Dear Gardeners,
The toads have been all over the gardens, happy with the rain. We welcome them since they eat insects and don't harm the plants. The rains have also really helped the crops and the weeds get going. It seems I can see growth overnight. Lots of lettuce, kale and radishes look ready to eat.
We are getting to the point where we need to be on the lookout for Colorado potato beetles. These pests really eat a lot of foliage and are destructive of potatoes as well as eggplants and other crops. You should inspect the underneath of potato leaves for masses of golden eggs (these can be brushed off and crushed) and later some clay-colored larva (these eat the most) that can be drowned in a small container of soapy water or crushed. Adults are beetles striped with yellow/black. We can spray an organically approved Bt spray but need to time it well so scouting for the right time is important. Hand removal is most useful and can occur even when conditions are not right for our spraying.  Let me know if you see larvae and your plot numbers. Pictures and more information are available here:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/colorado-potato-beetles/
I also wanted to let you know a little about garden finances. The University provides the land and some services, but the gardens are mainly run from the plot fees. We have three part-time employees, a registrar (me)  and two field staff (Will and Dave), but the total of all our hours of paid employment is less than a half-time position. We buy and repair the carts and tools, deal with the plot assignments and fees, run workdays and keep the plumbing running and deal with individual issues as best we can. Please understand that our paid time is very limited and many things go on that require our labor. Our garden co-chairs are volunteers along with a number of roles that committee members fill and volunteer coordinators for workshops, Share the Bounty food pantry program and coffee recycling. We couldn't survive without many volunteers who make the gardens run. Please consider volunteering to keep these gardens a vital place.
Now is a great time to get in the last of the summer vegetables. We shouldn't have any danger of frost and the squash and beans are coming up all over the gardens and tomatoes, peppers and eggplants settling in. You can plant multiple plantings of bush beans to have a more regular supply and planting a little cilantro every 10 days or so will keep you in fresh salsa all summer. Plant a few flowers for the pollinators and enjoy the blossoms as you work.
Gretel, Garden Registrar