It is 95 degrees outside, and I am about to talk about preparing for Winter. August is a good time to start any Winter transplants you want to grow. Why August, you say? It would be best if you got a head start on broccoli, cauliflower, broccolini, lettuce, spinach, kale, and any other cold hardy vegetables you would like to grow because you may not feel it, but the days are getting shorter, and once we enter Fall, the days get really short, and that means things grow a lot slower. A nice cold frame or small greenhouse will help keep things warmer, but you will still battle the shorter days unless you add artificial light.

Here at Moonstruck, our last round of lilies is blooming, the rudbeckia is going nuts, dahlias are just starting due to the long cool Spring we had, and the tomatoes are just beginning to ripen. We are still working on the remodeling of the farm, which is a huge project and stalled quite a bit by the heat, but I am sure these days will be over soon, and we will be full speed ahead. The pork went to the butcher last week, and we will begin again in the Spring. We are hoping to run beef again, but the industry has prices so high that I still don’t know if we can do it again. The trees are loaded with apples and pears, but peaches will be a little sparse this year, but the figs are finally ripening, and the crop looks great! We will have our Fig jam back at the market soon! If you had to name one favorite, the Fig jam would be it because I absolutely love it with cheese and crackers.

The markets are busting full of summer produce and are in their glory. Stop by the Phelan Farmers Market from 2 pm to 6 pm on Mondays at 4128 Warbler Road in Phelan. Remember, the Phelan Farmers Market accepts EBT and is a proud sponsor of the Market Match grant gifting up to $10 in free fruits and vegetables to EBT and P-EBT customers. The Wrightwood Farmers Market is in the Wrightwood Community Center parking lot every Friday from 4 pm to 7 pm. Thank you for your fabulous support of our local farmer’s markets….we cannot do this without you!