Tonopah Rob's Vegetable Farm

Pictured here is Pete. He’s one of Tonopah Rob’s neighbors. He lives under the oleander bushes next to the Chipper Plot.  The Chipper Plot has been planted with Hawaiian Pink Ginger, Italian Basil and Red Amaranth.  Pete is patiently waiting for the ginger to sprout…..and he’ll continue to patiently wait or Tonopah Rob will have him evicted.

It was November just a few days ago and the farm stand opened for its sixth season and now it’s Easter!!  And four days ago it was 102 degrees on the farm. It’s a crazy weather world. It seems like there are certain months of the growing season where time is on my side and then the days begin to lengthen, daylight comes sooner and shortly thereafter all the winter vegetables bolt, flower and die.  I keep thinking there will be more cold weather ahead allowing a little more time to get transplants into the ground before the temperatures heat up, but not this year.  Where has the time gone?

New Red Potatoes will be ready for the tables this weekend. Come and get’em.

In the near future tomatoes will begin ripening colors of sport car red, fire-ball orange and golden-yellow sun rays.   Goliath bell peppers will change from green to show their stop light colors and beautiful deep purple eggplant dangle on limbs like motionless shadows.  Day by day, little by little the farm has been plowed, tilled and planted with many summer veggies.  Within the next few weeks tender summer squash, potatoes and cucumbers will be ready for harvest.  Sweet potatoes, melons and okra are next on the vegetable list for planting.  Many of the fruit trees are beginning to bend closer to the ground as their branches are becoming heavy with peaches, apples and apricots.  Grape vines have flowered and are now showing great success with hundreds of mini green clusters and soon they too will be ready to eat.  And just think all of this delicious produce is Nature Grown.  No sprays, pesticides, Bt, or chemical fertilizers are ever used on the farm.

The next pull of honey is scheduled for harvest around Mother’s Day.  The bees are very happy and they do a great job on the farm.  I have been on many a bee call and the number of bee hives have increased, 15 hives are busy buzzing around my 9 acre all natural, all fenced in Nature Grown farm.

If you want veggies and eggs for Easter there will be only two locations, Friday at St. Joe’s Hospital and Saturday at the farm stand Tonopah Rob will be selling.  Even though the Goodyear and Anthem markets will be open, Tonopah Rob will not attend those markets.  The Stock Shop Farmers Market will not be open as well. The following week we will attend all locations as usual.

Come out to the farm, take a tour and get your veggies and eggs.  By the way, since it’s Easter weekend eggs will be on sale.  Three dozen chicken eggs for 10.00.

Here’s the veggie list:

• Red Cabbage
• Green Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Brussel’s Sprout
• Assorted Beets
• New Red Potatoes
• Onions
• Fennel
• Fresh Eggs
• Carrots
• Cilantro
• Baby Artichokes
• Spinach
• Hopefully strawberries
• Maybe a few flower bouquets
• A surprise or two
• One broken shovel

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