In the Share - Week 12

TOMATOES (F/P) Hope you all are ready for more tomatoes because we have quite a few yet. If they are piling up on you, pop them in the freezer for a wintery day.

CHERRY TOMATOES (F) Hope you all are enjoying the cherries. Partial shares will get them next week.

POTATOES (F/P) Most likely Desiree, a pink-skinned, yellow-fleshed potato. We will dig them tomorrow morning.

HARDNECK GARLIC (F/P)

SALSA PACK (F) Tomatillos grow well for us ever since we started saving our own seed.

BEETS OR EGGPLANT (F)

BEETS OF SALSA PACK (P)

SWEET PEPPERS (F/P) One benefit of the heat, the sweet peppers are beginning to turn.

HOT PEPPERS OR HERBS (F/P) Basil, summer savory or a choice of peppers: jalapeno, Hungarian wax or Anaheim. Anaheims are the type that is traditionally roasted by the bucket in the Southwest. The Hungarians are a bit hotter but not as hot as the jalapenos. I use a knife to scrape out their seeds and veins under running water to reduce a bit of the bite.

YELLOW WATERMELON (P) Yes, your melon should be yellow inside. Everyone should get at least a cantaloupe or watermelon over the course of the next 2 weeks. Full shares should get theirs next week.  The second planting of red watermelon and more cantaloupe is only now beginning to set their baby fruit, so we’ll see if we can pump enough water to them for a good ripening.

ALSO THIS WEEK: Parker Farms CSA shares

NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and salsa packs. Carrots and red onions.

FARM REPORT

I had planned to spend more time on this post, but tonight our refrigerator decided it was a good time to give up the fight.

All in all, the farm is in decent shape in spite of the conditions.  We have an amazing farm crew this year that we cannot thank enough.  The cabbage that we planted two weeks ago is growing well.

Yesterday we got a bunch of broccoli and cauliflower planted in the same fashion. Water from the old pond is being pumped continuously  into the new pond replacing the water that we are pumping out to the fields. Even with irrigation, the drought is affecting the fruiting plants, but so far the tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos and okra are hanging in there. A new planting of cucumbers, squash and beans are just beginning to sprout, so it will be awhile without them.  The harvest should be good for a few more weeks before we hit a lull between the end of summer and the start of fall.  Although isn't it fall if the leaves are drying up and falling off the trees?