Sunday, July 24, 2011

July 26th and 29th

The Strength of a Plant Now that's a head of lettuce !
Since the beginning of June we have received 2.5" of rain. While harvesting last week, I was just blown away and humbled at how nice most of the vegetables looked. Through soil that is nearly dust right now, these plants have found enough moisture and nutrients to grow.
Check out the roots of this scallion, they are almost 10" long!!! These little roots were an inspiration to me last week. And all the summer squashes, zucchini and tomatoes look amazing. I think I will pick the first green beans this week too. Although the vegetables may not be as bountiful and robust as I would like, they have encouraged me not to get too down...although I do still hope we get rain this week : )

Busy busy weekend. Saturday was spent building a knee wall and putting rafters on the timber frame barn I have set in the woods near the raspberries. The intention for this structure is to have a dry place to store straw for mulching crops like tomatoes and strawberries. With the help of 2 other folks, we pushed through the heat and hot sun, and made the wood pile a little smaller.

Sunday has mostly been spent setting up drip irrigation. It is the first time I have ever used drip irrigation so it will take some getting used to. There are pipes all over the place and I have already mowed over one! Installation is a rather tedious task and is taking a little longer than I had hoped. Maybe Murphy's Law will kick in and rain will come just as I finish!


Survive the heat...Eat Ice Cream!!!


This year I will give the proceeds to LACO, our local food bank.


Bring a little extra cash for a cone--one scoop $2; 2 scoops $3

(M&M, and black raspberry from The Big Dipper)


Blueberries!!!

On sale this week and next for $4 a pint. They are high bush, no spray from right around the corner. If you are interested in ordering a larger quantity than 2 pints for freezing please let me know!


Chickens!!!

Whole birds will be available on Friday August 5th. Look for the sign up sheet in the barn this week.


PICK RASPBERRIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


This Week's Loot: lettuce, beets, red onions, chinese cabbage (I know, I know, but it is good!), zucchini and summer squash for all?, green beans?, the last of the sugar snap peas...

Monday, July 18, 2011

July 19th and 22nd

The Sleeping Dog


After a hard days work of chasing groundhogs, being chased by Dora and looking oh so cute, Simon is pooped....



Our Christmas present to ourselves was a new (very much so needed) couch. We ditched one couch and saved the futon, thinking it could go nicely in the upstairs office. However, Simon quickly took over the futon as his new dog bed. How could you blame him; it is 4 times as big AND it has pillows!

Sometimes he shares his "dog bed"...he gets no love...HA!


This week's loot: lettuce, new potatoes, scallions, beet greens, sugar snap peas, chinese cabbage, dill and the last of the garlic scapes.

Please pray for rain! If you like to get specific in your prayers, a nice soft inch would be nice.



New Potatoes:

These guys, unlike the late fall potatoes, are not "cured", meaning the skins have not fully developed to form a protective layer. They are delecate and should be kept in your fridge before eating. No need to peel them, the skins are soft and flaky and are perfect for mashing, baking or boiling for potato salad!

Monday, July 11, 2011

July 12th and 15th

Some Like it HOT!!!
Baby turkeys arrived this week!!! They are super cute and running around. The first couple weeks of their life they like it to be 95 degrees--well they are Loving this heat!!! You may come and visit them, they are up in our house barn. Just please be careful not to knock over their pen and parents keep an eye on your children in our not-so-child-proof-barn.


PYO Raspberries!!!! Opens up this week!!! There are still a few strawberries left too. They are harder to find but man are they SWEET!!! The raspberries have just started to ripen so there aren't tons yet but there will be soon. Again it is priced/lb, please bring your own containers.


PYO Flowers!!! There is also basil and some parsley in the PYO garden. Don't be shy but please remember to share : )


I was just looking at photos from last year--man is it hard not to compare notes. I think I would be feeling okay except that it just feels so hot and dry. Maybe we will get some soft rain this week. Also my tractor is broken. It has been having trouble for a couple of weeks, but now it is really bad. I think it is fixable but I feel crippled without it! And the deer!!! Oh dear have they been AWFUL this season. They just keep finding things to eat....


This Week's Loot: baby baby carrots, lettuce, chard, hakurei turnips, garlic scapes and a few peas


www.foodgawker.com --check it out!

Monday, July 4, 2011

July 5th and 8th

It's Strawberry Time!!!
Don't miss out on the most luscious berries! Picking is still good and you'll be happy for those frozen berries packed in your freezer come January. This week feel free to bring a nonsharholder friend with you to pick.

Berry picking is one of my favorite things to do. I like to go out for a few hours every evening and glean. Munching my way through a row and filling up a bowl or two to freeze for the winter. So far I have picked over 200 pounds! It is exciting to see so many after such a poor crop last year. Pickers may have noticed there is a small flock of cedar waxwings gleaning the berries too. They are a beautiful fluttery bird with a high pitched shrill. They are lucky they are my favorite bird, or I don't think I would be so keen on sharing my fruit!

July 4th...this is the time of year we begin to transition into some new veggies: peas, baby beets, baby carrots, cabbage... The weather has certainly thrown several curveballs this year and I am still feeling like things are a bit behind. The peas unfortunately won't produce as much as I would like, but I see a good crop of new potatoes, green beans and cucumbers on the way (sometime in mid-late July). Until then we will continue to load up on fresh greens, summer turnips and chinese cabbage.

A few months ago, I had a woman contact me from the Farmer's Almanac www.farmersalmanac.com asking if I would do an interview about "What is a Community Supported Agriculture". I agreed and the You Tube video was just released last week. Although I don't think I will be asked to be in any Hollywood movies, some of you were featured and are looking pretty good! Check it out!


This Week's Loot: lettuce, spinach?, beet greens, hakurei turnips, garlic scapes, chinese cabbage, tat soi and a few shell peas

Chinese/Napa Cabbage:
It's light and crunchy, cook it, eat it raw, use as a taco topping or an egg roll wrapper!