Tuesday, June 15, 2010

In the Share - Week 6


Cherry tomatoes reaching for the sky (look, they're already taller than our silo!)

STRAWBERRIES (F/P) Last week of these beauties - 1 pint for everyone
CARROTS(F/P) First week for these. We keep their tops on for looks, but you should cut the tops off them when you get them home for best keeping.
LETTUCE (F) Just enough for the full shares this week. The last of the spring varieties until a few crunchier summer heads make their appearance.
HAKUREI TURNIPS (F) The best turnips ever just keep giving. The second spring planting is kicking in right now - order extra off the bulk list if you can't get enough of them.
KOHLRABI OR BEETS (F/P) Partial shares get a choice that includes the Hakureis.
GREEN ONIONS (F/P) The onions are still green and growing, but we like to pull a few while they are still green and fresh.
CHOICE OF STIRFRY GREEN: (F/P) Bok Choi, Tat Soi, or Komatsuna. The komatsuna is a crunchier version of the asian green variety. Chop up the stems in a salad and they remind you of celery. Also good in stirfry like it's cousins, bok and tat.
SUGAR SNAP PEAS (F) The peas are slowly ripening. This week we think there's only enough for the full shares, but it's hard to say until we pick them tomorrow.
HERB CHOICE (F/P) Fennel, tarragon or summer savory.


ALSO THIS WEEK: Parker Farms delivery

NEXT WEEK: More peas, turnips and komatsuna. A return of the kale/chard choice. New will be cabbage and summer squash.



The last days of spring find the farm crew busy juggling the many jobs that the season brings. On Friday we turned our attention to the compost pile.



Emily turns the pile while Matt screens the finished compost


All of the trimmings and discarded vegetable matter from the washing area along with leftover plants from the greenhouse and the farmer's household kitchen scraps goes into the three-bin system. The first bin takes the fresh stuff, layered with a generous amount of leaves. Once the first bin is full it is forked into the second bin, that action adding the oxygen it needs to get cooking. By the time we fork it into the third bin it is close to done. Given a little time and a final screening it is ready to grow new plants in the fall greenhouse.

Yes, it is time for the fall greenhouse. This is the time of year when all three seasons: spring, summer and fall are calling for our attention. Do we weed the onions today? Or should we tie up the tomatoes? Or plant the fall broccoli? We've managed to do all three this week, although there are still alot of onions to weed! We'll be getting to them with whatever time we have with the membership this week after the harvesting is done.

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