Summer Experience Program: Monday, August 1st, 2011

      Today we harvested, blanched and bagged summer squash for freezing as we do every day. Even though we are getting tired of squash, we know that we will be grateful for it later. The freezer is really filling up! We also harvested cucumbers and tomatoes - and finished the second half of the row of basil that we worked on last week. It took most of us over two hours to strip the basil off the stems and bag them for the freezer. Mitchell dragged the hose out and watered the raspberries which don't seem to be doing well due to the lack of rain. We made raspberry jam and boy does it taste good!
      We were visited by the Wiedmann family today plus my daughter Raina. Claire, Jason, Lucas, Anna, Mark and Raina helped by watering the "third grade garden" where we have cucumbers, parsley and strawberries. Jason was in third grade last year so he remembered eating those strawberries with yogurt on the last day of gardening class. Then they helped to collect calendula flowers and put them in the jar of olive oil that is then warmed by the sun. The warmth of the sun infuses the healing essences of the calendula into the oil, which can then be made into a healing calendula cream.
      Wednesday will be a special day because we will be harvesting honey!! If anyone reading this blog would like to come and help, we are starting at 8:15 am. Please feel free to join us. It is fun, educational and tasty!