sanfie visited the farm today. The goats were definitely happy that he fed them.
Below: Picture 1: The corn is still growing, but has no tassels yet. Picture 2 and 3: Raspberry vines are continuing to grow in this heat, but no flowers or raspberries are present. The pumpkin vines wilt in the heat even if watered. Picture 4: The pumpkin in a sling is still growing, but the vine looks pitiful. If the vine gives out, the party will be over for this hanging pumpkin. Picture 5: The thornless blackberry bushes are flourishing, but like the raspberries, there are no flowers or berries.
Flip through the slides (below) from our visit to Jackie’s garden in St. Francisville, Louisiana. Slides 1 and 2 are eggplant (a species of Nightshades (Solanum), also know as Asian or Garden Eggplant. Slides 3 and 4 are Japanese eggplants (a different variety of Solanum). The fruit are not as plump as the fruit in the first variety shown in slides 1 and 2.
Flip though the slideshow below. These pictures were also taken in Jackie’s garden. Slides 1-7: Ginger and Hidden Ginger (also known as Common turmeric, or Indian-saffron). Hidden Ginger is a true member of the Ginger family. Hidden ginger gets its name from the hidden flowers. The roots of this plant are often used as seasoning (turmeric). The roots can be used fresh or ground after boiling and drying. The roots can also be used as a dye. Flip through the slides 1-7, below to see the difference between the two varieties of ginger. Slides 8 and 9: This tree is called Rose of Sharon. It is resistant to almost all pests and diseases and can withstand drought. It is actually a species of Hibiscus. Other names for the Rose of Sharon are Syrian ketmia, Shrub Althea, Rose Mallow, and Korean rose.
Science TIP: It pays to pay attention to the cause and size of the problem. We have been fighting rust in the water at the farm for over six years. In fact, the well water from the farm has less rust than the water we receive from the city. This week, the water company sent someone to test the water. The tests show the water is fine. However, the tests were for total iron. The tests failed to show the undissolved rust in the water. The only solution (other than finding the source of the pipes that are rusted which cover over 6 miles) is to filter the water. We have been filtering for 3 years, but the filters were overwhelmed by the amount of rust. (Pictures 1, 2, and 3 below). The middle filter starts out white and is discolored within an hour. We eventually added a five foot tank in front of these filters. The large filter medium filtered out particles that were 5 microns or larger. It did not resolve the problem.
This week, we changed the filter medium in the large tank to catch particles that were 3 microns or larger. Look at the last picture below. It appears that the rust was smaller than 5 microns, but not smaller than 3 microns. Look at the white filter in the bottom picture. It was taken 24 hours after changing the filter medium to 3 microns. It appears that the problem is finally solved. Who would have thought 2 microns would make that much difference? Keep your fingers crossed for us. We may finally have found a solution.
BELOW: The cousins went swimming to cool off in this heat. They were exhausted, but not happy to depart when it was finally time to go home. Pictures 1, 2, and 3 are of Camille B., Elle D., and Ella Clare B. Picture 4 adds cousins Max M. and Everett B. to the mix. Check out the flowers behind the cousins at Mercedes’ garden (in the last picture below). Aren’t they a beautiful mix? Of course, we think the cousins are a pretty mix also!
