In the Share - Week Seven

SUMMER SQUASH (F/P) The zucchini and yellow squashes are coming on now. There are a few round and pattypan ones in the mix, eat them like any of the others.

CABBAGE (F) Celebrate our independence with a Fourth of July coleslaw.  Or see Tom's post for a July Julienne!

TOMATOES (F/P) We are going to do our best to get everyone a tomato or a few cherry tomatoes this week. Some may be less than ripe, so store on the counter until the fruit is bright-colored and slightly soft.

GREEN PEPPERS (F)

CUCUMBER OR EGGPLANT (F)  Just a first taste of these, with lots more to come.

SWEET ONIONS (F/P)  These are the Walla Wallas, great raw in salads.

BEETS (F) beautifully tasty.

HERBS OR HOT PEPPERS (F/P) Thai basil, Italian basil, rosemary or jalapeno or wax hot peppers.

LETTUCE (P)  Summer lettuce means crisp, crunchy heads

NEXT WEEK: More squash, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant and tomatoes. Carrots return.

FARM REPORT:

melons ready for drip tape

Irrigation is the name of the game this week at the farm. Up until last week we were getting adequate rainfall and hadn't needed to irrigate the summer crops. We apply tons (literally!) of hay mulch to the plants and that holds in moisture up to a point. With the ground drying out and an irrigation pond chock full of free water, we are happily sending that water to the crops. The solar-powered pump pushes the water along the drip tape that we place along each row.  It is a laborous job getting all of the lines set, but once they are there we can quickly water the fields by flipping a switch.  

How about that, as if on cue it has begun to rain.  A short-lived shower, but we will take it.

Also this week we continue to work on everybody's favorite, the tomato.  This Spring was like no other, and certainly not like last year which was our grandest tomato harvest yet, weighing it a over 9,000 lbs.  We are not expecting such a stupendous harvest this year.  On top of poor weather conditions for fruit set in May, many of the flowers are being eaten away by white flies.

white flies on the tomatoes

Tom has not seen such a phenomenon since he had his little backyard garden in Rochester, NY. It only makes sense that a Rochester-worthy pea harvest should be followed by the same climate's pest.  We are spraying organic safer soap which should take care of the problem, but some damage has already occurred.