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Harvest Update: Week of July 16th, 2007 By Andrew Spollett Note, click on any of the pictures below for larger images. This week we set up a farm stand at Ambler Farm. Please stop by on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 9-11 AM to buy beautiful, fresh vegetables and flowers. 
 We are happy to report that the plants are growing with vigor: The tomato plants are thriving in the heat of the past 2 weeks. A month ago their survival was in doubt, but our feeding and careful training using stakes have prevailed, and the plants will be productive. The potato plants are flowering, signaling a shift in their energy expenditure from the leaves to the tubers beneath the soil. The cucumbers, summer squash, and green beans will be ready for harvesting soon--all of them are healthy and accelerating their growth. In addition the sunflowers, cosmos, morning glories, and zinnias will be beautiful when they are in full bloom. Young lettuce is being harvested: the mesclun mix consists of baby oak leaf, deer tongue, salad bowl, and romaine varieties. The colors are vibrant, and the leaves are crisp and sweet. The basil has also taken off and will be available in good quantity, along with rosemary and thyme. Russian kale, shelling peas, and radishes will also be at the farm stand this coming week. The raspberries are in their prime; some are larger than thimbles, and the flavor is incomparable. 
 All of the plants are gaining strength as the weather heats up, their leaves growing and roots expanding. As they develop and the garden matures, it becomes apparent that I simply tend to them while they do most of the work, slowly coming to fruition. Let me introduce myself—I am Andrew Spollett. As Susan DiLoreto mentioned in her last harvest report, I am working in the gardens at Ambler Farm this summer. The previous three summers, I served as field crew manager at Morning Glory Farm, a 52- acre crop farm on Martha's Vineyard. My job entailed coordinating the efforts of the field workers. I learned all I know about cultivation from the people I worked with at Morning Glory. More important, I learned what my life's focus would be. This year I decided to work at Ambler Farm primarily because I wanted more input as to what is planted and the methods of horticulture used, and I have enjoyed that opportunity. We have additional help in the garden this summer from a friend of mine--Tony Fox. At this point in the season, our combined effort is greater than the sum of our individual abilities. Today we together reinforced the base of fencing with chicken wire and staked and trellised the tomatoes. 
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