TOMATOES (F/P) First juicy globes of the season! Everyone gets a half pint of cherry tomatoes or one slicing tomato.
RED RUSSIAN KALE (F) Full of calcium, iron, anti-oxidants and tasty too.
NEW POTATOES (F/P) Fresh from the ground with their delicate skins. Keep these refrigerated until you use them. See Tom’s blog for more info and a recipe.
‘WALLA WALLA’ ONIONS (F/P) Oh so sweet.
GREEN BEANS (F) First of the season. Partial shares will get them next week.
CUCUMBERS & SUMMER SQUASH (F/P) Full shares get some of each, partials get a choice.
HERB CHOICE (F/P) Italian basil, summer savory or a dried herb.

Also this week: Parker Farms delivery

Next week: More carrots, summer squash, cucumbers, tomatoes and beans. Fresh garlic and cabbage.

Weather: After last week’s heat wave, the farm crew has been enjoying the beautiful cool, cloudless days. We are continuing to start work at 6 am, a practice that began to beat the heat but that we are now used to. Rising an hour earlier allows us to see some gorgeous sunrises, as shown here. This is a shot from the top of the farm looking east across the no-till beds of flowers, kale, chard and cherry tomatoes.

Which reminds me, the flower garden is now open for picking. Anytime you visit the farm, feel free to pick yourself a bouquet. We have lots of zinnias, yarrow, phlox and an assortment of others blooming now.

The Fields: We continue to seed more crops both in the fields and in the summer greenhouse. This week we planted the ‘Rattlesnake’ pole beans, some ‘Roma’-type bush beans and more cucumbers and summer squash. We seeded the fall cauliflower, cabbages, kohlrabi, bulb fennel and lettuces at the picnic table under the shade of the silver maple. Today I re-seeded the bulb fennel after a hungry mouse dug up and ate most of the seeds planted late last week. Today we harvested the first of the garlic: ‘Musik’, a hard-neck variety and one of our favorites. The bulbs are a nice size and appear to be in great shape. All 982 bulbs are now hanging in the upper barn where they will cure for a few weeks before they are ready for you all. We save the biggest for next year’s seed, label the mediums for eating and save the small ones for next year’s green garlic.

Reminders: With the month of July on our doorstep, it is time for a friendly reminder of the approaching deadline for CSA payments. We ask that the entire balance is paid by the end of July. Please send payments to: Fair Share Farm, 18613 Downing Road, Kearney MO 64060. Email Rebecca (that’s me) if you need me to look up how much you owe. If times are hard in your household, let me know if you need more time or would like to receive a Veggie Voucher. Veggie Vouchers cover $100 of the cost of the CSA share with money raised amongst the membership at the Spring Signup.