09/11/2026
Larry's farm report
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Current weather forecast for this coming Saturday morning, SEPT 12th, is looking a bit problematic, with some chance of precip, and continued above normal heat. So, hope the precip gives us a break for the morning, and hope you can tolerate the heat and come and visit us!
I would have anticipated having 2 to 3 bushes of field peas to offer this week and the next couple of weekends, and much more, but most of that is gone now. On AUG 7th, RIDGECREST GARDENS was devastated by a very violent storm, with intense hail for 30 minutes, and quite violent wind, perhaps 80 to 100 mph (microburst), and a flash flood. So as a result of that storm, this week I will have very limited quantities of only a few items in the fresh peas/beans/limas groups.
This week I will be able to bring modest pickings from some of the early pea crops which have been regrowing branches and blossoms after the storm, just a peck or a bit more perhaps of 'Purple-hulled Whipporwill,' 'Rose et Noir,' and 'Blushpod,' and finally the traditional 'Pinkeye Purplehull.' This is a lot less than a typical peak crop pick, and quality is poor overall, but feel lucky to have any at all! I am also able to gather some summer crookneck squash from the younger late summer crop that has been able to recover fairly well from the storm battering, and this week will likely have a large amount -- a peck or more. As I am writing this, the forecast for FRI here is for 90 percent chance or rain, so that may negatively impact my ability to harvest on FRI, which could lower amounts of any given crop I've mentioned. It takes a lot of time to harvest all these things, especially the green beans.
This Saturday, I will have my usual offerings for summer market, mainly some dried peas/beans/limas in one pound bags, our usual bags of uniquely bred Arkansas grown basmati rice, and a selection of books related to the legumes I sell, as well as other natural history topics related to Carroll County, the Ozarks, and Arkansas.
I will be bringing modest amounts of all 6 varieties of the irish taters we grow (bringing over 100 pounds, total).
(1) 'Reddale' --a red skinned tater with cream fIesh, very moist/waxy
(2) 'Yukon Gold'--a cream skinned, yellow flesh, very dry/starchy
(3) 'Caribe' -- a smokey purple skin, white flesh, intermediate texture
(4) 'Cranberry' -- old heirloom, cranberry pink skin, pale pink flesh, intermediate texture
(5) 'kennebec' -- popular heirloom, white skin, white flesh, intermediate texture, a good baking tater
(6) 'Purple Peruvian' -- purple skin and purple mottled flesh, moist waxy texture; similar to what some native wild taters are like in the Andes Mtns of South America; good flavor, superior nutrition.
I will be bringing some of the onion crop that are cured and dressed; 3 kinds: yellow, white, and red -- but now am beginning to sell down to near the last of the red onions. These onions are getting close to the end of their shelf life, but some very nice ones remain, many quite large.
Today I took time to walk through the entire garden and evaluate the surviving plants, 5 weeks after the storm. Some things are making a vigorous attempt at recovery, while others have given up, including my tomatoes and the early squash crop, and certain bean crops. At the time of the storm, the early purple hull pea crop, the Whipporwill peas, and Rose et Noir peas were in full flower and forming young pods, Those were nearly 100 percent cut down by the hail, but the Whipporwills and Rose et Noir rapidly sent up new growth and new blossom stalks, and I will have some pods from this regrowth. The Purple Hulls were further along at the storm, and have not come back with as much, but this week will mark a peak in the production, and I may have a half bushel to offer.. The limas lost all their blossom panicles and will require much more time, but are growing new foliage and improving vigor, and this week have been really kicking back into blooming. The crops that were planted late, to be for fall harvest are quite thrifty, the plants were small and survived the hail and wind better, so am hopeful for good crops on the 'Polecat' peas, 'Blackeye' peas, 'Calico' peas, and the late crop of Purple Hulls, and late crops of 'Rainbow' beans, 'Coco Rubico' beans, and some green beans. I was pleased today to observe numerous blossoms and young pods on the 'Polecat,' and late 'Purpehull' peas, and blossoms beginning to show on the 'Calico' and 'Blackeye.' The late green bean planting has begun to blossom profusely, and I hope to pick a few to bring this week, and will have more next week. We will be hopeful for warm weather in SEPT and OCT, and a very very late frost, for most bean and lima crops to happen. It is especially improbable on the limas, but we are hoping, and pleased to see more new blossoms than expected today. Some of these ravaged plants have quite surprised me.... so as a farmer, I suppose I am always trying to be the positive gambler, the hopeful optimist, eternally hoping with my efforts for that triumph of optimism over common sense.......
After the storm, I harvested a crop of 'Coco Rubico' beans that had already set pods and dried. The harvest was diminished by the hail damage, but still one of the best I've had, since all the pods matured before the storm. Immediately after removing the spent plants, I re-planted with some of the harvested seed.... 130 linear feet of row (on AUG 9th and 10th) -- this bean has one of the shortest maturity periods; one can sometimes get beans to pick ready to green shell in as little as 50 to 60 days. I found a few first flowers appearing on these plants today! So, these could provide pods to pick by late SEPT..... this effort, as noted, a triumph of optimism over common sense.......
In the event of heavy rain/thunder occurring or iminent on SAT morning, market might be canceled, but hoping for mostly sunshine.... and hoping to seeya Saturday......Larry
