Farm News – June 29, 2026

Hi Everyone! In my last update I mentioned we were receiving some much-needed rain. Well, be careful what you wish for, as the old maxim says. We had two and a half inches fall that night and then another inch and a half from two other storms last week. This is more than we would like, but we take what we can get and fortunately it came without any damaging winds or hail. There are several drawbacks to excessive precipitation, one is that we are unable to cultivate the crops, and the weeds grow like, well weeds. The second is that our planting schedule is delayed, because we are unable to prepare the beds. Working the ground when it is soggy does great damage to the soil structure.

Our next challenge, of course, is the imminent heat wave (#4, but who’s counting!). The extreme temperatures will be hard on my crew and damaging to the more tender crops. Peas, spinach, lettuce and the brassica crops all prefer cool weather. We are in the process of harvesting as much of the spinach as possible to hold it in cold storage for next week. The broccoli is beginning to head up and we will need to cut it while the florets are still somewhat small. It will be in the shares, as availability allows, over the next 2 weeks. We are still heavy on the greens, but that is about to change.

The share will be: Swiss chard, lettuce, spinach, summer squash, peas (sugar snap or snow), fresh garlic, baby beets, Napa cabbage, broccoli (for some groups) and choice of an herb (cilantro, dill, garlic chives).  Premium shares will also include escarole or frisée.

 The mushrooms will be oysters this week.  No fruit or flowers.

Enjoy! Farmer John