Farm News – September 9, 2019
Hello Everyone! It was a good week of weather here on the farm; just a small amount of precipitation and perfect temperatures. It is getting a bit chilly at night as autumn begins to move in. One major benefit of the cool nights is that it prompts one of our most pernicious pests, the flea beetle, to move underground in preparation for their long winter sleep. We can now grow arugula and other mustard greens without having them riddled with tiny holes!
As we move into the second half of the season, the mustard family will begin to play an important role in the shares. Mustards include arugula and broccoli raab but also radishes, turnips, and the brassicas – broccoli, cabbage, kale, etc. This week there will be four representatives from this group. Very soon we will have broccoli again, and next week, salad turnips. This week it’s radishes, and I will mention once again that these can be cooked; in soups or stir fries and will lose their bite prepared this way.
The Brussel sprouts are still many weeks away, but the plants look good and I am optimistic for a good crop this season. In the meantime, the warm weather crops continue to abound – with the exception of the tomatoes which, to my great dismay, have become somewhat scarce. We will try to send everyone a few more in rotation over the next few weeks. We have lots of corn and beans and still a good supply of beautiful colored peppers. Cukes and zukes are making a minor comeback – some will receive one and some the other this round.
The share for this week will be: Lettuce, kale, green cabbage, radishes, peppers, beans, sweet corn garlic, summer squash or cucumbers. Premium members will receive a choice of arugula or bok choy.
The fruit share for this week will be: Sweetie apples and nectarines.
Enjoy! Farmer John
