Carrots

The season is quickly winding down. As I write this we are sitting inside eagerly anticipating the big frost. Will it come tomorrow? Who knows. I hope so because there is so much to do and so little time left, so if we can stop harvesting our ground crops, that would be a big time saver.

Last week was our last Wednesday (Main St) and Thursday (Granville Island) markets. Nadja, who does the drive everyweek, was happy to learn that she would not have to go back mid-week again for the season. We have two more weekend markets, and then the summer season is over.

So how does the farm maintain its cashflow in the winter? Luckily Vancouver has a winter farmers' market every Saturday and Klippers Organics is a major presence at this market. After one week break, the winter market will start up the first weekend in November.

Though we have been harvesting carrots all summer long, these will be one of the main winter crops for sale. The carrots will remain in the ground and we will cover them to protect from frost damage. The cool weather will also sweeten up the crop.

I really enjoy harvesting carrots, because you never kow what you are going to pull out of the ground. Will they be orange, white, red or purple carrots? Will they be small or large? Will they have any parculiar growth formations because of other elements in the soil?

It has been particularly apparent that our rainbow carrots have thrived in our soil. They are significantly larger than the orange carrots, so much so that it seems challenging to even sell the massive carrots.

Another favourite are kissing carrots - these are when tow carrots, for whatever reason, intertwine themselves and look like they are in an intense embrace. This one was particularly unusual.