Wow, July. You came in loud and left wilder still.

Between the beeyard and the garden, we’ve been buzzing—literally and figuratively. The rain has been generous, the heat relentless, and as a result, everything from the trees to the squash vines has burst with foliage. And now? The flowers and fruits are doing their best to keep up.

One of the brightest surprises this season came from two scrappy red currant bushes we planted during the COVID years. We found them at a local nursery, crossed our fingers, and honestly didn’t expect much. But this year, they delivered. We’ve got a true bounty of red currants, and you better believe they’re being turned into my mom’s all-time favorite: red currant jelly. It’s the kind of preserve that tastes like holidays, and this year, we’ll have plenty for gifting too.

In the veggie patch, cucumbers, zucchinis, and yellow squash are putting on a show. We’re eating as much as we can fresh (our current obsession is tzatziki on everything), and we’re also preserving what we can for those cooler months when fresh feels far away. A family favorite around here is zucchini casserole—think zucchini lasagna without the noodles. It freezes like a dream and is perfect for quick dinners in fall.

Cucumbers have been absolutely prolific. We’ve been slicing them into melon salads, dunking them in homemade ranch, and serving them up every which way. But hey—if you’ve got a favorite cucumber recipe, drop it in the comments! We’re always on the hunt for new ways to use every last one.

The garlic—160 bulbs strong—is harvested, trimmed, and now curing. This year, we ran five varieties, and the results are beautiful. We still have some left from last year, so in the spirit of tradition, we’re stepping into garlic sales. My Ukrainian grandfather used to sell garlic in front of his home. This year, it’s our turn to carry that torch.

And then, there’s the honey. Oh, the honey.

We just wrapped up our spring honey harvest and brought in a total of 1700 pounds. That’s not a typo. Near our yards, we usually get black locust, basswood, and sumac flows. The black locust and basswood are our heavy hitters—so unique and so worth separating when the season allows. But this year, heavy thunderstorms cut the black locust bloom short. So our spring wildflower honey? It’s a gorgeous, complex mix—and we’re not mad about it.

The garden’s wild. The bees are thriving. The pantry’s filling up.

Life on the farm in July? A little chaotic, a lot abundant, and absolutely full of promise.