Summer, coming in hot and humid.

As I write this it is raining - pouring - yet again. Normally this would be cause for celebration, since we have grown accustomed to dry conditions and constantly checking the radar, wishing for rain. Now, the tables have turned, and we can't seem to get into the field to do much work since the rain won't stop coming down. When the sun does come out, the humidity keeps the soil quite wet. Some crops are loving it, but so are the slugs, snails, and weeds. Not much we can do about any of those at this point but we work away on greenhouse tasks and try to ignore the weeds as best as possible, yanking out big ones as we walk by.

Speaking of the greenhouses, the hot crops are really starting to shape up. The warm temperatures have caused the tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants to jump. We're keeping a close eye though, because all of this humidity spells plant diseases, especially blight. On the bright side, we should have cherry tomatoes coming your way in the next two weeks.

Another crop that is doing remarkably well right now is the flax. If you've been with us for a few years, you'll know that we are part of a flax trial called the Flaxmobile Project with Jennifer Green, a textile artist and professor at NSCAD. Jennie is leading a multi-year project to teach small and medium-sized farmers how to grow flax for linen production. She travels from farm to farm in her 'Flaxmobile' guiding each stage of the growing and production process. Last year was the first year of the project, and we grew a decent flax crop and processed it by hand into un-spun flax linen. This year it's looking even better, thanks to soil tests

that identified what sorts of amendments would improve the crop. We also sowed the flax seed with a seeder instead of broadcasting it by hand, which make weeding a cinch. Here's a photo from a couple of days ago. Flax flowers are so beautiful. The thought of having a half acre of flax blowing in the breeze is dreamy, maybe in the near future we'll be able to hone in the production enough to make growing it at a larger scale worthwhile.

Finally, I'd like to share some recipe inspiration with you for two new crops that have joined the rotation in the last two weeks: sugar snap peas and zucchini (also known as summer squash).

• Personally, I like to eat sugar snaps on their own, but when they make it into the kitchen, a light lemony, snap pea, and ricotta pasta is on the menu. Here's a recipe from one of my go-to blogs, Smitten Kitchen, for bowties with sugar snaps, lemon, and ricotta

• The zucchini are in their prime right now: when they're small to medium in size, the possibilities are endless. Sticking with Smitten Kitchen, here is a recipe for foolproof zucchini fritters that make for a quick lunch or hearty dinner side dish.

Thanks for reading!

peas and love,

Jessie

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