Cool weather delayed both the growing and the ripening of the watermelons this year, but today we finally pulled in a good sized pile of red seedless watermelon. We also have red watermelon with seeds, and sweet yellow watermelons. They will be available at Farmers’ Markets (Princeton and Peoria on Saturday; Princeton and LaSalle on Tuesday) and at our farm stand.

Today, in Princeton, I will bring the first cantaloupe of the season to market. I will also have blueberries, raspberries, fresh garlic, new potatoes, kohlrabi, broccoli, zucchini, cucumbers, green beans, cabbage, snow peas, dill, Plow Creek Bakery goods, and the first few little tomatoes of the season

The seedless watermelon plants are now up in our greenhouse. Seedless watermelons are strange, unatural kind of things. Seedless watermelons are a triploid plant - they have three sets of chromsomes. They are created by crossing a more standard diploid (2 sets of chromosomes) watermelon with a a tetraploid plant (having four sets of chromosomes), which itself was created by another crossing of two diploid plants. The seedless watermelon seeds are hard to germinate, needing special care for humidity and temperature. You have to plant a normal seeded watermelon to fertilize the seedless watermelon flowers so that they will produce fruit. That fruit will have few seeds, mostly soft and white that you can hardly notice when you eat. It’s convenient not to have to spit out seeds, but sometimes I wonder at the bother we go to for convenience! I even think the seeded watermelons have better flavor.

Red raspberries have finally arrived in good quantity. You may pick them up Blueberry Hill and by the yellow Raspberry Shed by our Market Barn. Yesterday we picked over 600 watermelon: traditional red with seeds, red seedless, and small sweet yellow watermelons. Great for your Labor Day picnic. Both watermelon and raspberries will be available in good quantity at the Princeton and Peoria Farmers’ markets.

We now have large quantities of delicious sweet cantaloupe. Wholesale quantity pricing available.

Saturday morning, raspberries will be plentiful at the Princeton Farmer’s Market, Peoria Riverfront Market and Sterling Market. At Princeton and Peoria, you can also find a good supply of watermelon, green beans and eggplant. Tomatoes and herbs will be available to the early shoppers.

Fall Red Raspberry season is underway, and you can find a good supply at Valley Flowers in Spring Valley Thursday from 8AM to 2PM. Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Muskmelon, Bread, Cookies and Watermelon (5 varieties) will also be on display.

Back at the farm, Raspberry U-Pick will be open Thursday from 8AM to 8PM.

Yesterday we harvested about 75 watermelon, including Red Seedless, Yellow and Sugar Baby (a very sweet red variety with a solid, dark green shell). They are delicious! Find yours today at Valley Flowers in Spring Valley, on Saturday at the Princeton or Peoria market, or 6 days a week at our Market Barn.

August 10th update: the accompanying photo shows an additional 250 watermelons which were harvested on Friday.

Plow Creek tomatoes and melons make another extra appearance at Valley Flowers on Monday from 8:30 to 2:00. A good sampling of other vegetables will also be present.

Note that our shade tent and tables are now less visible, since the city of Spring Valley has required us to set up in the parking lot rather than the sidewalk.

Know your tomatoes Thursday at Valley Flowers!  The tomatoes will put on a show from 8:30AM - 1PM.  Stop by to view our seven different home-grown varieties: Sunshine and Daybreak red slicers, Orange Blossom yellow slicers, Plum Crimson romas, Washington and Be My Baby cherries, and Brandywine, a large heirloom variety.

We also plan to bring a good supply of sweet corn (Lancelot, one of our favorite varieties), along with cantaloupe, sweet onions, garlic, new potatoes, green and yellow beans, and an increasingly colorful selection of peppers: green, red, yellow, jalapeno, banana and “chocolate.”  Berries are in short supply, but early arrivals may find some blueberries and blackberries.

Bread and cookies from Plow Creek Bakery will also join the party.

Come find your Plow Creek Produce safely sheltered under our new tent Thursday morning at Valley Flowers in Spring Valley from 8AM to 2PM, rain or shine.  You can find blueberries, red raspberries, tomatoes (cherry and full size), cantaloupe, onions, potatoes, garlic, kale, cucumbers, zucchini, and green and yellow wax beans. We will also have Plow Creek Bakery goods.

Sorry, we are between plantings of sweet corn, but expect more next week.

It’s beginning to look a lot like summer here at Plow Creek Farm. Stop by Valley Flowers in Spring Valley Thursday 8:30AM - 1PM to select your favorite colors and flavors: Blueberries, Red Raspberries, Blackberries, Sweet Corn, Cherry Tomatoes, Cantaloupe, Green Beans, Peas, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Lettuce, Potatoes, Garlic, Herbs and lots of other veggies. Plus, Bread and Cookies from Plow Creek Bakery.