What an exciting weekend at Lucky Badger Farms as timely rains and warm temperatures have coaxed this year’s fledgling catnip crop from the black soil of southern Iowa.

We’ve had the good fortune to avoid torrential downpours that dumped as much as five inches of rain on other parts of southern and central Iowa. We empathize with those farmers who will be forced to replant corn and soybean crops washed away by flooding.

On a brighter note, our first seeds, sown during the May 9 weekend, have produced robust little catnip plants that now stand two to three inches tall.  Plants in the area planted over the Memorial Day weekend have just broken the surface. Bright green clusters brim with optimism for a promising late-summer harvest.

Our third section was planted over the weekend and also appears poised for strong growth.

We expect to plant the remainder of this year’s crop before the week is out, covering a total of 1.7 acres. The 2012 crop will cover the same space before an expected expansion to nearly seven acres at the start of 2013.

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