On the Ground
With June temperature highs averaging in the mid-nineties and the latter half of July into early August sustaining 100-plus highs by noon nearly every day, this year has been a test of crop resiliency in an age where the phrase "record heat" seems to be the norm every summer.
I believe the sun has been blessing us with little extra love and in recent weeksI noticed that the 100-plus temperatures have favored Louisiana more than other southern states.
The blistering heat, coupled with minimal summer rainfall had us keeping our eyes peeled for crops that demonstrate resilience in this age of unprecedented global warmth. Black Belt Sticky Rice and Dragon Eyeball, our beloved varieties of black rice, deserve special attention for their abilities to persevere.
The Black Belt Sticky Rice---a variety whose malleability we observed across many farm environments--began flowering in late July, and their purple and reddish hues that emerged during their panicle development, gave us a nod to a promising harvest.
Dragon Eyeball maintained a strong green color since the seedlings emerged
in May. The black pops of color throughout the plants that made themselves
known when the transplants touched the Earth grounded me every time
I passed them by. Still, we are navigating recent insect pressure that is
stripping the ends of the Dragon Eyeball leaves of their hue.
Also in July, we planted six varieties of field peas, three varieties of sesame, and one type of Moringa, to compare their development for future production. I am particularly interested in how the Kurogoma black sesame, along with the Texas Cream 40 field peas that were recommended by Georgia crop and hog farmer Roy Mosley, will perform.
This week we are crimping down a biomass behemoth of 9-feet tall Sunn Hemp that outcompeted almost all weeds--except our dear friend Johnson Grass and some if its companion cover crops--to prepare for our fall planting of root crops, Brassicas and Alliums.
During our second season on this land, as we continue to get familiar with the patterns of all surrounding biology and fortify ourselves during this time of climate extremes, two questions emerge for us: Which crops will survive this heat and how do we build our soil food web for these times, while managing the presence of plants--such as weeds--that we don't intend to grow?
—Myles Gaines, farm manager
