Update on my garden

When I planted pole beans this year I staggered the planting so we would have a steady flow of green beans during the summer. Our first planting began producing beans at the end of last week and we have already enjoyed two quarts of delicious and tender beans. The other plantings are catching up and should keep us in the beans through most of August.

We'll be digging up some of our red potatoes this week and I'm interested to see how those did. Our onions are ready for picking any time we need one. We've also been getting a couple of cucumbers every other day or so to add to our homemade sweet pickle brine.

Not much rain has fallen here lately (per usual during this part of the summer) so the sprinkler has been running every day. Earlier in the spring our tomatoes were looking a bit yellow and sickly so I gave them a few doses of compost tea and they not only bounced back, but they look bigger and better too.

Michigan sweet corn crop is looking mighty tasty

Michigan has been blessed with just the right amount of rain for most areas where sweet corn is being grown. It looks to be a much better crop than last year's which saw too much dry weather in most of Michigan to produce a good crop. I've had a meal of Michigan sweet corn and have been anticipating more, but we got that corn from the other side of the state. The sweet corn here in Southwest Michigan looks like it is just now ripening up. I can't wait.

Of course, everything is costing more this year than last so look for retail prices on sweet corn to be around $4 per dozen. Shop local at roadside stands and farmers markets to keep money in your community and state. We get our sweet corn at Hubbard's Corey Lake Orchard (out near Corey Lake of course) or Brad's Strawberry Farm in Constantine.

Quick Tip Ask the vendor if the corn was picked the day you are buying it. If it is (and is should be for best flavor and texture) then make sure you husk it and cook it that same day. The sweet corn loses it's sugar (the sugar breaks down) over time which also means it loses its flavor.

Read an article on Michigan Sweet Corn at the Detroit Free Press

If you can't stand the heat

Go North! To Michigan's Upper Peninsula to be exact. Here's a quick glance around at some of today's temps in the U.P. -

Marquette - 76 Escanaba - 75 Sault Ste. Marie - 78 Paradise - 72

Versus a smattering of some Lower Peninsula temps -

Detroit - 90 Grand Rapids - 90 White Pigeon - 88 Traverse City - 86

Not sure what to do when you go Up North to Michigan's U.P.? Check out Hunt's Guide to Michigan's Upper Peninsula for a ton of great ideas and off the beaten path adventures.

Stay Cool :)

Video of Tiger Stadium Demolition

I found this video of Tiger Stadium's demolition on YouTube this afternoon. I don't mean to be so heavy these days on the demolition of Tiger Stadium, but it's not everyday that a historic Michigan structure with so many fans is ripped down.

This was recorded by someone from www.BuildingsofDetroit.com.