08/28/2026
🎃 Hope Blossoms 🎃
Sometimes with farming, you just have to take the good with the bad and remind yourself that you’re not always in control.
Sunday evening, we were hit with a bad hailstorm, and the devastation to the patch was pretty severe. It looked like total destruction. Not a single plant seemed to have survived the wind and driving hail.
After consulting a few ag extension offices and ChatGPT, the advice was pretty much the same: It’s probably a good time to go on vacation and stay out of the patch for a while.
But I just couldn’t walk away.
Monday and Tuesday were pretty hard to look at. But by Wednesday, in the midst of shredded leaves and broken stems, little pockets of dark green leaves started to appear. Signs of life. 🌱
Thursday brought even more leaves, and we started seeing new growth on a few plants.
Then this morning, as I walked through the patch, I saw new flowers everywhere. 🌼
The plants aren’t dead. They’re still fighting. Still growing. Still trying.
And for the first time since Sunday, I feel confident that we will indeed have a season again this year! 🎃
So as the tears dry, the scars heal, and the bruises fade, the pumpkins might have a little more character than usual. But I’ve been given a pretty great reminder:
It’s not over till it’s over.
Thank you all for following along and supporting the patch through the ups and downs. We’ll see you all real soon for The Patch ’26! 🎃🧡