Basking in the sun last Saturday at the Homer Farmers Market, you would think we had never seen it before. Everyone was smiling and chatting like the world was right again.
It is obvious that the sun was to blame for the mood. But if all the cool, cloudy weather we have been having this summer has affected people’s moods, what kind of a toll is it taking on veggie production?
Answers varied. Some producers said it wasn’t affecting them at all. Emily said that things are growing.
Maybe they would be doing better if it was warmer, but a lot of her crops thrive in cool weather. Looking around the Market at the braids of garlic or the huge napa cabbage or the bags of mixed lettuce greens, it certainly doesn’t feel like there is any shortages in the field.
But some of the farmers told me that they were indeed having a bit of a challenge with their crops because of the cool weather. Does that mean that you will soon be seeing empty booths at the Farmers Market?
Of course not — these are professionals. Paul’s lower field is still flooded with all this rain, so he just keeps growing in his upper field. His cabbage might be a bit later this year, but his booth is still full of all the things he can grow in his high tunnel and sequentially in his upper garden.
Dan and Luba talked about how well everything is doing in the high tunnel regardless of the weather, but how the stuff outside is lagging behind.
This could have made for a gap in production, but they have two reasons they aren’t worried. One is that the forecast of good weather will kick everything into gear. The other is that a Russian Holy Day will be landing on next Saturday so they aren’t coming to the Market regardless.
Sometimes things just work out perfect, no matter what you do to try to affect them.
So head on down to the Market this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or Wednesday from 2 to 5 p.m. and see what perfection our farmers have pulled off this summer.
Kyra Wagner is the coordinator of Sustainable Homer and the Homer Farmers Market’s biggest fan.
