We are on the cusp of super abundance. Several crops are so close to being ready. The beans should be ready for a quick pick on Friday so there should be enough for next week when we pick again. Sweet onions will be ready next week as well. We’ve been spot digging potatoes to see what’s coming down the pike. It looks like classic red will be the next type to make an appearance.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
carrots
French crisp or romaine lettuce
summer squash
cilantro or dill
pickling cucumbers
beets or chard
new potatoes - “Bintje”
sungolds-some small shares (they are making the rotation)
kohlrabi - half of small shares

ELABORATIONS:
Everything should be familiar by now, but I do want to mention the pickling cucumbers. They are actually quite delicious as a salad cucumber. Peeling is optional in my opinion. Very occasionally they can be bitter, so taste them before committing them to a dish. They remind me of shishito peppers in that way. Every once in a while, you get a hot one, but there is no way to tell until you bite into it.

WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE FARM THESE DAYS?
Weeding, weeding, harvesting, weeding, irrigation, weeding, transplanting, weeding, weeding, seeding, weeding…you get the idea. Since we don’t use chemicals to kill weeds, we have to find other ways to deal with them. Our first line of defense is our old 1940’’s cultivating tractor, that allows us to weed the paths and between the rows in the bed. We also have more heavy duty path tilling attachment for especially gnarly paths. For larger crops and/or plants with more space between, we can use a long handled hoe. For crops like beets, carrots, herbs, and onions we can only use our fingers. This time of year is hard to find enough time to devote to weeding since we are still transplanting and seeding, the harvest load is increasing, and there is just so much to weed! Right now the fields are at their fullest. This year seems especially challenging to keep up on it. That heat spell really did a number on us. It was an unfortunate combination of perfect conditions for exponential weed growth and inhospitable working conditions for the crew. Plus, the bigger we let the weeds get, the longer it takes to weed a bed. I feel like we are making some good headway so far this week. Several crops have been rescued, so that feels really good. As we till in expired crops and harvested beds it’ll look and feel a little better. Check out some weeding pics at the end of this newsletter.

Other than the weed situation, so far the season is going well. The crops look great and are loaded with future yumminess. The crew is stellar. They are hard working and are genuinely lovely people. It’s been heartwarming to watch this group of strangers form friendships over the past few months. It is always a wonderful thing when you truly enjoy your co-workers. Farming is hard work and can be tiring and uncomfortable. It helps to have good conversation and camaraderie to help make the day more pleasant.

Enjoy your veggies!
Jen

Kat liberating the tomatoes.

The parsnips have been saved! Purslane be damned!

CSA Newsletter - Summer - Week 5 - 2021