Moon Dog Farms

Certified Naturally Grown family farm growing fruits, vegetables & flowers in the Texas Gulf Coast

MoonDog Farms is dedicated to stewardship of the land, reinforcing a healthy community and producing great food.  

That funny month of September...

A funny month, September.

Farms across the country all find themselves with one foot in Autumn, one foot in Summer, pulling in harvests that straddle the seasons. Farmers in the North are often scrambling to protect their summer bounty from the first freezes, while at the same time we down here on the Gulf have only dreams of Fall to keep us sated for the next 2 months until temperatures finally begin to drop.  

There's a frantic run to tend to your kales and cabbages, dry the garlics, and savor what is both exhausting and exciting about summer. I'm sure I don't speak for myself in saying that September calls for a big, big sigh. It's just for us, that sigh is a long exhale stretching 'till to Halloween. Maybe Thanksgiving. Sometimes Christmas.

Although that isn't to say that we've had nothing but sweltering heat since May. 

Prepping an uncontrollably weedy lettuce bed, perfectly adorned in mosquito net and multiple layers as storms roll in.

This summer, while just as humid as ever, was far more mild than the Texas standard. We've had many days in the 80's and 90's, and we were even blessed with a cool front last weekend. Our harvest Saturday was a cause for joy, and reminded us how fun harvest can be (when you're just hoping to avoid brain meltdown and dodging the mosquito throngs). The farmers' market was downright electric with folks energized by a refreshing Fall-like day.

And then it was back to normal. :) 

Here are some snapshots of the farm pace from the last few weeks--from thunderstorms to spider-watching, it's been as summer as summer can be.  

McFarmer manning the booth at last week's market. Ain't he cute?

It's been so good to have lettuce back again-- we're starting to think we might begin to have lettuce all year with a little luck!

Our favorite customer of the day a few weeks ago, who just couldn't wait to don her Halloween costume, and loved our flower bouquets!

Weeding in the summer always introduces me to a new variety of native plant I'm unfamiliar with. 

Weeding in the summer always introduces me to a new variety of native plant I'm unfamiliar with. 

The hornets' nests seem to fall from the sky this time of year.

The hornets' nests seem to fall from the sky this time of year.

This green spider has eluded identification for me, but I love watching her lounge in the zinnias.

That same green spider with a yellowjacket, snatched from midair.

Cucumber moth caterpillars. They're back. Ugh.

Arigope spiders that have grown to the size of cats in some corners of the farm. Watching them spin their silks is transfixing. Unless you ask McFarmer.

A dark and cloudy afternoon.

This little girl was amazed at the size of one of our Magness pears at Galveston's Own Famers' Market.

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Ice in the camelbacks keep us cool and prevent brain-meltage.

McFarmer indulges an evening photo as he brings in some of the last buckets of okra harvest.

Good night, farm.