WVU Organic Research Project

Project Update (8/20/01)

Back to School

• Fall classes begin at WVU today. Many of our summer student workers and interns are leaving the field for the classroom, after a summer full of farming and research. Thanks for all the hard work! 

What's ripe? 

• Zucchini -- harvest is declining because of bacterial wilt, transmitted by cucumber beetles
• Pumpkins -- also affected by bacterial wilt, but we should have some good jack-o-lantern material
• Basil -- doing very well
• Tomatoes -- three studies incorporate tomatoes, so we have more ripe tomatoes than we can keep up with. We're looking into processing possibilities. Available by the bushel for all the canners and sauce makers out there.
• Peppers -- beautiful green peppers abound. 

 

 

Buy our produce at the Mountain People's Market, the Saturday Market on High St., select local restaurants, and the Thursday ice cream sales at the back loading dock of the agriculture building.

Critter counts.

• Cross striped cabbageworms have turned the upper Brussels sprout leaves to lace over the past two weeks.
• Early blight continues to spread slowly through most of the tomatoes. 
• Ground hogs have developed a taste for our ripe tomatoes. Electric fencing does not appear to deter them. Visiting a friend's garden recently, I was impressed by the effectiveness of chicken wire fences. Maybe next year...

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