Farm News – November 6, 2017

Hi Folks!  So, we’ve enjoyed a very mild fall thus far but it seems that is about to end.  We are expecting frost every night this week, and temps are forecast to dip into the teens on Friday night.  This is quite worrisome, as temperatures that low can damage even the hardiest of crops.  We are going to have to harvest a lot of stuff ahead of the deep freeze and cover whatever we can that is left in the field.  

We will be trying to get some Brussel’s sprouts out to some groups this week and to others next week in the final share.  These are tremendously time consuming to harvest; made even harder because the outside leaves are a bit damaged, and my workers have been painstakingly peeling them.  I’m afraid we may need to curtail this endeavor and ask you to pull one or two of the outside leaves off at home if they are not pretty.

We are sending Yacon (pronounced jacone) this week in the premium shares; it is a tuber that is in the sunflower family.  It is native to South America.  I brought some roots back from Colombia a few years ago, and we have been expanding our planting stock.  They look just like sweet potatoes, but are best eaten raw, so don’t confuse them.  They are sweet and juicy and can be chopped up and added to salads.  They are a light orange color and taste a little like carrots.  They keep very well but begin to turn black rather quickly after they are peeled.  At the farmer’s market in the mountains outside Medellin, where I discovered them, they kept the peeled pieces in a glass of water.

The share for this week will be:  Brussel’s sprouts or broccoli, lettuce, peppers, potatoes, onions, cabbage, choice of spinach or chard, sweet potatoes, parsnips, buttercup squash (kabocha), and baby bok choy.  Premium shares will include fennel, yacon, and choice of parsley or cilantro.

Enjoy!  Farmer John