The sunflowers that we seeded awhile back for the farmers market have started to bloom at the end of the field and there are several hundred pounds of fall-share onions "curing" in the hoop house.

This morning, we walked the farm to see how things looked and to check for signs of critter damage to the crops -- something had been snacking away on the lettuce, but overall, it seemed relatively contained and limited to the green lettuce; the red Oscarde was untouched. There were also small tracks in a tilled bed so we know the foxes are still around, although I like to imagine they're smart enough to lie low when the heat and humidity are at their worst.

The tomatillos are starting to ripen. When I first noticed them a few weeks ago, they looked like tiny pale green paper lanterns, but when Gretta handed me one this morning, it had a surprising heft to it, with green fruit inside the papery husk.

I felt the need to weed today, so Gretta let me have my way with the pigweed and lambs quarters, restoring order to the parsley, sage, and marjoram. When you're working close to the ground, after awhile, everything tends to blend together; it's only when you step back for a moment that you realize that some weeds have managed to pass themselves off as something they're not, a living lesson in evolution.

The morning ended (too soon) with tomato taste testing in the barn, exploring subtle differences between Pruden's Purple, Cherokee Purple, striped Green Zebra, and classic Big Beef. I definitely think we need to include mozzarella, basil, and olive oil in the next round of testing.