We’ve opened the farm stand for the season (open now through October).
The tomatoes are starting to come in as well as the corn. It’s not as bountiful yet as the picture from last year, but we do have cherry tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, sweet onions, and potatoes with more variety in the weeks to come.
The stand is open 7 days a week and self-serve at the end of our driveway on the farm.
Every year we generally see the same kinds of bugs, however, every year brings new variations and the 2011 season is no different.
The big change this season that I have never seen before is grubworms in the potatoes. Yes, the same ugly white grubs that you may find in your sod when you tear up your lawn. A potato or two may have gotten past me and into your box where a crater is eaten into the side…that’s the grub’s signature handiwork. My neighbor of 70-plus years has never seen this, so it makes me wonder what’s going on. Is it just the hot soil temps which cause them to thrive?
The potato bugs are worse than usual, but cucumber beetles are just not to be seen. This is a situation I can live with since the cucumber beetles are very tough on a large family of produce from melons to winter squash. Slugs, on the other hand, have been taking their toll. It’s strange though, since this is the first year I’ve ever seen them. They messed with the strawberry crop a bit and I see them in the tomatoes too, but nothing we can’t manage. I hope it stays that way.
News: We’ll be hosting a work day for members this Sunday afternoon (anytime between 1-4 – weather permitting). This is by no means mandatory, but a chance to visit the farm and get your hands dirty. Come if you can.
In the Box:
Purple pepper: always the first pepper for some reason.
Sweet corn: not a dozen yet, but it was typical “hunt and peck” exercise when a crop first comes in. I always think there’s more there than there actually is.
Cherry tomatoes: most are an orange variety I really like called “sungold,” but there are also some Isis ans traditional red cherry tomatoes in the mix too.
Cilantro
Parsley
Cucumbers
Yukon potatoes
Red onions
This is always a gear-changing time of the produce season. We’re really done with the early season stuff, but the high season crops like tomatoes, melons, and sweet corn haven’t come in yet. That’s why this week’s produce box is a bit tough to fill. I found myself scrounging around for the last of the broccoli and when I went out to pull in the Japanese eggplant, I only found 10 on the plants…bummer.
Still, it’s also an good housecleaning moment on the farm. I’m going to take out the flail mower this weekend and mow all those areas where the early crops grew. The stawberry patch looks like a small jungle and the spinach area is a solid mass of pigweed…things are ugly and need to go. They also allow us the room to squeeze in some fall crops like fall cabbage and broccoli. Also another set of greens and spinach and a big area for fall carrots (I’ve been talking about planting this for the last 2 weeks, but, like raising the debt ceiling, I NEED to get it done) 🙂
In the box:
Sweet Onions
Grenoble Green beans
Fresh basil
Red Potatoes
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Red Kale or Swiss Chard
Broccoli
Cilantro
Wow…the weather over the last couple of weeks has been crazy. I remember saying to myself about three weeks ago, “Hey, things are looking pretty good and the weeds are pretty much under control.” But that was before we hit this stretch of heat, rain, and evening temperatures in the 80’s. This cocktail of elements made for a garden explosion where small weeds turned into small trees and produce popped up over night.
This sounds like I good thing. I would agree it’s great for those heat-loving plants like melons, tomatoes, and corn. However, it does throw off the plan for the season. I’ve had the second planting of beans I put in three weeks after the first catch up and start putting on beans at the same time. That wasn’t supposed to happen. We had our second planting of lettuce go from beautiful to all bitter and bolting over the course of three days. Lastly, I’m used to spacing out pickings of zucchini and cucumbers every 3-4 days, but when I tried this last week, little zucchini turned into baseball bats in about 36 hours. Yikes.
Still lots to do. We’re trying to get the tomato trellis up, get fall cole crops, carrots, and other greens planted, all the while rescuing plants that currently buried under 2 foot-high pigweed or lamb’s quarters. Overwhelming, yes, but a situation we’ve found ourselves in the past. We always seem to pull out of it.
In the box:
Fennel: The bulb with the frilly frawns on top which smells like licorice.
Dill: Exhibit one of a crop which got overwhelmed by the fast growing weeds. It isn’t as pretty as it should be, but it should work. I planned it to be delivered with the first potatoes.
Flat-leaf parsley
Norland Potatoes: I like this fresh potatoes, which you can tell are fresh by their tender skins which rubs off easily.
Broccoli
Cabbage: Mostly standard green Stonehead, but some of you received Alcosa, a wrinkly Savoy cabbage variety.
Green Onions
Fresh Garlic: Uncured garlic which is a bit stronger than cured garlic, but also with a fresh, bright flavor. Use as you would any garlic.
Cukes
Summer Squash
Green Beans
This morning I was out picking peas as a front came in. The bright sunny morning turned into night-time just before the clouds unloaded on me. It made me think about how much we’re “locked in” this time of year…all year ’round really. Although picking peas in the rain isn’t ideal…the boxes need to go out by the afternoon no matter what. Looking to next week, it seems like we’re in for a hot one. NOAA weather even has this new picture I’ve never seen before of this blazing sun (left). It’ll be interesting.
In the box:
Deep Purple Scallions: A different color from your typical green onions, but the same flavor.
Gonzales Green Cabbage
A mix of Cucumbers: They are first starting to come in, so there’s a motley mix. Some are squat pickling cucumbers, some are the first regular slicing cucumbers, and the smooth-skinned ones are a Middle-Eastern variety called Socrates.
Zucchini: Everyone has a standard zuke called Cashflow, and most should also have a round zuke called 8-Ball. Otherwise you got a yellow straightneck.
Salad Mix: Sorry for the over abundance of lettuce, but this stuff needed to be cut or it would all go bad.
Red Oakleaf Lettuce
Romaine Lettuce
Frisee: The really frilly green which is typically found in a salad mix.
Snap Peas: These are edible pods peas, so don’t shell them…just eat them.
Red Rubin Basil: Use the same as you would regular green basil.
“Green” Garlic: This is fresh garlic so it’s not dried down or cured yet. You use the same way as any garlic….it’s just a bit stronger flavor.
Lida Farm 