Dear Farm Community -

You know what they say….. you win some, you lose some. Farming is both an abundant and joyous endeavor that makes you marvel at the ability of nature to provide…. and a terribly disappointing one where you suffer losses and failures over and over. It just comes with the territory. We’ve taken a couple L’s this year and we’re coming to terms with a pretty big one: our dahlia crop has failed. A year’s worth of efforts crop planning, mapping, storing, dividing, labeling, digging, planting, covering, staking, mulching, corralling, fertilizing, and then…. Drought plus unrelenting heat over the summer months. We can see the places where we could have done things differently (or places where we did do things differently and could have stuck with tried-and-true). One biggie is the depth that we planted them. We normally dig all of our trenches for bulbs and tubers by hand. For our dahlia field that’s 17 rows at 100ft long each. This year in an attempt to be kinder to our bodies we tried a new tractor-reliant method that just didn’t give the amount of nuance we needed. We speculate the tubers were too close to the surface and, lacking the insulation of enough soil, they cooked under the summer sun. However, many other flower farmers in the Southeast faced the same problem with their dahlias this summer, and many had similar outcomes. While it makes us feel a little better knowing we’re not alone, it’s still a bummer! With another season under our belts and valuable lessons learned, we’ll try again next year. We do have some small plants that are survivors, and we’re caring for them with all the love and attention they deserve so that in the late fall we can dig them up, separate out the tubers, and try again next year. Check out what we’re talking about with this side-by-side of the dahlia field this year vs last year around the same time:

Worry not, though. We still have so many beautiful flowers in bloom right now and throughout the fall. Mexican Sage just made its seasonal debut at markets, our abundant eucalyptus plants have been adding a soft and fragrant touch to our arrangements, and marigolds continue to thrive. Gomphrena, zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers, and more are all doing well too :) Our mum plants are looking unbelievably healthy and lush and we’re hoping for some big beautiful harvests when their bloom time comes. Even without our beloved dahlias, this fall is going to be quite beautiful.

As we look ahead into the chillier months, one way we keep our floral spirits nourished and busy is by drying our fresh flowers in the warm months and creating dried floral arrangements during the slow season. Last year we had a huuuuge selection of beautiful dried wreaths at market and by the end of the winter we were completely sold out! We are very excited to bring you a fun, creative, hands-on opportunity to learn how to make one of these beautiful wreaths. Our lead flower farmer, Alex, will be hosting a 2-hour wreath-making workshop on Saturday, October 19th at Bishop Park! All materials will be provided for you and are sourced directly from our farm - dried flowers, grapevine, greenery, and more. Last year we had a blast making these with the folks who signed up and everybody went home with really lovely wreaths. We hope you’ll join us and make a festive decoration you’ll enjoy for years to come!

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Let’s get cookin’ with our CSA shares this week! As the weather gets chillier it begs the question… when does soup season start?? If you want to get an early start, try out this Sweet Potato Soup from Love & Lemons that incorporates lots of cozy flavors like apple and smoked paprika. You could also head the mediterranean route and make a personal favorite… use the tomatoes, bell peppers, and summer squash in your share for this Traditional Spanish Pisto. Think of it as the Spanish version of a ratatouille - lots of bright, fresh, and savory flavors. And yes, lots of olive oil :) Hope these recipes help you get a jump start on soup season!

Happy eating ~
Diamond Hill Farmers

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