In the Share - Week 7

flowers from the u-pick patch

SUGARSNAP PEAS (F/P) The peas are more plentiful this week. We are hoping for at least a half pound per share if the heat doesn't kill them first.

SUMMER SQUASH (F/P) The first flush off of our first planting.

CABBAGE (F/P) The petite spring versions. Just enough for a nice bowl of slaw.

KOMATSUNA (F/P) The last of the spring stir-fry greens. We talked about it last week. Suprisingly crisp.

HAKUREI TURNIPS (F) The last of these big boys until fall.

BROCCOLI OR CUCUMBERS (F) The last crazy heads of spring broccoli accompanying the first of the cucumbers. These cukes are the pickling variety (they happen to be ripening first), but they're great fresh also.

HERB CHOICE (F/P) Basil, Summer Savory or Parsley

ALSO THIS WEEK: Bread of Life Bakery delivery

NEXT WEEK: More summer squash, cucumbers and peas. Beets and Carrots. Summer lettuce.

Summer is officially here and it sure feels like it. We welcome the long-awaited heat that our plants have been craving. Our first plantings of summer squash, cucumbers and tomatoes were all struggling for the past month shivering under their row covers. While the heat has finally arrived those crops will never be the same. The plants are smaller than they should be and the cucumbers especially are very slow to make fruit. Due to this the shares may be lighter for a few weeks until our second plantings come on.

transplanting

The heat has also allowed the soil to dry enough for us to plant. Today we caught up on some planting that had been delayed due to the wet weather of the last few weeks. For the occasion we took out our fancy new transplanter and got busy. In a few hours we had planted all of the sweet potatoes (600 feet) and 400 feet of melons. It was pretty darn pleasant for a 95 degree afternoon. Most of the jobs required one to sit. The plants had it pretty easy too, each one received a nice drink of water from the tank.

The u-pick flower garden is officially open starting this week. The perennial flowers, yarrow, phlox, echinacea, are in full bloom. The annual flowers are just beginning, but there's enough snapdragons and bachelor buttons to make nice bouquets. All members are encouraged to pick from the flower patch when they visit the farm. The more it is picked, the more it will flower, so don't be shy.