It’s almost mid-July, a time when Islanders should be enjoying summer. That usually includes long lazy days at the beach, fresh strawberries and sunshine. So far there’s been little sun and few beach days. There’s some fresh strawberries in the store but many are still in the fields.
While the wet rainy weather is a nuisance for anyone on vacation or wanting to enjoy the outdoors, to farmers it’s much more than that. Soggy fields are causing concerns for potato farmers and they are on the lookout for blight.
Late June and early July is haying time in Prince Edward Island but this year farmers are behind schedule. Much of the hay is still in the fields and can’t be harvested until it’s dry. Other crops are also in danger of being ruined if the sun doesn’t soon shine.
Strawberry season is usually well underway by now but rain has kept pickers out of the field and berries need sunshine to be at their best.
Tourists aren’t exactly flocking to the Island during these days of rain and thunderstorms but no doubt they will come when the weather improves. Farms crops ruined by bad weather, however, will not produce a high yield.
So while we moan about the weather because we can’t go to the beach, get a sun tan or bring in the hay, we need to remember there’s another part of the country suffering a drought. Would we really want to be facing their situation?
Maybe it’s time to just buy a raincoat and take whatever weather we get with a smile. It’s just another thing we have no control over. That’s something farmers have come to realize and while they worry when the weather doesn’t cooperate they know there is not a thing that can be done about it.

Buy Local

Last summer’s local Farmer’s Market was a great success with upwards of 300 customers showing up every week to take advantage of the fresh goods offered for sale by local business people.
Starting out the local vendors weren’t sure what the response would be from the public but they quickly learned there was a market for fresh home grown vegetables, meat, bread, jam and preserves. Every Saturday morning customers made their way to Bloomfield to see what was being offered for the week and it became somewhat of a tradition for many to take in the Bloomfield Farmer’s Market.
Last week the market opened for the second season and the local community was showing their support. Increasingly consumers want to know where their food is being produced and how it is grown. They want to know what it’s being fed and how it’s being prepared for market. When you visit the local market you can get all those questions answered because the person doing the selling is the individual who planted the crops and brought them to the market. Farmers who raise their own pork can tell you exactly what you’ll be eating for dinner when you purchase their products. You’ll know where your food was grown, what it was fed and you can be sure that it’s fresh.
Check them out in Bloomfield on Saturday morning. Go early and enjoy fresh sausage and breakfast on a bun from their barbecue. You can get great food, chat with your neighbours and friends and enjoy a little socializing all at the same time.