Siena Farms Blog
Tractor work in August
Weeds are a constant concern for farmers especially in the height of the summer when the conditions are perfect for rapid growth. It takes our two most experienced tractor drivers, Troy and Eero, the majority of each day riding the cultivating tractors pictured above just to stay ahead of aggressive weed growth. The two cultivation tractors run blades in between our nine-row beds destroying the weed population before it has time to establish itself. One of the challenges this time year, is managing the cultivation schedule in dry fields because, in turning the soil to destroy weeds, you also deplete essential moisture content. Without running the cultivation tractor, the weeds will take over and reach above growing plants for sunlight. As the summer drought lingers, Troy and Eero have had to stay extra in-tune with each of our fields and every micro detail in order to preserve freshly seeded fall crops. Luckily, the steady heat and more specifically the dry (no humidity) air has allowed our tomatoes to keep their advantage over early blight as we push toward heavier harvests. Keep an eye out for some simple tomato recipes for you all to enjoy this weekend.
Rainbow Carrots
Any way you use them, carrots are always a crowd pleaser! If you’ve got kids who refuse to eat their veggies, our rainbow varieties may just do the trick. Siena loves them straight from the ground with just a wipe before crunch, crunch, crunching into ‘em.
Sure, you can easily get carrots year round from California growers, but California gets pretty jealous of New England carrots come fall! During the summer enjoy the subtle sweetness, the bright colors, fresh flavor and crunch… and come October, just wait to see what happens. When the air gets crisp and there’s a chill left in the morning, our carrots are hard at work storing sugars to prep for what they think will be a long winter in the ground. Fall carrots in New England are an amazing treat because of all stored, intense, sweet, special FLAVOR!
Grab some carrots at our farmstand or pick ‘em straight out of your CSA boxshare and get snacking. After all, they’re good for your eyes and for your tastebuds!

