In the Share---Week 12

Our best harvest yet of green zebras

TOMATOES: Peak tomato season continues.  You will definitely get some green zebra in your share this week. We think they are one of the most flavorful heirloom varieties out there.

RED ONIONS: Most every dish we cook it seems starts with onions. The red onions look great in a tomato salad, with fresh lettuce, or cooked with the sprouting broccoli.

SPROUTING BROCCOLI: The first pickings from the fall patch.  The crunchy stem makes a nice crudité item. Cut the stalks at an angle to make elongated, chip-like snacks.

RADISH/TURNIP BUNCH: these will be spicy due to the recent heat. They make for a spicy sandwhich, or are good grated and salted for use in fresh salad.  In general, salting root vegetables improves their flavor.
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LETTUCE: The varieties we hand out this week will vary depending on your pickup. The red leaf lettuce has shot past the other types and is being harvested first. There will be a mix of red and green lettuce later in the week. Make the most of the summer and enjoy your lettuce with you Fair Share Farm tomatoes.

OKRA/EGGPLANT/PEPPER CHOICE: Always tough to choose with so delicious a trio of vegetables. Keep you okra dry when you cook it to keep it from getting too slippery. The pods are such a flavorful vegetable.

KALE: The third week of kale. While it may seem like a lot we hope that one bunch every two weeks finds its way into you meal planning. If you keep it in a plastic bag in the crisper it will keep well between shares.

CILANTRO/DILL: A mixed bunch of these two fragrant fresh herbs. It's the rare time of year when tomatoes and cilantro are in the share together.  Time for some salsa.

FARM REPORT
As we must feed the membership, we must also feed the soil. This photo shows our two key steps in growing healthy organic produce:  chickens and cover crops.  The August rains helped the summer-seeded cover crops of sorghum Sudan grass and cowpeas flourish. They look great next to the chicken yard. The scratching and eating and the birds do (along with their fertilizing) will prep the beds for overwintering and then a Spring planting.

Fall is almost here (Saturday night!).  Our fall crops of roots and greens are ready.  So are the farmers who have had enough of the 90 deg. F weather.  Come on fall!!!

We bid goodbye to Summer 2018:  it was a droughty, sweaty mess of a season.  Yet, we all ate well and had some fun along the way.  Much love and appreciation to all the human beings, livestock and wildlife that shared the season with us and made us smile along the way. 

In the Share: Week 11

LETTUCE x2: The soaking rains have helped the lettuce size up nicely. Expect a couple crisp-leafed lettuces in your share.

TOMATOES: Having our tomato harvest peak after Labor Day is a new one for us. Enjoy this bounty in your share, and purchase tomato seconds from the bulk list if you would like to put some up for the winter.

ARTICHOKE GARLIC: This week's garlic is a softneck variety.

KALE OR SPROUTING BROCCOLI: Another item in the share where the time of week you pick up will affect what greens are available. Wednesday shares get mainly kale while later in the week the sprouting broccoli harvest could begin. Try out this kale recipe from our May, 2014 blog.

DESIREE POTATOES: These creamy potatoes go well with greens or roasted with some garlic and herbs..

CHOICE:  Okra, eggplant, cucumbers or sweet peppers. Expect more okra in the choice earlier in the week.

SUMMER SQUASH: These nice size zucchini and squash are perfect for making noodles. Top them with a fresh tomato sauce, and you have a wonderful late summer main course.

RIPE RED JALAPENOS:  Everyone gets a couple to add some heat and color to your dishes.

HERB CHOICE:  Summer savory or Parsley

FARM REPORT:

The days are getting shorter and there's no time to waste in preparing for fall.  Today, we took the tarp out of the high tunnel where it had been for the last month.  It simultaneously encouraged the digestion of the cover crop and blocked the growth of weeds.

It's a big job moving our 100' x 50' tarp around.  Luckily, Lucas (farm apprentice 2011, employee 2013) returned to the farm just in time to help with the task.  Welcome back, Luke!

In no time, we had the beds prepped and first seeds (spinach!!) in the ground. Check out our May 24 and July 26 Instagram feeds to see some of the steps we take to get to this point. And if you don't already, follow us on Instagram.

On Labor day we had some help from dear friends in coaxing the chicks outside for the first time.  Percy sprinkled grass on the ramp to convince them to be brave.

Good job, Percy!  In no time the little girls were scratching around like all chickens are want to do.