Summer at Honeydew Farm: Flowers, New Arrivals & Farm Life
- Honeydew Farm
- Jul 23
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 2
Some weeks on the farm seem to bring something new in every direction.
This week included the success of our Pop-Up Floral Experience, two new piglets arriving at the farm, a friendly kitten named Wildflower, growing chickens enjoying fresh grass, and the beginning of garlic harvest. In between it all, we continued gathering flowers, zucchini, cucumbers, and peppers for another busy week at the farmers markets.
Summer at Honeydew Farm is rarely focused on just one kind of work. One moment may be spent arranging flowers, while the next is devoted to caring for animals, checking crops, preparing for market, or beginning a new seasonal project.
It has been an exciting week, and we are glad to share it with you.
Flowers, Creativity & Community
One of the highlights of the week was our Pop-Up Floral Experience at Kelly’s Cottage Garden.
Amber especially enjoyed watching everyone design their bouquets. Although participants were working with many of the same seasonal flowers, every finished arrangement reflected a completely different sense of color, balance, and creativity.
The class was filled with flowers, conversation, and plenty of beautiful bouquets to take home. Seeing everyone’s finished designs together was a wonderful reminder of how differently the same collection of blooms can be interpreted.
Thank you to everyone who joined us and to Kelly’s Cottage Garden for hosting the event. We truly enjoyed sharing Honeydew Farm flowers with all of you.
Summer at Honeydew Farm Is Full of New Life
Meet Wildflower, one of Rhubarb’s kittens.
Wildflower is healthy, friendly, and already comfortable exploring the farm. She has quickly become one of the newest little personalities around Honeydew Farm and seems very interested in whatever is happening nearby.
She was not the only new arrival this week. We also brought home two young piglets from another farm. They do not have names yet, but they are beginning to settle into their new surroundings.
These are feeder pigs that we will raise as part of the food we produce for our family. Caring for them is another part of the full cycle of farm life and the responsibility that comes with raising animals well.
Growing on Fresh Grass
The chickens continue to grow and are enjoying life in the chicken tractor.
The movable structure gives them access to fresh grass while keeping them protected. As the chicken tractor moves across the pasture, they receive a new area to scratch, forage, and explore.
They have grown considerably, and it has been encouraging to see them active and enjoying the fresh grass.
Garlic Harvest Begins
The garlic is ready, and we are beginning to dig the bulbs from the ground.
The crop looks healthy, but harvesting is only the first step. The garlic will need time to dry and cure before it can be stored and planted again in September.
This year’s garlic will not be available for sale. Instead, we are using it to build up our planting stock so we can continue expanding the crop in future seasons.
We will share more about the drying, curing, and replanting process as the season continues.
Kids Day at the Park Rapids Farmers Market
This Saturday is Kids Day at the Park Rapids Farmers Market, and we are excited to be part of it.
Many of the market vendors will have free giveaways or activities for children. At the Honeydew Farm booth, we will be offering a free Kids Bouquet Bar where children can choose five fresh flowers and create a small bouquet of their own
while supplies last.
We will also have plenty of fresh flower bouquets available for anyone hoping to take home more of the season’s color.
Bring the family, explore the market, and stop by the Honeydew Farm booth to create
something special.
From the Honeydew Farm Table
Summer Zucchini and Pepper Skillet
Fresh zucchini and peppers make an easy summer side dish that comes together in one pan. Serve it alongside grilled meat, spoon it over rice, toss it with pasta, or enjoy it on its own with a little Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
2 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 Hungarian Hot Wax pepper or jalapeño, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or basil
Optional: grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Wash and prepare the zucchini, onion, and pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the onion and sliced pepper. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the zucchini, garlic, salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Cook for another 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is tender but still holds its shape.
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the fresh herbs.
Top with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired, and serve warm.
Honeydew Farm Tip
Zucchini cooks quickly and can become soft if it stays in the skillet too long. Remove it from the heat while it still has a slight bite so it keeps its texture and fresh summer flavor.
What’s Available This Week
Plenty of fresh flower bouquets
Pickling cucumbers
Zucchini
Hungarian Hot Wax peppers
Jalapeño peppers
Sugar Rush Peach peppers
Honeydew Farm merchandise
Looking Ahead
The garlic will begin curing, the chickens will continue growing on fresh grass, and our newest animals will have more time to settle into life on the farm.
The zucchini, pickling cucumbers, peppers, and flower fields continue to provide plenty to harvest, while other summer crops keep moving closer to readiness.
As the season continues, we look forward to sharing more harvest news, animal updates, market moments, and everyday life from Honeydew Farm.
Visit Us This Week
Thursday | 9 AM–1 PM
Saturday | 9 AM–1 PM
Near the music tent, across from Thielen Motors
Saturday is Kids Day at the Park Rapids Farmers Market. Stop by the Honeydew Farm booth for our free Kids Bouquet Bar while supplies last.
Thank you for supporting local farms, local food, and local flowers.
We hope to see you at market.
Alex & AmberHoneydew Farm
Want to Know More About How We Grow?
Visit the Farm Journal for seasonal updates, harvest news, recipes, and life on the farm.
Bring a Little Honeydew Home
The farm does not stop at the market table.
Our collection of Honeydew Farm apparel, tote bags, mugs, and other farm-inspired goods celebrates the beauty of rural life and the changing seasons. While we bring a small selection to market each week, our full collection is always available online.
Whether you are shopping for yourself or looking for a thoughtful gift, every purchase helps support what we are building here at Honeydew Farm.
I love this newsletter - and how do you have the time, with all the other tasks the farm requires? The newsletter is delightful, so visually pleasing, personal, and well written. And I learn something new every time it appears.
Thank you for your efforts in creating and sharing it.
Ellen Tomson-Moylan