In the Share - Week 5

CABBAGE F  The first of the spring harvest.  I am looking forward to some cole slaw!

LETTUCE F/P  We lost some heads to the heat and now to the damp, so just one head for all this week:  red leaf and romaine.

SUGAR SNAP or SNOW PEAS F/P  The peas are plump with the rain.

BROCCOLI F/P  The last of the Spring crop.  We'll be planting more for the fall soon.

STRAWBERRIES F  An early end to the harvest we think is due to the many flowers that froze a few weeks back. Sorry we couldn't get enough for everyone, but it is slim pickings. 

KALE, SWISS CHARD OR BOK CHOY  It is good green growing weather.

BEETS F/P  It will be a muddy job tomorrow, but I am determined to harvest my favorite vegetable. 

GREEN ONIONS, GREEN GARLIC OR GARLIC SCAPES F/P 

HERB CHOICE F parsley and fennel

NEXT WEEK:  More lettuce, cabbage, greens and herbs.  Turnips, kohlrabi and zucchini.

FARM REPORT:
The weather couldn't be more different than ten days ago.  We went from just over an inch of rain for the whole month of May with hot weather to 7 inches of rain and a wind from the North. 

In this instance our changing climate is coupled with a pretty drastic change in the weather.  This follows an earlier very drastic change in the weather when we went from a freeze for two nights to 90 degree F temperatures.  It is hard to know what to expect next. 

Meanwhile, the farm is very soggy.  We worry that the roots of the plants will rot if this lasts much longer.  One of our worst tomato crops lived through a prolonged cold/wet spell like this and never fully recovered.  While a drought is never our wish, we are much better equipped to bring water to the fields than to remove it.  Luckily, we grow many different crops and some thrive in wet years.

On top of this dreary weather, we lost of member of the farm team this past Sunday.  Sunny, the cat, was found nine Springs ago by Amy Boussman, our first farm apprentice.  He was huddled under the old apprentice camper in the middle of a thunderstorm.  His mom, Momma kitty, soon joined him and the two have been with us ever since.  Sunny was a good hunter, a sweet Momma's boy and he is missed. 

There is nothing to do but press on and look to the future.  Groundbreaking began on Monday for the new equipment barn.  We have hired a team to do the work for us since we could never find the time to complete such a large undertaking ourselves.  We are looking forward to having space for our equipment, a functional indoor shop and space to clean out and remodel the old barn.