I just spent seven days among the wild grape vines dancing with a chain saw and fertilizing ancient fields with liberal amounts of money and so - coincidentaly - can report on the state of the Edisto Island tomato crop. The state of the crop is there ain’t one this year. The farmers might plant some soy beans because they can do most of the work with machinery. Vegetables take hand labor and there isn’t any certainty this year that there will be any. Much of the large scale tomato planting has moved to Mexico and further south.  Several large growers in Florida have closed down or moved. As a result I was able to procure a quantity of tomato stakes to use as deer fencing for my pea field.

Being the agricultural neophyte I am, I hired a long time farmer, actually two brothers, to plant my field with iron clay peas. These peas are also known as field peas, cow peas or just plain peas. They are good for restoring nitrogen and other organic matter to the soil and if the deer can be discouraged enough to allow the plants to grow a bit before being deer mowed they will also shade out most of the weeds – if they get a good enough start. We planted them in mid May in anticipation of westward moving rain storms which drifted north and missed us. Without the rain they may not get the jump on the weeds they need to be an effective herbicidal agent, but will still be very attractive to the ruminants when they start coming up. 

We are trying to discourage the deer by using an organic repellent. This repellent consists mostly of putrified egg solids and several herbal oils as well as some vinegar and water.  It is applied to a ¾” reusable nylon tape that it stretched from stake to stake for a little over a mile surrounding the two fields. It must be reapplied at least every thirty days.  We might spread something called Milorganite around the edges of the fields. This is reputed to be offensive to deer as it is made of sterilized sewage sludge from Millwaukee. Many growers swear by it, but it is not certified for organic growing. Another time tested deer thwarting measure consists of planting a lot of peas. If we can limit the deer onslaught for 60 days they can then be allowed into the fields and even though they will do substantial damage, the plants will survive and make peas.

Deer don’t like the actual peas so much as the bean sprout leaves. Once the plants grow to a certain size they can survive the feeding deer. The deer will be less interested as the leaves become less appealing with growth. Deer like their greens young.

If it doesn’t rain soon we won’t need to worry so much about the deer as the weeds will have the advantage and will outgrow the peas. The deer don’t eat much in the way of weeds and the extra effort to find the pea plants is nothing to them if the weeds get up first. In the best of all possible worlds there will be adequate rain soon, the repellent will stall the deer for awhile until enough seedlings get out of the ground to make shade and grow enough that the deer don’t eat all of them. Then, the plants and seeds will become green manure and we will plant another cover crop this fall. The deer will eventually get into the fields no matter what so it’s all a gamble.

If it all works out, we might even harvest some of the peas. We won’t do a full scale harvesting because there isn't enough money in it to justify it and there are many rules and sorting requirements to be met in order to sell them. If we harvest any of them, however, and don’t use them to replant, here’s what we might do with them. Field peas have a strong flavor all by themselves and they cook up nicely with just water. If you wanted to get a little fancier you could add a little chopped onion and a smoked ham hock or smoked bacon.  Herbs like oregano and thyme work nicely as with almost any bean and garlic won’t do any harm although it is somewhat alien to traditional field peas. These are tiny beans and cook quickly, especially when fresh. They can be dried on the plant or harvested green and dried - or frozen.

It will eventually be August 15th at which time we are allowed to start harvesting the deer which have been feeding on the peas.  That’s food, too – but for another time.