Farm News – July 2, 2015

Hi Folks,

So I’ve heard of racing against the sun but out here on the farm we’ve been racing against the rain. The ground barely dries out enough to work when in rolls the next storm. On Saturday we started earlier than usual and were able to get an acre field ready for planting winter squash and pumpkins. A steady drizzle began and by the time I rode out on my seeding tractor it was too muddy to plant. We received a little more than an inch and a half of precipitation over the weekend and if it doesn’t rain on Tuesday we will be able to plant by Wednesday.

We are still heavy on greens. There is nice tatsoi and broccoli raab and arugula as well, although the arugula is a bit ugly thanks to a pernicious pest called the flea beetle that have been riddling it with holes. It also starts to get very strong and spicy as the plants get older. We will send it as an extra this week for those who love it and don’t mind the bite and the holes. The spinach crop if winding down now until the fall; we will offer it as a choice with Swiss chard. We also have an overabundance of lettuce, so you will receive 2 heads this week. Enjoy some big salads or give some away to friends or family. Broccoli is beginning to come in heavy now so groups that did not get it last week should find it in their share this time. We always try to send broccoli leaf when is in good condition. It is super nutritious, almost equal to kale and for me more palatable. It makes a wonderful base for cream of broccoli soup or can be used just the same as kale.

Cauliflower and cucumbers are also beginning to mature. We will distribute these as availability allows and those who miss out this week will receive them next week. The beets are still a bit small because they are a little crowded, but we need to start harvesting them to thin out the rows. We will be shipping baby beets as a choice with turnips, so if you really want the beets you should try to get to the pickup early. We will have enough beets for all soon; carrots are coming soon as well. We still have lots of dill and cilantro and it is beginning to flower so it will be ruined. We also have parsley, summer savory and sweet marjoram which need to be cut. We will send the latter as a choice and the some of the dill and cilantro (un-bunched) as an extra.

The share for this week will be: Lettuce (2), broccoli or kale, summer squash, choice of tatsoi or broccoli raab, peas (English or sugar snap), choice of spinach or chard, cauliflower (some groups), choice of beets or turnips, cucumbers (some groups) and choice of parsley, marjoram or savory.

Enjoy!
Farmer John