In the Share: Week Six

In the Share 

CARROTS: First digging of the season. Enjoy the freshness and crunch of these beauties. We shred them into a salad to add color and sweetness.

BEETS: Try the Beets with Butter and Maple Syrup recipe from our June, 2016  blog.

GARLIC: Fresh as can be, it is great to have it in the shares again.

WALLA WALLA ONIONS: It is great to see the onions sizing up in the field. The Walla Walla’s are nice and sweet, a great addition to a fresh cucumber salad.

 LETTUCE: Last of the heads until fall. This summer crisp type goes great on sandwiches.

SQUASH: For the last two nights we have used our zoodler to make some zucchini noodles and sautéed them with some onion and garlic. A little butter and salt is all you need to finish this tasty dish.

CUCUMBER: Don't forget to lightly salt your cucumbers after dicing to help them keep their crispness.

HERB MIX: A bunch of basil with a sprig or two of parsley or summer savory. You can chop the whole bunch up for a pesto, or garnish your dishes for the week.

Farm report 

Well, we are back. The farmer report was silent last time to keep the focus on healing the wounds of racism in our country. It won’t be done in a week, or a month, or a year, but we hope that everyone keeps the conversation going.

 The view from the potato field today 

On top of considering ways to actively fight racism in our community (“home of Jesse James”, so yes there’s a bit of work to do…) we have been giving a lot of thought to the prospect of re-opening the farm to the community amid the pandemic. Long story, short, we have decided to postpone any changes in our current “stay-at-home” policy until the end of July.

 So, there will be no CSA member farm shifts for July at the very least. It is a difficult decision to make because we know many of our families are feeling the cabin fever and would love to stretch their legs and run around the farm on a Saturday. Many CSA members have expressed concern for the farm and what a burden this puts on us with less help.

Hens in the old strawberry patch 

Our concern continues to be that even one positive case on the farm would be devastating. We would need to shut down at the peak of the season and quarantine ourselves when we are at our busiest. And there would still be chickens to feed, plants to water and crops to harvest.

 The pullets working on what will be the new strawberry patch 

If the pandemic had arrived in 2006 or even 2016, when were over stretched and under staffed, we might have come to a different decision. Now, thanks to a leaner crop schedule and our current crew, we are keeping up despite it all. Actually, the 2020 farm crew rocks!! They are a shy bunch so don’t expect to see them plastered all over social media, but the farm is purring along thanks to Marlene, Lucas, Liz and Danielle. They are an experienced, efficient lot with plenty of integrity and grit and we love them all dearly.

 That's Liz on Monday when the crew demolished the garlic harvest. 

 We hope that our CSA members do not take this to mean that we do not need them. On the contrary, we need the CSA more than ever. It continues to be very challenging to adapt to a new normal that is still revealing itself. The farm prospers because of the intent that so many have given to her rebirth. Who knows what the future looks like, regardless,we know as long as we have the support of the community, it will all work out. We will continue to explore ways to include the CSA in our work and we hope that one day we will be able to welcome you all back to the farm.  Until then, we thank you all for your support. It means everything.

Before we go, we must mention that is National Pollinator Week! Every year we have increased our plantings of pollinator habitat or “insectories”. Pollinators are crucial to the production of many crops and native plants plus they are fascinating to observe. Please avoid pesticides in your gardens and buy organic to protect these essential workers.

The insectory with flowering dill, cilantro, radishes 

among others in the now empty cabbage patch

In the Share 

SUGAR SNAP PEAS: Fresh versus cooked can be a tough choice for these sweet pods. If fresh don’t forget to string them. If you cook them, sauté some onions and garlic scape in olive oil before adding the peas. Cook the peas a couple minutes, add some chopped herbs, cook a minute more.

NAPA CABBAGE: The heart of our kimchi recipe, this napa cabbage is also good cooked. It is a mild and tender green. I like to cut the stems in big chunks, giving any dish a hearty feel.

RED LEAF LETTUCE: The last red leaf of the spring.

ROMAINE LETTUCE: A small head of crunchy romaine. The red variety is Red Rosie.

SCALLIONS: Scallions go with most anything. Add them to a creamy salad dressing or to a lettuce and cabbage salad.

GREENS CHOICE: Sprouting broccoli, kale or chard.

HERB MIXED BUNCH: We will be picking parsley, summer savory, basil, oregano and maybe more as we prune the herbs this week. Oregano and summer savory are best cooked while the parsley and basil shine when fresh.

ROOTS MIX: A mix of radishes and turnips.

Farm report 

This week we are skipping the usual crop update and farmer complaints about the weather. Instead we take this time to reflect on racism in our country.

 As a couple of white farmers we are not the experts on the topic, however, we feel very deeply that our democracy has yet to live up to its promise of equality and justice for all.  We understand that all injustices come from the same sickness:  racism, sexism, homophobia, environmental exploitation.     
We must create a new way of living with each other and the planet if we are to survive.  The outpouring of support for the Black Lives Matter protests give us hope.  Our thoughts are with those putting their bodies in the streets to demand change.