And, I still have three big heads to go. Wow is it ever nice cauliflower, too — nice and dense, white and worm-free. I only dusted our cabbage family crops once, so far and we have lots of cabbage moths flitting around. I was expecting more creepy crawlers to come floating up when I blanched the cauliflower. Not a one, though. Very nice.

I pulled two ears of a new open pollinated super sweet sweet corn, Damaun, from the patch by the chicken coop. The ears are 12 inches long and the kernels look beautiful. We’re going to have it for dinner, as a trial. But I’m pretty sure we’ll be putting that on our “keepers” list! The stalks are 9 feet high and it’s finishing up right behind our Seneca Sunrise, a 66-day sweet corn. Amazing! Yesterday, we picked a basket full of a new early tomato variety, Stephania’s Earliest, to seed out. We were real happy with how very early and productive it is — one of our earliest tomatoes. It’ll be around for a long time!

We were really impressed with Stephania’s Earliest tomatoes. Boy are there lots on a vine!

Today, we have a visitor from Vermont. Lisa and her friend, Gail, from Tower, Minnesota, drove out for a tour of the homestead. Lisa had emailed me earlier, asking if it was ok. We scheduled today for a visit. It was fun, showing them the gardens and visiting about gardening. After all, Vermont has a climate, only a bit warmer than ours and it can be a challenge to grow some crops. We ate various tomatoes and even sampled some of Will’s Seneca Sunrise sweet corn raw, right off the corn stalk. I hope they’ll come again!

Will answering some gardening questions in our Wolf Garden’s tomato patch.
We three girls sure had a good time visiting the gardens and talking!

Will’s busy raking hay and I’ve got to get busy and get that last cauliflower cut up and in the freezer. — Jackie

16 COMMENTS

  1. I pray earnestly for you and know how much love the Lord has for all your family. Each of your posts is so positive and such a bright spot to me. I praise God for your faithful husband, too. Yours is a wonderful ministry. After reading the comments this time, it seems we may all need to benefit from high tunnels from now on, after the unpredictable weather. Regards, from far north California

    • Thanks so much Elizabeth!! I’m not so sure about the high tunnels; I told Will not to put plastic on our hoop houses as we were in for a hot summer. And boy, was that true!! If we’d have had plastic on, I’m sure the peppers would have fried. As it is, they blew their blooms in stress and are just now setting peppers. Whew!!

  2. This time of year certainly is full speed ahead, isn’t it! Its nice you were able to make time for visitors and a garden tour. Those tomatoes look delicious! The new corn variety sounds interesting as well. I have been canning some stewed tomatoes this week. I think they will make really good chili and tomato soup this winter. Thank you again for the salsa verde recipe. It is fantastic! Prayers for a blessed week.

    • Thank you! We’re always happy to show visitors around the homestead. It sometimes gives us the break we need but aren’t willing to take.

    • Jackie’s ‘growing and canning your own food’ book, i HIGHLY recommend it!
      so many helpful hints, along with the recipes.
      hint;ALL her books are helpful.
      Mary

  4. Dear Jackie, It looks like you’re having some well-deserved fun time. I love cauliflower fresh in salads, and especially grilled, but I love it best in a pickled garden medley recipe. It is good just right out of the jar. And it adds a special something to those winter meals of white beans and cornbread.

  5. happy you got to take a break an visit with friends!
    hard to believe this weird growing summer is fast ending. first rain here-a whole day of!!! yep, got in all the produce that was ready fore it started.
    still having dry beans Flower and producing! peppers here tooo are sluggish.
    the tomatoes though slow are fast coming out of the hornworm infestation and the sunburn.
    putting up LOTSA Jackie Clay salsa recipe
    hope we get a ‘regular’ growing season next year. solar golf/farm cart1 wahoo! take care and hopefully beat the frost.
    Mary

    • We hate to even THINK of frost!!! We’re so dry right now, the leaves are turning colors on the trees. Way too early. Our peppers are very slow this year, due to the heat and drought. Even though we can water them, they have dropped their blossoms in stress instead of setting peppers. Ugh. But the tomatoes and corn is fantastic. You win some; you lose some. But we still have hope.

  6. Hello Jackie.
    Glad to finally get here and read what your sharing.
    I’m so glad you got some wonderful cauliflower and delicious
    sweet corn.
    It’s wonderful you had visitors and was able to give them a
    tour and share some of what your growing and wisdom.
    This is the first year I’ve had so much trouble growing food
    and depend on it for the winter. Heat, cabbage moths and
    stuff their spraying around us in sky has took it’s toll.
    I never give up or give in. I’ve moved a lot inside under
    lights and have saved several plants for tomatoes, radishes,
    the grapes, etc all in containers already.
    I did plant fall sweet corn. It’s doing well and the sweet potatoes
    are hanging in there and flowering.
    I always get so encouraged when I can get here to see what your
    up to.
    Thanks for sharing what your up to and the wonderful food your
    growing.

    • You’re welcome Cindy. We’re still struggling the the heat and drought. Today, it was 96 degrees, F, with the sun. To many, that’s not hot, but to we northern gardeners, it fries us!! Our plants are struggling as we are, trying to keep them watered as well as possible. But no water for the North and Wolf Gardens this year. So far, everything is hanging in there. Please God, no frost!!!

  7. Congratulations on your garden! It’s amazing, but you all worked so hard 😊 Stay cool, we’re not used to such hot weather here in the north!

    • Nope, we sure aren’t!! Will’s having a bad time with break-downs while trying to hay. Yesterday, he broke the power takeoff shaft on the big International, took one of the big Olivers over to finish the two fields he has down, then due to the power takeoff issue, it also broke the bracket holding the carrier bearing on the baler, which he didn’t realize, due to the protective housing. So back home for repairs today. At 96 degrees. Ugh!! Thank God it was nothing worse. He’s welding now.

  8. It is always heartening to read that good manners are not a thing of the past. Stephania’s Earliest is peaking my interest – besides the shorter growing season, I like looks of the size and shape.
    Despite their best effort of staggering planting, the farmers from which we bought out sweet corn won’t have any more. They’d planned to get the final harvest after Labor Day but weather got it and the one before it. We all know it happens.
    While one’s zone can make it a challenge, climate is making it a challenge for everyone who grows his/her/their own food.
    The last heat dome got the best of the zuke/summer squash. Still getting some paste tomatoes. Should get a few more slicers but they won’t be as large.
    Happy Labor Day to all and sending good karma/vibes to Jackie and family as well as readers of Jackie’s blog.

    • We enjoy taking time out to give a “mini seminar” to visitors. We’re all about helping others to succeed in their gardens and canning ventures!! It’s a tough growing year for all, this year, but we’re struggling to keep everything going as well as possible. The corn is doing very well, and we only hope we’ll get a late fall.

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