The weather has certainly kept us on our toes this week. Between the dry conditions and nearly constant wind, farming has felt like one big game of irrigation Tetris. Every day is a puzzle of moving pipes, checking water lines, and making sure each crop gets the moisture it needs. While we’d certainly welcome a good soaking rain, the crops are hanging in there and continuing to move toward harvest.
One crop that benefited from a little extra patience is the cabbage. Last week we weren’t sure whether it would make it into the shares, but giving it an additional week in the field made all the difference. The heads have sized up nicely enough and are ready for harvest this week.
We’re also excited to welcome two new crops to the CSA shares: cucumbers and carrots! There is something special about the first cucumbers of the season, and the carrots are looking beautiful as well. We hope you enjoy both of these summer favorites. Look for these unique Silver Slicer cucumbers as well as the traditional green heirloom Marketmore cucumbers as your options.
And as we welcome Summer officially in with the Solstice, we’re saying goodbye to Lettuce, Broccoli and Cauliflower for a while. This will likely be the last week for these spring crops before they take a break during the heat of summer. We’ll look forward to seeing them return again in the fall.
The pea harvest continues to be strong, and we’ll have both sugar snap peas and shell peas available this week. If you’ve never compared them side by side, this is a great opportunity. Sugar snaps are sweet and crunchy enough to enjoy right out of the field, while shell peas reward a little extra effort with those classic tender peas tucked inside the pods.
We’re also excited to announce that the Pick your own Fava Beans row is now open for business! It will be well marked with it’s own sign and is located just above the tomato cages in the middle of the pick your own garden.
Looking ahead, we’re getting excited about what’s coming next. New potatoes are sizing up underground, and the tomatillos are beginning to develop nicely. As for tomatoes, farmhand Noah has confidently predicted that we’ll have our first ripe cherry tomatoes by July 4th. Time will tell whether his prediction holds true, but we’ll all be rooting for him.
Fresh meat, eggs, mushrooms, cheese, honey, maple syrup and yogurt continue to be available. Be sure to check the farm store while you’re picking up your share.
Thank you for supporting local agriculture and sharing another week of the growing season with us. We look forward to seeing everyone at pickup!