CSA Week 3
Last week the greenhouse was almost entirely emptied, for a brief moment. It has since been refilled with fresh trays of fall crops. On Thursday evening, we relished in the finality of the “big plantings” for the season having made it to the field. By big plantings, I am thinking of alliums, nightshades, & winter squash. The crops that are placed in warm soil for the length of the growing season. The crops that, unlike a lettuce head, there is one chance to plant. A butternut squash matures in approximately 100 days. I seeded onions, shallots, & leeks at the end of February, finishing the task a few days before my due date. If all goes well, the season’s yield will be harvested when we have a 6 month old. Tomatoes are hip height & setting fruit. Hopefully they reach far beyond my head before losing steam.
Farming offers this intense looking forward while simultaneously noticing current realities. I think & write of this confusing sense of time passing often because it helps me maintain hope. In September of last year, we had a devastating winter squash harvest. The deer had eaten the blooms, the woodchucks & rabbits ate the fresh sets of fruit, the weeds got out of hand. To date, it was the farm’s largest crop failure. Because farming is the daily tending to of crop needs, I find it can be incredibly hard to disentangle loss with personal responsibility. But in reality it is a moment to learn & for forgiveness. The weeds got out of hand because we had not budgeted for the landscape fabric necessary for suppressing weeds & because my first trimester was a tizzy. We were new to growing on the field they were planted (we lease a second field nearby), so animal pressure was an incorrect projection. A cause for a deep, deep sigh.
This season the butternuts, acorns, delicatas, honeynuts, autumn frosts, & kabochas are nested inside our home field’s deer fence. Brian is finishing the task of laying fabric as I type this. The plants have been well irrigated, so despite the heat, they stand tall. The crew of us have been beaming about the changes made. I have been daydreaming of the harvest, just as fall begins to set in, but before the first frost. In September the morning dew is a greeting. A chill at sunrise, a great contrast to the conditions that encourage today’s growth. The plants become a web of vines, passing leaves, ripened fruit that will be shared around dinner tables into the new year. There is so much that could go right. So I attune my devotion to the possibility.
Upcoming Workshops!
It has been a minute since we’ve hosted a workshop! And wow these ones are going to be lovely. We are excited to be partnering with Studio Bolt & Oracle Ferments to offer a Fermentation Workshop & a Kids Dye Workshop on the farm!
Message Studio Bolt on Instagram in order to reserve your spot :)
Learn a new skill & enjoy the farm’s bounty! Fermentation is a world of wonder & possibility. Message Oracle Ferments on Instagram in order to reserve your spot!
EBT ONLINE IS UP! Tell your friends!
Finally! CSA shares can now be paid for online with a Bridge Card! Weekly payments are now so very simple & shares are subsidized by 80% ……. so standard $35 shares are just $7. Incredible.
We are so excited about this offering, but since the process to become certified for online sales took longer than expected, we haven’t been able to spread the word until very recently. If you know a friend, loved one, acquaintance that may be interested in a CSA share we’d love for you to let them know!
More information & checkout can be found here.
CSA Harvest Week 3
This is our best guess of what will be in your share! Harvest list subject to changes :)
~ Spring Mix
~ Kale or chard
~ Kohlrabi
~ Pea shoots
~ Carrots
~ Radish
~ Turnip
~ Garlic scapes
See this newsletter for tips on veggie storage!
Recipes Ideas
Kohlrabi fritters - my bestie & I ate kohlrabi fritters with an herby spring salad this past week. It is one of my favorite meals & go-to recommendations!
Ways to use pea shoots - personally I use pea shoots as an adornment to toast, eggs, slaws, pastas, bean salads, etc! A world of possibility.
Carrot salad with cumin & coriander
Turnip salad with yogurt, herbs, & poppy seeds
As always, feel free to reach out with questions / comments.
Mik