September 2026 Update

Posted on September 29, 2026 by Dave @ HappyAcres

It’s hard for me to believe, but September is almost over, and it’s time for another harvest update from Happy Acres. Our harvests are slowing down now, and I’m not really unhappy about that! I have been busy now for months hauling in produce and preserving it for later use. It has been a good season here for vegetables, and I have harvested just over 400 pounds so far. Compared to last year’s total of 293 pounds, that is indeed a good amount. I still have to dig the sweet potatoes sometime before frost, which should add to the totals as well.

early September harvest

The winter squashes have done quite well this year, and we have been enjoying them often with our meals. One variety I’m growing for the first time is a dumpling squash called Honey Bun. The fruits have been averaging just under one pound each for me, and the flesh is sweet and tasty. Like delicata squashes, the skin is tender and edible. I have been cutting these into slices and roasting them like I do the delicata squashes.

Honey Bun squash

The pole beans are doing better then they did last year, though not as well as they do most years. I believe the hot weather we’ve been having in late summer has not helped them any. We have been enjoying them for fresh eating, and I have frozen a lot of them for use later in soups and side dishes. I am growing all heirloom varieties that have strings and great flavor, so the yield is usually a bit less than it would be with more modern varieties.

heirloom pole beans

We have also been keeping well supplied with eggplant this year. The small-fruited ones I plant in containers did quite well early on, and then the in-ground plantings started producing in early August. I’ve gotten over 20 pounds so far, which is a lot for just the two of us! That said, we do love our eggplant and we have enjoyed eating it.

mid September harvest

I did a recap on tomatoes last month, but I want to mention one more I forgot to include. Cherry Bomb is my favorite red cherry tomato, and it has been a stellar performer here this year. The fruits are sweet and great for fresh eating, cooking and even for dehydrating.

Cherry Bomb tomatoes

It has been a great year here so far for both the sweet peppers and the hot ones. Cornito Rosso is one of my favorite sweet varieties, and it usually well for me.  Pick-N-Pop Yellow is a 2025 AAS winner that has been a prolific producer this year. It has mini peppers with a light yellow color and crisp flesh and makes a nice addition to the lineup of peppers.

Cornito Rosso pepper

Pick-N-Pop peppers

As for the hot peppers, San Joaquin and Flaming Flare are two AAS Winners that have kept us well supplied, and I have been turning both into hot sauces. I’ll try and include more info on the hot peppers I’m growing in my October update.

assorted hot peppers

San Joaquin peppers

Here in late September, the tomatoes are pretty well done for but I am still harvesting peppers, eggplant and beans. The big winter squash is a mature Centercut, and we use these neck pumpkins for pies and other dessert creations.

late September harvest

That’s about all I have for now. I hope you have enjoyed this update, and I’ll be back soon with more happenings from Happy Acres!

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It’s Tomato Season!

Posted on August 20, 2026 by Dave @ HappyAcres

The tomatoes have been rolling in here lately, and I thought I would share pics and details of what I have been harvesting. I have been busy turning them into sauce, and my wife and I made a batch of ketchup a couple of weeks ago. We have also been eating them fresh at every occasion. I’ve harvested a little over 100 pounds so far, and it is looking to be a pretty good year for them, at least in yield.

early August tomatoes

homemade ketchup jars

The taste of the tomatoes this year is quite variable though. Last year, Harvest Moon was outstanding in taste tests. This year is it pretty bland tasting. It’s lovely, but that’s about all it’s got going for it.

Harvest Moon tomato

Black Angel has been quite variable too, with some tastier than others. It has yielded well though, which is a plus. The jury is still out on whether it will be back next year or not.

Black Angel tomato

Garden Treasure remains a favorite of both my wife and I, and it has not disappointed us this year. The fruits are large and well shaped, and the flavor has a good mix of sweet/acid that I love in a tomato.

Garden Treasure tomato

Purple Zebra is another favorite of mine, and it has done well this year. The fruits are medium sized, and have a good flavor.

Purple Zebra tomatoes

Chef’s Choice Purple and Chef’s Choice Orange are my two favorite varieties of the Chef’s Choice series. They have been quite prolific, and tasty as well.

Chef’s Choice Purple tomato

Chef’s Choice Orange tomato

I grew Beefy Purple last year, and while it was not one of my favorites I decided I would give it another try this year. It has not impressed me again! While pretty to look at, it doesn’t have the rich taste I prefer and get from other varieties. It will not be back next year.

Beefy Purple tomato

Pink Delicious is an AAS Winner I’ve grown since it was released back in 2022. The fruits are large, though sometimes irregular shaped, and tasty. It was also one of the first big ones to ripen this year, which is another bonus.

Pink Delicious tomato

And speaking of Winners, Badabing is a 2026 AAS Winner that has done extremely well here in its first outing. It’s listed as a large cherry that is ‘almost cocktail’ sized, and that describes the ones that I’ve harvested. It was bred by the same folks that gave us Purple Zebra (and Beefy Purple), and it has earned a place in the 2027 garden for sure. I used some of these in a gnocchi dish I made earlier this month, and they added a lovely flavor and color.

Badabing tomatoes

Crispy Gnocchi with Burst Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Sweet Prince is a variety from Row 7 Seeds that I am growing for the first time this year. It is a versatile tomato, good both for fresh use and for cooking. They have fairly thick skins that have resisted splitting, and an almost crunchy texture I find quite pleasant when eaten raw. It has made a good addition to the lineup of small-fruited tomatoes, and I plan on growing it again.

Sweet Prince tomatoes

Another one I’m growing for the first time is Bellini. It is in-between cherry and cluster tomato size, with bright orange skin and flesh. It has a great flavor, much like Chef’s Choice Orange, except in a smaller package. I plan to grow it again too.

Bellini tomatoes

This year I decided to try Better Boy Plus instead of my long-time favorite, the original Better Boy hybrid tomato. What a disappointment! They have not done well here at all, and I’ll go back to the original next year.

Better Boy Plus tomato

I’ll close my tomato review on a positive note. Last year I had great results with two new varieties (Queen Bee and Honey Bee) bred by Johnny’s Selected Seeds in collaboration with the late Fred Hempel (Artisan Seeds) . Both are pink and yellow striped and late-blight resistant, and they have done quite well again this year. I can see them being on the permanent tomato lineup here going forward.

Honey Bee and Queen Bee Tomatoes

I hope you have enjoyed this update on our tomato crop this year, and I’ll be back soon with more happenings from Happy Acres!

 

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July 2026 Update

Posted on July 26, 2026 by Dave @ HappyAcres

July is almost over, and it’s time for another harvest update from Happy Acres. Our harvests are in full swing now, and it’s keeping me busy bringing them in and preserving them. It has been a good year for cabbage here, and I have brought in over 20 pounds in total. I’ve made a lot of sauerkraut, and I pulled the last cabbage plant in Mid-July which we used for fresh eating. It’s also been a great year for the container eggplant, and we have enjoyed it for many a meal. The in-ground plantings will begin bearing soon, so we should have plenty to eat for some time to come.

early July harvest

It’s also looking to be a good year for the cucurbits – the summer squashes and the cucumbers in particular. I have the cucumbers growing in the greenhouse where they usually keep producing until early August. We’ve enjoyed eating most of the squashes, plus I’ve frozen some and given a few away to friends. One new favorite is a hybrid white pattypan called Moonbeam. It is tasty when cooked and it has been productive for me as well. It has certainly earned a spot in our future plantings.

July harvest

Moonbeam squash

Another new plant I’m growing this year is an AAS Winner called Murasaki Fioretto 70. It’s a sprouting cauliflower with a bright purple color and is quite tasty. The flavor is a bit hard to describe – not exactly a cauliflower and not exactly a broccoli either, but delicious all the same. My wife and I both enjoyed eating it and I’ll be growing this one again for sure.

Cauliflower Murasaki Fioretto 70

top of Murasaki Fioretto 70

The harvests in late July have become quite varied, with squashes, cucumbers, tomatoes and a few hot peppers making an appearance. It’s nice to have a variety of homegrown goodies to choose from when planning our meals. I baked one of the Goldilocks orange acorn squashes last week, and it was tasty as usual.

late July harvest

The summer lettuce is still keeping us supplied for salads. It’s not as pristine looking as that grown in cool weather but we are enjoying it. And on the positive side, it’s not giving us cryptosporiasis either! That’s one big bonus of growing your own food as far as I’m concerned. You know where it’s been and who has been handling it.

summer lettuce

I always look forward to tomato season, and ours are beginning to come on strong now. I’m getting a nice selection of small ones as well as the big slicers. I love tomatoes and nothing beats a ripe homegrown one in my opinion. Pink Delicious was one of the first slicing types to ripen this year, and it’s an AAS Winner I’ve grown since it was released a few years back.

late July tomato harvest

Pink Delicious tomato

There’s always new tomato varieties to try, and this year I’m trialing several. Mimosa is an orange grape tomato that has been early to fruit and prolific so far. It’s a colorful addition to our mix for sure.

Mimosa tomatoes

Honey Bee is one I grew last year along with the slightly larger Queen Bee. They were bred by Johnny’s Selected Seeds in collaboration with the late Fred Hempel (Artisan Seeds) . Both are pink and yellow striped and late-blight resistant, and quite tasty. We loved them last year and I have no doubt we will enjoy them as much this year too!

Honey Bee tomatoes

The lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes are joining up for our July salads. I can afford to use the veggies liberally when they are plentiful as they are now!

salad with homegrown goodies

In non-harvest news, we have quite a few of the hardy hibiscus blooming now. The blooms only last for a day, but new ones come on to put on a show that lasts for many weeks.

Luna White hibiscus

Midnight Marvel hibiscus

Peppermint Flare hibiscus

And last but definitely not least, my wife planted Becky Shasta Daisies around our mailbox back in late May. They are blooming now, and quite lovely to see when we go to get the mail or pull in or out of our driveway. They will only continue to get more beautiful as time goes on.

Becky daisies

closeup of Becky daisy

I hope you have enjoyed this update, and I’ll be back soon with more happenings from Happy Acres!

 

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June 2026 Update

Posted on June 26, 2026 by Dave @ HappyAcres

It’s time for another harvest update from Happy Acres. The month of June is almost over, and our harvests are slowly but surely picking up now. Speaking of slow, first I will mention our blueberries. We’ve had these bushes for several years now and lost over half of them over the years. We’ve just got a few berries this year, but we have enjoyed them when we had them.

blueberry harvest

The lettuce harvests have not disappointed though, and we have been well supplied for months now. Bergam’s Green is a green leaf lettuce that always does well for me in cooler weather. I’ve been planting more heat-resistant varieties lately like Cherokee, Muir and Tehama and these should be ready for cutting soon.

lettuce Bergam’s Green

The squash and eggplant are starting to come in now, and are a welcome addition to our diet. The Green Machine zucchini and yellow Tempest are two of my favorites and were early to produce this year.

first summer squash

mid-June harvest

Recently I used one of the zucchini and one of the yellow squashes to make Baked Ziti & Summer Veggies, along with mushrooms and a bit of onion and tomato. Riccotta and mozzarella cheeses and an egg hold everything together, and lots of fresh basil from our garden gives it a lovely flavor. The leftovers are tasty too, and this is one way we enjoy using our summer squashes.

baked ziti casserole

I’ve got Fairy Tale eggplant growing in containers, along with Gretel and Icicle. The Fairy Tale has been the first to give us a harvest, and we roasted some of these to go on an eggplant sandwich we enjoyed for lunch one day this week.

Fairy Tale eggplant

eggplant sandwich

I’ve been hauling in kohlrabi since early in the month.  I set out about 30 plants in a bed behind the greenhouse, and this year I’m growing Beas, Terek, Konstance and Kolibri. We have been enjoying these smaller ones for fresh use, and fermenting the larger Kossak variety I have planted in the main vegetable garden. I’ve hauled in over 20 pounds of them already, so it looks to be a good year for them.

early kohlrabi

Kossak kohlrabi

Also looking good are the cabbage plants, and I cut the first head this week for fresh use. Quick Start seems to be aptly named, since it was the first to head up for me this year. This one weighed a bit over two pounds, and we cooked it up as a side dish one night for dinner.

cabbage Quick Start

I also cut a bigger head of Green Presto this week, and this head weighed just shy of three pounds. I will use it to make a jar of sauerkraut. I set out ten cabbage plants this year, and we should have plenty for fresh use and fermenting.

Green Presto cabbage

I hope you have enjoyed this update, and I’ll be back soon with more happenings from Happy Acres!

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Mid-June Garden Update Part 2

Posted on June 18, 2026 by Dave @ HappyAcres

I’m back today with part 2 of the update on the vegetable garden here at Happy Acres. One of the last things I always get planted are the sweet potatoes, and this year I got them in on June 4th. I set out the usual varieties – 29 slips in all, planted in a ridge I made of loose soil. I grow the slips myself from the the previous year’s harvest, and pot them up so they get off to a good start in the garden. I’m mulching them with cardboard and shredded pepper, which helps keep down the weeds and conserve soil moisture.

row of sweet potatoes

sweet potato plant

One of the first things I got planted outside this year were the container eggplants. I’m growing Fairy Tale, Gretel and Icicle again this year, and all are AAS Winners that do quite well for me in containers. I sow these seeds earlier than the main crop varieties, and potted them up outside in mid-April when danger of frost had passed.

container eggplants

blooms on Fairy Tale eggplant

Those plants have already rewarded us with the first eggplants, and should keep us well supplied until the main crop varieties start producing.

Fairy Tale eggplants

I’ve also got a few hot peppers growing in containers, mostly test varieties but also a few tried and true favorites. Like the eggplants, they give me a jump on the season until the in-ground plantings begin bearing.

container peppers

One of the latest things I planted was some heat-tolerant lettuce in the cold frame bed behind our greenhouse. So far I have Cherokee and Tehama planted, and I have seedlings of a few others to go in when space is available. Last year we had lettuce throughout much of the summer months and I hope to repeat that again this year.

heat tolerant lettuce plants

And in another bed behind the greenhouse the kohlrabi I set out in late April is sizing up and ready for harvest. I set out 30 plants, so that should keep us supplied for quite a bit!

kohlrabi plants

kohlrabi harvest

I hope you have enjoyed this tour of the garden here in June, and I will be back soon with more happenings from Happy Acres!

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