Aftereffects

The drought is dead, long live the drought.   Although there is plenty of moisture in the soil now and more on the way, the cruel truth is for many growers and crops it was too late to make a difference.  Cabbage growers are saying the crop is stunted and will not make a real crop.  Late plantings of many vegetables were so stressed earlier in the season they will never make up the lost days.  Many corn growers are baling the crop or making silage instead of harvesting a very reduced grain crop.  Soybean fields have turned yellow and are dropping their leaves and it doesn't look like much of a crop from the road.  In the home garden it is still too early to tell what will happen with some crops.  I still have hopes for the cauliflower and sweet potatoes.  The late crop of plum tomatoes look good, although too late for the farmer's market and too late for home sauce making.   My fennel is gone to seed and the leeks are infested with a borer.  But the late beets and carrots are excellent.  It's a mixed bag, but probably as good as can be expected with the weather cards we were dealt.