CSA WEEK 4: Strawberry sizzle

STRAWBERRIES: The heat has been tough on the berries and the pickers but you can't help but enjoy these delights of May. Strawberry dressing is always good this time of year.

SUGAR SNAP PEAS:  We took a break from these last year, but they are back on the roster. They are just starting, so it may be a small amount this week.

SPROUTING BROCCOLI:  Good raw with some strawberry dressing for dip, or cooked any way you would prepare broccoli.

GREEN ONIONS: Our bunching onions have sized up and we are happy to be able to add this fresh allium to the share.

KALE OR SWISS CHARD:  Get your green on!

GARLIC SCAPES: The tender flower stalk of the hardneck garlic plant.  Chop and add to anything as you would garlic.  The scapes are coming on a bit later than normal, but will have some for everyone this week.

LETTUCE (3 HEADS): While it sounds like a lot, we hope that the lettuce can grace your everyday meals for the next two weeks. The heat is not going to let them last much longer.  We have four types in varying stages of maturity. The butterhead and red leaf are the perfect thing for a tender salad. The crisp head and romaine varieties are what you want to top that burger or make a Caesar salad.

IN TWO WEEKS:  lettuce, greens, beets, sprouting broccoli, kohlrabi.

FARM REPORT:
It is sizzling hot out here, in case anyone hasn't noticed.  I could easily complain about the tip burn on the lettuces, the sunburn on the strawberries or the fact that the chickens are panting in whatever shade they can find.  Any farmer loves to complain about the weather, but it does little good.  We are seeing record-breaking heat and summer is a month away. 

Despite it all, the fact is we are all still eating pretty well.  Right now the farm is one big leafy quilt in various shades of green.  The solar panels at the irrigation pond provide the water, the soil provides the fertility and all we humans have to do is keep up with the harvest to make sure none of it goes to waste. . . and sweat.  We can't avoid the sweating.

Joining in the sweaty work his week were two former FSF apprentices, Lucas (2011) and Semra (2015), who both happened to be back in the area for a spell.  Much gratitude goes to them and all of the good people that have been pitching in this season.

The new laying flock of pullets have taken over the high tunnel.  They are stripping the flowering chard and bolting spinach of their remaining leaves and in general enjoying their first experience of eating what is left behind.

Meanwhile the summer crops are growing well and will soon start producing.  We put in all of the posts and the first line of string on the tomato plants.  The summer squash and cucumbers are flowering and will soon start their first fruits.  We keep them under cover to protect them from pests.

The cover crops of peas and oats are beginning to flower and will soon be ready to turn in.

Week 3: Spring, gone so soon?

In The Share:
SPROUTING BROCCOLI:  Our new favorite plant on the farm.  It seems to handle the temperature swings better than most of our other cool season (ha!) crops.  No need for trimming, just chop it up or eat it whole, it is wonderfully tender.

ASPARAGUS:  Enjoy it while it lasts!

LETTUCE:  Usually we pick the lettuce the day before it goes to our CSA members, but the heat sent us in to save the last of the crops out of the high tunnel before they cooked.  Some of their outer leaves are tip-burned. If you tear that part off, there's still a good amount of juicy center.

SWISS CHARD:  One of our favorite greens to add to almost any dish. This first picking from the field is very tender and fresh.

RADISHES AND TURNIPS:  The heat has turned them spicy, so we recommend a quick stir fry. If you are eating them fresh a little salt can help with any bitterness.

KALE: A first picking here too, these leaves are ready for your recipes.

CILANTRO AND DILL:  The herb bunches this week are a lush as anything we have every grown. This abundance calls for making a dip, heavy on the greenery. To 16oz of sour cream add 3/4 cup chopped herbs, 2 tbsp oil, salt and pepper. Good with raw sprouting broccoli.

Farm Report:
The heat is on!  It takes a toll on the cool season crops like lettuce.  This week's lettuce has been under shade cloth for the past week as we attempt to hold it for the CSA shares.  Butterhead lettuce and 90 degree temperatures don't mix so good.

While the Spring wilts away, Summer is in the ground and growing.

All of the first round of hot weather crops are in:  tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash, okra, tomatillos and eggplant thanks to the hands of many.

Speaking of farm hands, Tom and I wanted to give a shoutout to Semra Fetahovic, who apprenticed on the farm in 2015 and has returned to work with us for the next month.  Semra is set to complete her Masters in Organic Agriculture at a German university.  When not helping with turnip picking, she is helping us with our Instagram feed and ferment sales. Check out the Instagram stories from today at fairsharefarm!

CSA Week 2---Great Greens and More

In The Share
TAT SOI: When a vegetable is this deep green, you know it's good for you
RADISHES: Slow to grow this spring, these are the first
BUTTERHEAD LETTUCE: The first butterhead of the season is always a treat
RED LEAF LETTUCE: Good for everything from sandwiches to salads
SPROUTING BROCCOLI: The plants in the field have started to make their first flower buds. Look for this broccoli cousin in your share for awhile.
BRAISING MIX: Greens that are best sautéed, perfect for a dish of mac & cheese & greens
GARLIC CHIVES OR ARUGULA:  Every dish deserves a little topping.

What to Do With Your Share
This is a good time of year to take advantage of the opportunity to add such an array of delicious, fresh greens to your meals. We offer a couple of suggestions here to compliment your shares. On the Asian green side of things, here are recipes for both bok choy soup and stir fry soup. These are both especially good if you have a good broth to use. Some folks keep it creamy with coconut milk.

The braising mix and sprouting broccoli make a nice addition to either a boxed or home-made version of mac & cheese. Greens can be a part of many dishes, adding both heartiness and nutrition.

Farm Report
It has been quite a couple of weeks since we last wrote.  On Tuesday last, we were a part of a six-person crew that carried out a controlled burn of the 150 acres of native grasses on the family farmland that surrounds us.

This was not our first rodeo, as they say, and we managed to get it all done safely by the early afternoon.  If you look closely, in the background is the green oasis of Fair Share Farm surrounded by the smoldering moon scape.

Native grasses have a long relationship with fire which reduces the competition from cool season grasses and shrubs, while at the same time cleaning up old thatch that can smother the new season's growth.

Meanwhile, the vegetable farm work continues at a Spring sprint.  The fields are filling up with the last of the cool season crops.  The weather has switched from winter to summer in a short week's time, so we will see how all of our lettuces, cabbages, carrots, onions and potatoes hold up.  The potatoes are just now peaking out of the soil.

Our new flock of laying hens (I guess they are technically pullets) are getting close to 3 months old and growing well.  We are hoping they start laying by the end of July.