Category Archives: dry

In the Share – Week 17

beneficials, dry, fall planting, greenhouse, rain, watermelon
cucurbit family fruit
 

TOMATOES (F/P) A combination of slicers and cherry tomatoes

COLORFUL CARROTS (F/P) This may be the last week of these. Thank you carrots of all colors for nourishing us during a brutal summer!

YELLOW OR RED ONIONS (F/P) The yellow onions are our best keepers and they’ve got a bite to prove it.

WATERMELON, CANTALOUPE OR PUMPKIN (F/P) We realize this is an odd-ball of a choice, but it is what we have. Choose which big ball of fruit you want.

 HOT PEPPERS (F) We continue to have a lot of hot peppers, one of the few fruiting plants that is not affected by high temperatures.

RATTLESNAKE BEANS (F) Precious, precious beans! Finally after months of watching six rows of beans sit and do nothing in the heat, our pole beans are ready to be picked. ‘Snake’ beans can get big but they stay tender and have a nice nutty flavor. Partial shares will get them next week and hopefully the full shares will too.

OKRA, BEETS OR EGGPLANT (P) The last of the beets until fall. Okra and eggplant should be going on for awhile more.

GREENS CHOICE (F) There is some kale and collard plants that need to be picked. They won’t be big bunches but it is nice to have something green for a change.

HERB CHOICE (F/P) We are sending in more dried herbs along with sage and thyme.

NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, peppers, okra, eggplant, and beans. Arugula and radishes, we hope. Garlic returns.

FARM REPORT:

The big news on the farm is the glorious high tunnel taking shape over in its corner of the farm. See Tom’s post for more on the work day on Sunday, but I must say we are stupendously fortunate to have such capable, friendly folks in our corner. We slopped around in the mud together and cogitated over the plans together and in the end we managed to get a lot done and have a good time doing it. Today we began seeding the plants that will call the high tunnel home in about a month’s time.

Lettuces, bok choy, bunching onions, beets, and bulb fennel are seeded so far. Also on the list to enter the tunnel: radishes, carrots, young turnips, spinach, arugula, swiss chard, rapini and endive. Since we have never done this before we are very hesitant to predict how the season will turn out, but we hope to offer an extension of the CSA season by three weeks to a maximum of 50 current CSA members. The twenty-fourth and final week of the regular CSA season will be the week ending October 20th. Once we get to October, we will ask you to let us know if you would like to extend your share.

beneficial insect:  predatory lacewing

In the meantime, we are looking forward to the beginning of a new harvest season. The small bunches of kale and collards are ushering us into what looks to be a bountiful fall. The 0.75 inch rain on Sunday gave the thousands of baby seedlings a nice drink, but six inches down the soil is still dry. The irrigation pump stays on to supplement what nature provides. We are keeping an eye on Hurricane Isaac but it is unclear if any rain will get here. So far we are a foot of rain below average for the year. We hope that everyone stays safe down in the Gulf Coast and that they send some of their extra moisture on up to us.

In the Share – Week 16

dry, irrigation, storage crops
okra

TOMATOES (F/P) Most of the fruit is coming from our “heat-set” hybrids, which are packed with flavor thanks to the drought.

POTATOES (F/P) This will be the last week of potatoes in the shares for the year. There is an assortment of fingerling, yellow and red.

GARLIC (F/P) After checking the seed garlic, we have enough to plant and some more we can hand out to you for a few more weeks.

CARROTS (F/P) Plain orange this week, no weird colors but boy are they sweet.

SWEET PEPPERS (P) A combination of shapes and sizes.

BEETS (F) The spring-planted bulk roots are shining right now as they help us over the hump to autumn.

CHOICE: OKRA, HOT PEPPERS, EGGPLANT, SALSA PACK, OR ONIONS (F) Choices, choices, there are many.

HERB CHOICE (F) Marjoram, parsley or a dried herb. We’ve pulled together some more dried herbs for the selection in order to give the basil a break. Any week you can choose a dried tin instead of a fresh herb.

ALSO THIS WEEK: Parker Farms CSA shares

NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, sweet peppers, okra, hot peppers, carrots and onions. A few more beets.

FARM REPORT:

The farm is running full steam ahead as we have since the pace quickened sometime back in March. Every August we more-or-less repeat the Spring planting in order to have lots of tender greens and roots feeding us through the fall. The sweaty work is usually compensated by a bountiful end of the growing season. We are hopeful that we are headed in that direction. The irrigation pond is holding and has actually risen since we began filling it from the old pond. We are about finished with that process and think that we have plenty of water to make it until first frost.

We realize how very fortunate we are to be in this position. Farmers across the region are experiencing losses to crops and entire seasons of income. Today the weatherman said, he had “never seen anything like this”. Humidity is at a desert level, 17%. They talk of a chance of rain this weekend and we are hoping it happens despite having a busy weekend scheduled out of doors. We hope to get the high tunnel finished on Sunday with a good crew signed on to do the job. We will happily cancel and re-schedule if it means it is too muddy to work. We haven’t had been able to use that excuse since sometime in March or April!

In the Share – Week 14

dry, peppers
the rainbow of sweet peppers ripening at the farm

TOMATOES (F/P) The main crop is on a bit of a break now. The plants are setting new green fruit so hopefully we will have a nice late season flush. In the meantime, the late planting of “heat-setting” types is coming in.

CHERRY TOMATOES (F) More snack-sized fruit for your enjoyment.

POTATOES (F) I can’t remember the last time we had weather like they have in Ireland or the mountains of Peru, the home of the potato. So it should come as no surprise that the potato crop did poorly this year. Partial shares will hopefully get some next round.

MELONS (F/P) The last of the melons, cantaloupe and more yellow watermelon.

SWEET PEPPERS (F/P) Peppers love the heat for sure, but they also love a lot of water. We’re doing our best to keep them watered but as quickly as we can pour it on, the ground sucks it up.

EGGPLANT (P) The “plant” is going to take its usual mid-summer hiatus a bit earlier this year than usual.  With a little luck in the form of rain it should make a nice resurgence in the early fall.

GARLIC (F/P) Tom can tell you more about the garlic, but the prognosis is not good. Everyone gets one head this week while we assess the damage.

HERB CHOICE (F/P) parsley, basil, summer savory, thyme or a dried herb

HOT PEPPERS, SALSA PACK OR OKRA (P) If anything is thriving right now on the farm it is the hot peppers.  If you can’t stand the heat, try one of the other options or get out of the kitchen … or field in our case!

ALSO THIS WEEK: Parker Farms CSA shares

NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and okra. Carrots, beets and onions return

FARM REPORT:

The farm is beginning to enter a period of smaller harvests due to the extreme drought and heat. We continue to draw water from the pond constantly. We have mulched each and every crop with a thick layer of hay. Even these efforts are not enough to keep the plants thriving. While we keep the summer plants alive, our attention increasingly is focused on the newly planted fall crops. The cabbages, broccolis and cauliflowers have been in the ground for several weeks. Kale, kohlrabi and lettuces are in too. This week we began seeding the roots: carrots, beets, turnips and radishes. We are gambling on the forecast of cooler temperatures and perhaps even a bit of rain. We need a break from the heat and drought for these crops to do well and are hoping that the forecasts are correct and some relief is on the way.

In the Share – Week 13

dry, watermelon

TOMATOES (F/P) A combination of heirloom, hybrid and paste tomatoes. The crop is slowing now but we should have some for a few more weeks.

CHERRY TOMATOES (F/P) We should have pints for everyone this week.

YELLOW WATERMELON (F) What a crazy crop to be harvesting in the middle of a drought. There are literally hundreds of pounds of water leaving the farm this week in the form of a tasty little yellow watermelon.

CANTALOUPE (P) Ditto on the cantaloupe. Not a huge melon fan? Make a simple lemon juice and honey dressing to add a little zing.

EGGPLANT (F) There are more recipes for eggplant than any other vegetable so if you haven’t found one you like, keep looking.

SWEET PEPPERS (F) OKRA, SALSA PACK OR HOT PEPPERS (F) The okra is growing well as it is one of the few vegetables that we raise that prefer the heat.

COLORFUL CARROTS (F/P) While the orange ones are still our favorites, we like the purples and yellows for their robust flavors and cool colors.

RED ONIONS (F/P) A mix of red varieties including the torpedo-shaped, Rossa Lunga di Tropea.

HERB CHOICE (F) Basil, parsley, thyme or a dried herb.

NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, okra, salsa packs and melons. Potaotoes and garlic. 

FARM REPORT:

It is becoming difficult to come up with new ways to describe the weather. Blow torch or blast furnace? I think I’ve used them both. Either would be accurate although the last two days have been more like a steam pit. Only a few drops of rain fell but the humidity is in full force.  The clouds made for a spectacular sunrise this morning in the melon patch.

 Miraculously we are pulling sweet and perfect watermelon and cantaloupe out of the field right now. Melons are only 50% successful for us, but when they come in as beautiful and flavorful as this it makes all the effort worth it. We hope you enjoy them for the short time they are here.

In the Share – Week 12

cabbage, dry, peppers

TOMATOES (F/P) Hope you all are ready for more tomatoes because we have quite a few yet. If they are piling up on you, pop them in the freezer for a wintery day.

CHERRY TOMATOES (F) Hope you all are enjoying the cherries. Partial shares will get them next week.

POTATOES (F/P) Most likely Desiree, a pink-skinned, yellow-fleshed potato. We will dig them tomorrow morning.

HARDNECK GARLIC (F/P)

SALSA PACK (F) Tomatillos grow well for us ever since we started saving our own seed.

BEETS OR EGGPLANT (F)

BEETS OF SALSA PACK (P)

SWEET PEPPERS (F/P) One benefit of the heat, the sweet peppers are beginning to turn.

HOT PEPPERS OR HERBS (F/P) Basil, summer savory or a choice of peppers: jalapeno, Hungarian wax or Anaheim. Anaheims are the type that is traditionally roasted by the bucket in the Southwest. The Hungarians are a bit hotter but not as hot as the jalapenos. I use a knife to scrape out their seeds and veins under running water to reduce a bit of the bite.

YELLOW WATERMELON (P) Yes, your melon should be yellow inside. Everyone should get at least a cantaloupe or watermelon over the course of the next 2 weeks. Full shares should get theirs next week.  The second planting of red watermelon and more cantaloupe is only now beginning to set their baby fruit, so we’ll see if we can pump enough water to them for a good ripening.

ALSO THIS WEEK: Parker Farms CSA shares

NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and salsa packs. Carrots and red onions.

FARM REPORT

I had planned to spend more time on this post, but tonight our refrigerator decided it was a good time to give up the fight.

All in all, the farm is in decent shape in spite of the conditions.  We have an amazing farm crew this year that we cannot thank enough.  The cabbage that we planted two weeks ago is growing well.

Yesterday we got a bunch of broccoli and cauliflower planted in the same fashion. Water from the old pond is being pumped continuously  into the new pond replacing the water that we are pumping out to the fields. Even with irrigation, the drought is affecting the fruiting plants, but so far the tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos and okra are hanging in there. A new planting of cucumbers, squash and beans are just beginning to sprout, so it will be awhile without them.  The harvest should be good for a few more weeks before we hit a lull between the end of summer and the start of fall.  Although isn’t it fall if the leaves are drying up and falling off the trees?

In the Share – Week 11

carrots, cherry tomatoes, dry, hot, tomatoes
the harvest:  carrots, beets and onions

TOMATOES x2 (F/P) Last week CSA members on average received about 10 lbs. of tomatoes and this week it is looking to be about the same. Please don’t get too used to this excess. It is a freak of nature and it will only last a while longer. Last week we literally harvested over a ton.

CHERRY TOMATOES (F/P) That ton also included these beauties. We think we’ll have another round of quarts for everyone this week.

CARROTS (F/P) We dug these a while back and stored them in the cooler. We think they taste even better after a stint in the cold slammer.

WALLA WALLA ONIONS (F/P) The onions are a bit smaller than other years, but we have almost no culls thanks to the dry weather. Soon we’ll move on the red onions after the sweet Wallas are gone.

BEETS, SUMMER SQUASH OR SALSA PACK (F) This will most likely be the last of the beets until fall. We should have some for the partial shares next week.

PEPPERS: SWEET AND HOT (F) Another small taste of peppers. We are letting most of them stay on the plants to ripen.

EGGPLANT (F/P) The “plant” is rocking right now and will be for the next few weeks. It is so good simply broiled until it is brown and marinated in olive oil and spices. Partial shares get a choice of beets or eggplant.

HERB CHOICE (F/P) Basil, summer savory or a dried herb.

FARM REPORT




As CSA farmers we advertise membership in our farm as relationship based on shared risk but also shared bounties. Well, right now we are looking at extremes of both. We’ve got a ridiculously huge bumper crop of tomatoes and a drought of epic proportions. The tomato harvest threatens to consume all of our hours of all of our days.

 The farm crew of four: Tom, me, and our awesome farm apprentices Dani Hurst and Ryan Stubby do little else but harvest, sort, count and weigh tomatoes. Add 2 one-day-a-week volunteers (Thank you, M for Monday crew!!) and we still struggle to find time to plant for fall, tinker with the irrigation system and weed the sweet potatoes.  The CSA members bi-weekly visits keep our heads above water by assisting in the retrieval of the other crops from the field.

Saturday carrot harvest

And then there’s the heat and drought … Tom and I are increasingly concerned about the long-term effect on the crops. So far most everything is staying alive BUT we expect a lull in the harvest a few weeks from now.  Stay tuned for more on that as experience what may be the hottest, driest year on record.  Meanwhile, enjoy the bumper crop and think about putting up a little summer sunshine for later.



In the Share – Week 9

bean fence, dry, hot, pests

CARROTS (F/P) We are harvesting the carrots in bulk this week for future weeks out to cold storage. Carrots will be topped from now until the heat is gone.

TOMATOES F/P) We are getting record harvests of gorgeously voluptuous fruit. The heirlooms are winning over the red hybrids right now but we’ll see who wins in the end.

CHERRY TOMATOES (F/P) All the partial shares will get these this week. Full shares will get them too if we have enough or we will fill in with more slicers.

GREEN BEANS (F) Just a bit this week with hopefully much more on the way.

SUMMER SQUASH (F) The end of the first planting is near, but the round zucchinis and pattypans are beginning to coming in. Partial shares will get them next week.

CUCUMBERS (F) Ditto on cucumbers. In the shares will be a combo of the least bug-nibbled slicers and the best of the big pickling cucumbers. The second planting is flowering right now, so more are coming if it all pans out.

EGGPLANT AND PEPPERS (P)  One or two of each.

SALSA PACK (F/P) If you are new to the CSA you may not be familiar with tomatillos. They make a heavenly salsa either fresh or roasted. We give you everything you need including the garlic, onion and jalapeno. Add a tomato from your share and voila, our nation’s most popular condiment.

SWISS CHARD OR CABBAGE (F) In an effort to conserve moisture on the farm we are clear-cutting the leafy greens. The chard should grow back in time for cooler weather when that ever comes.

HERB CHOICE (F) Parsley, summer savory, thyme or a dried herb.

HOT PEPPERS (F/P) Just a couple to spice up your summer salads. Jalapenos and Hot Hungarian Wax peppers will be offered.

FARM REPORT:
Oh, boy it is hot and dry. We have shifted our schedule so that we start at 6 am and get out of the fields by mid-day.  Afternoons bring work in the packing room or the shady greenhouse.  The plants however get no relief and are sucking up as much moisture as they can get.

Tom and I are always excited when we identify a new species of of wildlife on the farm. We’ve seen foxes, ducks, all sorts of frogs and toads, even the occasional snake. Our latest addition to the list is this beautiful but brutal agricultural pest, the Japanese beetle.

So far we have found 2 adults on the farm. It has taken them countless generations to get to this part of the country but here they be. Once they fully inhabit an area, swarms of them often defoliate their favorite plants: grapes, beans, roses. Some say the healthier the soil, the less the little buggers are attracted to the plant.  We shall see soon enough.
Speaking of beans, the harvest has gotten a slow start but we have some beans from the first planting for this week. The second planting of bush beans look much better and the pole beans are beginning to vine up the fence that was put up in the nick of time by the CSA crew on Saturday.

Up go the 100 ft. sections. 
Tie to the posts and your done.

As they say, many hands make light work.