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be 31 at 7 am this morning... not midnight... so who knows Treasured how much
Tonight is one of those nights when farmers must have nerves of steel and the will to match.
We have blankets, sheets, fabric yardage, row covers over most of the peppers, eggplants,
and some other tender crops... There are fire piles burning in the main garden to create a
heat shield over the area... mainly all the tomatoes which are the most tender plants. Pete is
running the tractor and a side blower to move the air so the cold will not settle down on the
plants. No idea if any of this will work as it got colder much faster than predicted. We thought
we would have to start up the fires and blower about 4-5:00 am, not at 11 pm. The longer the
temperature is so low the greater risk of danger to the plants. We are now worried about the
crops that can take a bit of cold down to 28 degrees like the greens... winter squashes,
pumpkins can tolerate it that cold but I worry .. They only said frost for our area, not a hard
killing freeze over many hours.... The root crops like the carrots, beets, turnips, onions,
potatoes will all be fine through tonights frost though.
We are watching the dewpoint, as that is an indicator of where the temperature is heading,
and it is dropping steadily. The air temperature cannot get colder than the dewpoint. Quick
weather lesson... when temperature equals dewpoint you get fog... it is forming all over the
area... and here is some quick info about dew and frost thanks to
http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/dew.htm
Dew and Frost
What is dew?
All air contains moisture, which is called water vapour. The moisture in the air close to the
ground comes from the soil and the plants. When air cools during the night, the moisture is in
the morning on grass and hanging from spiders' webs. Dew is dried by the sun's warmth.
What is frost?
When the temperature falls below freezing point, the moisture in the air freezes into ice
crystals and they settle on grass and plants. This is frost.
Frost soon melts and the moisture is dried by the sun.
Frost damages plants because the water inside the cells of a plant also freezes and breaks
the cells' walls. The frozen parts of the plant will die.
We picked as much as we could today and have it in the packing shed, a.k.a. the basement
of the log house. We are planning on a long night ahead... we will do what we can to deny
nature's bid to reclaim the CSAs veggies plants into compost for at least another week!
One nice thing though... there is nothing that compares to a night like this in the country. The
moon is casting a wonderful glow and the stars are glistening overhead. Even with all the
stress that is present tonight, I am reminded of why we live and work where we do. There is
nothing for us that compares to working hand in hand with nature... and yes, sometimes her
hand slaps us down and reminds us who is really in control. But there are other times with
just sheer will power and perhaps some mighty good luck we can hold out to grow yet
another day. I hope tonight is one of those lucky nights :)
Will update you all again later!
Blessings!
Peg
Treasured Haven Farm 4 AM Frost Update
September 30th, 2009 4:42 am
Hi Everyone!
This is an update to last nights midnight status.
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...... well the temps are still dropping and we have at least four more
hours to go before the morning rebound. The usually coldest part of the night has yet to
come. It is not good news as the thermometer here reads 28 and the local NWS readings
say that the temps at the airport here are holding steady at 30 with a dewpoint of 29 but
there is still no wind. Tonight it will be made very clear the importance of a degree or
two...but it is very close to not mattering what, how, or if some plants were covered....
sustained low temps like this will totally take out most tender plants regardless.
valiant effort. We are weary from very little sleep and feeling somewhat defeated, but the mid
This is one of those times when one is humbled in the face of nature but we have put forth a
day will tell the outcome. It is sad to think of the tomato, eggplant, and pepper plants that I
originally started in every corner of the house last spring beofre putting them out in the
greenhouse as crumpled masses of blackened leaves. Perhaps we will be lucky and the
areas closest to the fires will survive. You can feel the warmth there and the draft and smoke
created by them seems to help some, but it will take a miracle to hold off frost for this many
hours. The fires were an idea we got from watching a movie about grape vineyards years
ago. Never know what you can learn from movies....What does it hurt to try?
I am going to try to sleep a bit while Pete keeps an eye on the fires. We will update you
again in the morning as to the outcome. It should be clear by noon what has made it and
what has not. We covered some of the lettuce as well even though it was not suppose to get
so low as to bother that... glad we did!
I hope this helps to let you see into the world of a farmer. Every day we must make
decisions, that in essence to do so, we must have a crystal ball on what the weather will be
like. What will the temps be?... will it rain?... if so, how much? Will it freeze? Will the weather
pattern allow the hay to dry if we cut it now or do we need to wait? Will there be enough
snow cover so the hay doesn't winterkill? Will it freeze and thaw? Will it smother out from an
ice pack? Is it safe to plant the tender plants in the garden in the spring? What are the
odds... it is no wonder why they call farmers the biggest gamblers. So much we can do
nothing about but just plan accordingly and have back up plans. I think it is safe to say our
latest planting of beans that had tiny little beans about 2 inches long are freeze dried out
there, but maybe next time.... Sometimes as a farmer, one must be both fearless and tad bit
crazy! If you risk nothing, you can gain nothing! I can't wait until we get some high tunnels
next year that we can double cover crops in and grow well down into the 20's. I dream of the
year round greenhouse... but that may be a couple years yet.... oh... I am rambling. Time for
a few winks.
The CSA year is not over by any means... we still have planty of veggies yet to deliver. The
variety just will perhaps be cut quite a bit, but we will still be delivering into October!
What else can I say but..look at the bright side.... Happy Autumn Everyone! Christmas is just
86 days away!
Blessings!
Peg
Farm 8 AM Frost Update
September 30th, 2009 8:53 am
Good Morning Everyone!
It is a beautiful, crisp and clear morning here on the farm with the sun's brilliant golden light
making everything simply glow... for now.... The fires are still burning, but Pete just shut off
the tractor and blowers. Hopefully all the effort we put forth made a difference for something!
Here is your 8 AM Update. Who would have thought we would hold below 32 degrees for
over NINE hours! Our thermometer here went up to 32.5 shortly before 8:30 and the temps
should continue to rise! We bottomed out between 5:30 and 6:00 am at 26.6 degrees
according to the thermometer in the yard.... a wee bit chilly for most anything in the gardens.
The kale should be happy though as it can withstand temps down to about 10, and actually
increases in flavor after a frost. The evidence of frost on the plants will begin to show as the
day progresses. The leaves most severely frozen will be wilted black blobs and then it will
progress until all the damaged plants will be drooping and wilted. I am worried that it was just
too cold for even the peppers and remaining tomatoes that were covered with sheets and
covers. The hot peppers and a few bell pepper plants were still going strong with a few small
ones still on them. Those last little peppers that were so small to pick could turn to mush as
those coverings will only work for a few degrees. It would be so sad to go to all that work and
still lose all those plants. We should know by early afternoon how they faired.
It will be a sad walk through the gardens because it signals our growing season is nearing
an end. This frost is about a week earlier than average for our area, but freezing temps can
occur as early as the end of August. However sometimes we luck out and do not freeze until
well into October. Usually there is one cold night up front that you have to help the plants
through and then you can get at least another couple weeks of growing season. That's why
we tried so hard to save everything last night as the weather looks like it is good for the next
ten days.
I will send a report later today to let you know how the various crops handled the temps.
Thanks for sharing the night on the farm.
Have a Blessed Day!
Peg
The Day of the Freeze on the Farm UPDATE Sept 30th
September 30th, 2009 1:48pm
Hi Everyone!
Yes, some of you are saying Enough Already with the emails... and still some want to know
more. This is a good educational experience for us all.
At noon here is the prognosis after the Hard Freeze last night. It was a shock to get the
freeze when only a frost was predicted. We give our daughter, the meteorologist, a hard time
about when the weather forecasts get a little off. Usually a couple degrees don't matter, but
when you get around 32... even fractions of a degree and the timing are all important! We
normally are not as cold as the surrounding area, and about a mile to the east in the river
flats they really get cold and are usually about 5 plus degrees cooler than us!
We are only three miles away from a National Weather Service reporting station at the Rush
City Airport. http://forecast.weather.gov We were keeping track from the reports there as
well as on our own thermometers and when we were the lowest they had a spike in temp. I
figured out why by reviewing the history... they had a slight breeze come up from the east
when the temp raised. Wind is very important to stir up the air and not let the cold collect in
one area. But a contributing factor is that about 1/4 mile to the east of the reporting station
are the city sewage lagoons soooooooo that created an inaccurate and unrepresentative
anomaly for the reporting area. Every factor is so important and so interactive in the resulting
weather we get. If you are interested in learning more about how every factor matters,
search the internet for the Butterfly Effect.... it is good food for thought.
Tonight is one of those nights when farmers must have nerves of steel and the will to match.
We have blankets, sheets, fabric yardage, row covers over most of the peppers, eggplants,
and some other tender crops... There are fire piles burning in the main garden to create a
heat shield over the area... mainly all the tomatoes which are the most tender plants. Pete is
running the tractor and a side blower to move the air so the cold will not settle down on the
plants. No idea if any of this will work as it got colder much faster than predicted. We thought
we would have to start up the fires and blower about 4-5:00 am, not at 11 pm. The longer the
temperature is so low the greater risk of danger to the plants. We are now worried about the
crops that can take a bit of cold down to 28 degrees like the greens... winter squashes,
pumpkins can tolerate it that cold but I worry .. They only said frost for our area, not a hard
killing freeze over many hours.... The root crops like the carrots, beets, turnips, onions,
potatoes will all be fine through tonights frost though.
We are watching the dewpoint, as that is an indicator of where the temperature is heading,
and it is dropping steadily. The air temperature cannot get colder than the dewpoint. Quick
weather lesson... when temperature equals dewpoint you get fog... it is forming all over the
area... and here is some quick info about dew and frost thanks to
http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/dew.htm
Dew and Frost
What is dew?
All air contains moisture, which is called water vapour. The moisture in the air close to the
ground comes from the soil and the plants. When air cools during the night, the moisture is in
the morning on grass and hanging from spiders' webs. Dew is dried by the sun's warmth.
What is frost?
When the temperature falls below freezing point, the moisture in the air freezes into ice
crystals and they settle on grass and plants. This is frost.
Frost soon melts and the moisture is dried by the sun.
Frost damages plants because the water inside the cells of a plant also freezes and breaks
the cells' walls. The frozen parts of the plant will die.
We picked as much as we could today and have it in the packing shed, a.k.a. the basement
of the log house. We are planning on a long night ahead... we will do what we can to deny
nature's bid to reclaim the CSAs veggies plants into compost for at least another week!
One nice thing though... there is nothing that compares to a night like this in the country. The
moon is casting a wonderful glow and the stars are glistening overhead. Even with all the
stress that is present tonight, I am reminded of why we live and work where we do. There is
nothing for us that compares to working hand in hand with nature... and yes, sometimes her
hand slaps us down and reminds us who is really in control. But there are other times with
just sheer will power and perhaps some mighty good luck we can hold out to grow yet
another day. I hope tonight is one of those lucky nights :)
Will update you all again later!
Blessings!
Peg
Treasured Haven Farm 4 AM Frost Update
September 30th, 2009 4:42 am
Hi Everyone!
This is an update to last nights midnight status.
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...... well the temps are still dropping and we have at least four more
hours to go before the morning rebound. The usually coldest part of the night has yet to
come. It is not good news as the thermometer here reads 28 and the local NWS readings
say that the temps at the airport here are holding steady at 30 with a dewpoint of 29 but
there is still no wind. Tonight it will be made very clear the importance of a degree or
two...but it is very close to not mattering what, how, or if some plants were covered....
sustained low temps like this will totally take out most tender plants regardless.
valiant effort. We are weary from very little sleep and feeling somewhat defeated, but the mid
This is one of those times when one is humbled in the face of nature but we have put forth a
day will tell the outcome. It is sad to think of the tomato, eggplant, and pepper plants that I
originally started in every corner of the house last spring beofre putting them out in the
greenhouse as crumpled masses of blackened leaves. Perhaps we will be lucky and the
areas closest to the fires will survive. You can feel the warmth there and the draft and smoke
created by them seems to help some, but it will take a miracle to hold off frost for this many
hours. The fires were an idea we got from watching a movie about grape vineyards years
ago. Never know what you can learn from movies....What does it hurt to try?
I am going to try to sleep a bit while Pete keeps an eye on the fires. We will update you
again in the morning as to the outcome. It should be clear by noon what has made it and
what has not. We covered some of the lettuce as well even though it was not suppose to get
so low as to bother that... glad we did!
I hope this helps to let you see into the world of a farmer. Every day we must make
decisions, that in essence to do so, we must have a crystal ball on what the weather will be
like. What will the temps be?... will it rain?... if so, how much? Will it freeze? Will the weather
pattern allow the hay to dry if we cut it now or do we need to wait? Will there be enough
snow cover so the hay doesn't winterkill? Will it freeze and thaw? Will it smother out from an
ice pack? Is it safe to plant the tender plants in the garden in the spring? What are the
odds... it is no wonder why they call farmers the biggest gamblers. So much we can do
nothing about but just plan accordingly and have back up plans. I think it is safe to say our
latest planting of beans that had tiny little beans about 2 inches long are freeze dried out
there, but maybe next time.... Sometimes as a farmer, one must be both fearless and tad bit
crazy! If you risk nothing, you can gain nothing! I can't wait until we get some high tunnels
next year that we can double cover crops in and grow well down into the 20's. I dream of the
year round greenhouse... but that may be a couple years yet.... oh... I am rambling. Time for
a few winks.
The CSA year is not over by any means... we still have planty of veggies yet to deliver. The
variety just will perhaps be cut quite a bit, but we will still be delivering into October!
What else can I say but..look at the bright side.... Happy Autumn Everyone! Christmas is just
86 days away!
Blessings!
Peg
Farm 8 AM Frost Update
September 30th, 2009 8:53 am
Good Morning Everyone!
It is a beautiful, crisp and clear morning here on the farm with the sun's brilliant golden light
making everything simply glow... for now.... The fires are still burning, but Pete just shut off
the tractor and blowers. Hopefully all the effort we put forth made a difference for something!
Here is your 8 AM Update. Who would have thought we would hold below 32 degrees for
over NINE hours! Our thermometer here went up to 32.5 shortly before 8:30 and the temps
should continue to rise! We bottomed out between 5:30 and 6:00 am at 26.6 degrees
according to the thermometer in the yard.... a wee bit chilly for most anything in the gardens.
The kale should be happy though as it can withstand temps down to about 10, and actually
increases in flavor after a frost. The evidence of frost on the plants will begin to show as the
day progresses. The leaves most severely frozen will be wilted black blobs and then it will
progress until all the damaged plants will be drooping and wilted. I am worried that it was just
too cold for even the peppers and remaining tomatoes that were covered with sheets and
covers. The hot peppers and a few bell pepper plants were still going strong with a few small
ones still on them. Those last little peppers that were so small to pick could turn to mush as
those coverings will only work for a few degrees. It would be so sad to go to all that work and
still lose all those plants. We should know by early afternoon how they faired.
It will be a sad walk through the gardens because it signals our growing season is nearing
an end. This frost is about a week earlier than average for our area, but freezing temps can
occur as early as the end of August. However sometimes we luck out and do not freeze until
well into October. Usually there is one cold night up front that you have to help the plants
through and then you can get at least another couple weeks of growing season. That's why
we tried so hard to save everything last night as the weather looks like it is good for the next
ten days.
I will send a report later today to let you know how the various crops handled the temps.
Thanks for sharing the night on the farm.
Have a Blessed Day!
Peg
The Day of the Freeze on the Farm UPDATE Sept 30th
September 30th, 2009 1:48pm
Hi Everyone!
Yes, some of you are saying Enough Already with the emails... and still some want to know
more. This is a good educational experience for us all.
At noon here is the prognosis after the Hard Freeze last night. It was a shock to get the
freeze when only a frost was predicted. We give our daughter, the meteorologist, a hard time
about when the weather forecasts get a little off. Usually a couple degrees don't matter, but
when you get around 32... even fractions of a degree and the timing are all important! We
normally are not as cold as the surrounding area, and about a mile to the east in the river
flats they really get cold and are usually about 5 plus degrees cooler than us!
We are only three miles away from a National Weather Service reporting station at the Rush
City Airport. http://forecast.weather.gov We were keeping track from the reports there as
well as on our own thermometers and when we were the lowest they had a spike in temp. I
figured out why by reviewing the history... they had a slight breeze come up from the east
when the temp raised. Wind is very important to stir up the air and not let the cold collect in
one area. But a contributing factor is that about 1/4 mile to the east of the reporting station
are the city sewage lagoons soooooooo that created an inaccurate and unrepresentative
anomaly for the reporting area. Every factor is so important and so interactive in the resulting
weather we get. If you are interested in learning more about how every factor matters,
search the internet for the Butterfly Effect.... it is good food for thought.