CSA week 2

I walk the fence line by the road, following it as it runs the length of the field. It takes a sharp left, entering the tree line, and I slow down looking for weak points. The double electric strands sit high, and just beyond them, a 7ft mesh fence runs from tree to tree. I step carefully over twigs studying the leaf litter looking for impressions of hoof prints on the earth. As I follow the fence down towards the pond, I imagine I am the deer. My feet picking over rocks, I stick my nose forward and wonder if I can somehow step gracefully between the two electric lines and then duck under the mesh without getting a shock on my rear. I think no. I continue down the line, bending down, looking longingly at the soy beans just beyond the fence begging me to taste them. When I reach the water. I stop. The fence continues into the water about 15 feet, but I don’t like the suction of the mud up my legs, I’m worried I might get stuck. I cant get in.

Except a deer was getting in. As the garden has expanded we have modified our fencing set up a bit, using the existing permanent fence that runs along the road and field, augmented in the summer with a single electric line, adding depth as a deterrent rather than height. Deer like horses and other prey animals with side eyes have poor depth perception. We use to fence tight to the gardens but last year decided to follow the permanent fencing around and continue straight into the pond, using the water as a natural barrier. We noticed a single set of hoof prints last year in the farthest area of the garden. The deer wasn’t doing any damage but the thought of it our there in our garden drove me crazy. We caught it on camera multiple times, and Kyle and I even sat out one evening getting eaten by mosquitos trying to see where and how it was getting in. I set up a tent, thinking Id sleep out there with Homer one night and sneak attack it, but the thought of a poor nights sleep kept me from following through with this idea.

Anyway, the season passed and we took the fence down for the winter. This year, same set up. Sure enough, a few weeks ago, tracks started to appear in that far garden corner again, and this time nibbling off the tops of our edamame bean rows. I walked the fence dozens of times, modifying it slightly, convinced there was no way to jump, go under, or through without being tangled in an electrical nightmare. A nagging thought became louder in my head. I texted my neighbor who hunts “Do deer swim?”. Reply “Yup”. We borrowed two game cameras and set them up at different points, one facing into the water where the fence ends. Sure enough the next morning when we went to review the footage, there was the deer, eyes glowing in the dark walking easily out into the water, and then 22 minutes later back out and around to leave.

That Sunday was an unplanned work day. We took down the fence into the water and went back to our old system of fencing out the entire field with a row of double strands and then one in front. It took all day. Cameras have been up for a couple of weeks now, just to see what we see, and no new hoof prints have appeared.

In the share:

• Baby Beets

• Summer Crisp Lettuce

• Sora Radishes

• Red Russian Kale

• Green Onions

• Sugar Snap Peas

• Zucchini/Summer Squash

• Sungolds

Summer Salad

Ingredients

• 4 cups julienned zucchini

• 4 cups julienned yellow squash

• 2 cups sliced radishes

• 1 cup canola oil

• 1/3 cup cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon dill weed

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl, toss the zucchini, squash and radishes. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients. Pour over vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. If desired, top with additional snipped fresh parsley.