The other day I called Julie Scott, the farm manager at Slough Farm in Edgartown, and caught her just as she was about to get into a truck with a sheep in the back of it.
“Just as a disclaimer, it can be loud,” she warned me.
And it was. The sheep, who was headed to the vet, bleated his way through our entire phone call. I didn’t mind. I was happy to steal a few minutes of Julie’s time, even if our conversation was interrupted by an occasional baaaa or two.
For in August, time is short for Island farmers.
The agricultural season on Martha’s Vineyard is a strange one. Off-Island farmers have an entire season to grow and sell crops, often from April through December, if not year-round. Although we have a relatively mild growing season and could easily produce food year-round, our customer base is really only here in July and August. Essentially, we have two months to make our income for the entire year.
And so, come August, we scramble.
Farmers across the Island are operating in high gear. They are multi-tasking to the max: harvesting crops, moving cattle, keeping records, communicating with customers, paying bills, selling produce, milking cows, pulling weeds, irrigating crops and feeding animals. Sometimes they are even taking phone calls while chauffeuring sheep to the veterinarian’s office.
Farm stands are brimming with customers and crops, and vendors at the West Tisbury Farmer’s Market are selling out of produce, meat, eggs, cheese and flowers. Local meat can be especially challenging to find this time of year. Farmers often slaughter their cows and sheep in the fall in order to avoid feeding them hay all winter. Pigs are susceptible to cold, so often go to slaughter in the fall as well. By August, many of the more popular cuts are gone.
Everything feels a bit more hectic in the heat. Animals and humans struggle in these high temperatures. Crops will suffer, too, if irrigation is inadequate.
Julie Scott has shifted her regular farm day to start as early as possible. She moves her animals daily, rotating her mixed herd (she calls it her “flerd”) of sheep, goats and cows to new pasture. Sometimes the animals need to be loaded into a trailer for the move, which can become dangerously hot if done late in the day. With each rotation, Julie must also set up electric fencing, feed and water. She aims to have all of it done before the heat of the morning has dissipated, leaving the afternoons available to catch up on office work and bookkeeping.
By August, in a dry year, animal farmers often become concerned about finding fresh pasture. No rain means the grass stops growing, so moving animals can become a constant unknown full of questions: “Is it going to rain?” “Is the grass going to grow?” “Where can we move to next?” “Whose pasture can I borrow?” “Do I need to buy hay?” and so on. We were lucky with rainfall this spring, but now we are facing longer stretches between solid soakings.
For vegetable farmers, August means the arrival of the solanaceae crops, like tomatoes and hot and sweet peppers. My field manager, Peter Kirn, appeared from the hoophouse this morning proudly carrying the first of the beautiful yellow and pink Striped German tomatoes. They were bigger than his hand. This spring, we carefully grafted various heirlooms to disease-resistant and vigorous rootstock and, after months of carefully tending to the plants, we are hopeful for a strong harvest.
Farmers have a busy few weeks ahead of them. So if your favorite Island farmer is looking a little harried, forgive them. They’ll perk up again come September. In the meantime, enjoy the bounty.
Lily Walter is the owner of Slip Away Farm on Chappaquiddick.
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