Stunted Beets, Handsome Fennel, Squishing Beetles

Our beets seem to be stunted despite having been thinned quite aggressively.  Could be some sort of nutrient imbalance in the soil -- perhaps an excess of phosphorus?  Will have to monitor future beds to see if the issue is persistent. 

Our fennel, on the other hand, is growing handsomely.  We’ve been selling it as baby fennel to get another crop in the ground more quickly.

Almost overnight the farm has been overrun with potato beetles.  They are thick on the potatoes and the eggplant.  They must have remembered our potato crop from last year.  Squishing the beetles by hand is now a daily chore.  The  beetlejuice easily squirts 5 feet in the air and is leaving permanent, orange stains on our clothes.

— Robin Hackett, Farm Manager