Sustainable Farm Journal

Last night, about 2 inches of rain fell. Today's highs were in the 60s, and tonight will be chilly but well above freezing. The soil is too wet to work in the field or in the raised bed garden.

For two weeks now winter precipitation and light rain fall has been frequent. slowly the moisture has penetrated the soil and is now beginning to saturate it, which should provide some relief from the continuing drought this summer.

Last night's snow has melted away today. Some still lingers in the shadows of trees and buildings. Today was in the upper 30s, and tonight will be in the mid to lower 20s.

So far, the month of January 2015 has started off the year cold and wet. The 18,000-gallon capacity of the rainwater collection system is almost full, in part from December rains. Most of the nighttime lows have been in the lower 30s, with an occasional dip into the 20s. A frost blanket over a raised garden bed of artichokes has so far proved competent at keeping them alive through the freezes.

By the first week of June, the soil has dried out, and no precipitation is in the weather forecast. Watering is mandatory, and the Israeli melons in the field require it daily, as do the raised beds. In my raised beds, several tomato plants have died because I wrongly assessed that they were getting adequate water. They were not. I've made this mistake before, but I did not learn from my past failures. I simply must stop overestimating how long a good rainfall as we had in the last weeks of may will last. Last year, I started pumpkins on July 4 for an October harvest. I did harvest a few pumpkins in October, but most were ready in the last week of October or the first of November. In order to harvest pumpkins this year in time for Halloween buyers, I must plant them by the first week in June.