EverGreen Farm

CSA Newsletter #20, September 22

Please remember there will NOT be a CSA pick-up next week, September 29th.  We will return to regular deliveries on October 6th. 

In your share this week:

• Sweet Onions, red and yellow
• Basil, last of the season
• Golden Beets
• Carrots
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Bell Peppers
• Hungarian Wax Peppers
• Cucumbers (not all pick-up locations)
• French Fillet Beans

In last week's newsletter I mentioned that we were nervous about potential damage to our plants from freezing temperatures.  We've been ready to go and taking necessary precautions with heaters and row covers.  And so far...so good!  Little did I know that the cold was not to be the culprit which would bring certain demise to many farm crops. 

On Friday afternoon, as I was taking a break after working all morning to harvest produce for our second to last Saturday market, a storm blew in over Smoot.  The thunder and lightening was incredible.  The bolts of electricity were visibly close and put my computer into frequent spasms.  The noise of the thunder only confirmed my suspicion of how close this storm was to the farm.  I decided it would be wise to delay my next chore of going out into the steel structured greenhouses to pick tomatoes.  Looking out the window I noticed how the horizons on nearly every angle still showed blue skies, so I anticipated merely a quick and heavy rainstorm but considered how it would probably change Shain's plans for harvesting potatoes the next day.  Then I sat back with every intention of enjoying my prolonged break.

And the storm came down, but it wasn't rain.

It wasn't a snow storm either.  This is HAIL!

EverGreen Farm was pummeled by a hail storm which lasted for about 30 minutes.  The hail was marble sized and came down with wicked force.  All I could do was sit and watch. 

It occurred to me that I should take a few photos to document what I was seeing.  And it's a good thing I did because the warm rains that followed the hail melted much of the ice within a few minutes.  If I hadn't been home to witness this event, I would not have know it had happened. 

After the hail turned to rain I braved a trip outside to survey the damage.  My boots sunk deep into the mud which was completely dry ground just a hour prior.  I first went out to the new salad rows, hoping for a miracle.  The once tender growth looked as though it had been rolled over by an old fashioned lawn mower.  Then I went over to fields #1 and #2, shutting greenhouse doors as I went (and feeling so relieved the inside crops were spared).

This picture is a good representation of whats left of all the leafy green plants growing out in the fields, including our new Fall crops of salad, Swiss chard, and kale.  It was all shredded to pieces by the hail.

All the root crops are fine, except for their leafy green tops which aren't edible anyways.  (Except the beet greens, and much of them look just like the chard.  That's why you got "topless" beets in your share this week.)

I'm a little surprised at how well we are taking this loss.  A few years ago we'd probably have reacted differently (not a pretty sight) but I guess we are getting used to crazy things happening on the farm.  And maybe we are getting used to these types of frustrations.  Such is the life of farming!

Now it's time to move on to a heavy harvest of Fall root crops:  carrots, beets, potatoes, leeks and onions.  And hopefully the greenhouses will keep spoiling us with their bounty for a few weeks longer.

Have a great week and enjoy your veggies!

Tara

CSA Newsletter #19, September 15

In your share this week:

• Red Norland Potatoes
• Shell Peas
• Dill
• Italian Parsley
• Cilantro
• Tomatoes
• Sweet Onions
• Cucumbers (given to members at different pick-up locations each week, on a rotating basis)

The trees on the mountains behind our farm have started to change colors.  It's beautiful.  Could it be that we are moving into Fall?  Yes, I guess it's true.  Time for us to start watching the weather forecasts much more closely and taking precautions to bring sensitive crops through the cold nights as necessary.  Soon it will be a lost cause and we'll give in to the freezing temperatures.  But hopefully not for a few more weeks.  I'm not ready to say good bye to the fillet beans, basil, or tomatoes just yet.

The colder weather also brings us into the next phase of the farm season - harvesting fall crops.  Last Tuesday night the farm experienced it's first below freezing temperatures.  This cold took it's toll on a few crops, but did no damage to any of the plants in the greenhouses (thanks to the extra insulation of row covers too). 

The first solid freeze of the season isn't all bad news.  For example, the carrots get sweeter with every cold night.  And there's one crop we actually put off harvesting until after the first frost - the potatoes.  As you may remember, we got some extra cold nights back about a month ago which did some damage to the potato plant tops, but didn't kill them back completely.  Last week's freeze finished the job. 

On Saturday Shain dug up one of our six rows of potatoes for your share this week.  He said the potato harvest will be a better yield from last year.  That's good news.  You are getting about 5 lbs. of Red Norland Potatoes this week.  Just the first of several weeks of potatoes.  We also planted our favorite Yukon Golds and they'll get dug up another weekend.

Speaking of potatoes, Shain fixed a batch of his killer mashed potatoes for our Sunday family dinner.  I was amazed at how incredible they tasted!  I asked him what he did differently to make them taste so good.  He simply looked at me and said "I used the freshly dug potatoes".  Oh yes!  Now I remember.  Home grown potatoes make all the difference! 

With this weeks assortment of veggies we have a few recipe ideas to suggest: 

• Creamed Peas with New Potatoes
• Roasted potatoes with the parsley
• Potato salad using the fresh dill
• Cilantro Pesto 
• Pea soup - Any one have a good recipe?  Sounds yummy for this cool weather.

We are really pleased with the herb crops this year.  I remember the herbs bolting so quickly last year in the heat.  But this year we've been able to give you cilantro and basil right along with the tomatoes.  This week we decided to give more of the herbs before they turn bad from a hard freeze.  You never know when that will happen. 

Important:  There will be NO CSA DELIVERY on Tuesday, September 29th.  We decided to take another one of our "off weeks" to harvest potatoes and plant the garlic.  Usually we work extra hours to accomplish these large jobs in addition to harvesting and other work.  But this year we are trying harder to enjoy the farm and not put so much pressure on ourselves.  In your CSA sign-up information we clearly stated up front that the farm would be having several "off weeks" throughout the season.  We did this with the intention of taking more family vacations away from the farm.  We only ended up taking the one real vacation in August.  (Hey, it's a start.)  We decided to take another family trip in the middle of October, but we'll do that when the kids are out of school and it won't be on CSA harvest days.  So, we'll use this last "off week" to plant garlic instead.  I can't begin to explain how this one small change has been better for us.  Many of you have been very supportive and understanding and for that we thank you most sincerely.

Have a great week and enjoy your veggies!

Tara

CSA Newsletter #18, September 8

In your share this week:

• Basil
• Tomatoes
• Garlic, 1 lb. Polish Jenn
• Carrots
• Sweet Onion
• Scallions
• Snow Peas
• Squash/Zucchini
• Cucumbers (to another pick up group)

Over the past few weeks you have received one pound each of the 3 garlic varieties we grow.  Each has it's own unique qualities and flavor.  Shain enjoys picking out just the right garlic to use as he prepares different recipes.  I'm not so particular.  I just know it's strong and tastes so much better than what you get from the store! 

Spanish Roja - an award winning garlic, strong lingering flavor, spicy and "hot", small to medium size

German Extra Hardy - large cloves, excellent for roasting, strong flavor, has a bit of an upfront "kick", spicy too

Polish Jenn - true garlic flavor, medium sized cloves, medium heat

Shain plants a row of sunflowers each year.  Last year the sunflower plants were accidentally pulled up by some students who came to the farm and wanted to help us with some "weeding".   (We don't let kids help us weed anymore.  Not without extra supervision.)  This year's flowers are just about in full bloom.  It's quite a sight!    One benefit besides their added beauty is the abundance of bees they attract.  It's hard to see in these photos, but nearly every flower has a bee or two on it. 

Sorry to make this a short newsletter.  I've got a lot on my mind.  And a lot to accomplish before it gets dark.  1)  It's supposed to freeze tonight.  We have a lot of work to do to try to protect those crops that are vulnerable to the cold.  2)  The vet is coming soon to put down one of my beloved goats.  She is sick and beyond the help I can give her.  I'm not looking forward to any of this, but tomorrow is another day.  And the sun will be shining on those sunflowers.  There is beauty all around.

Have a great week and enjoy your veggies!

Tara

CSA Newsletter #17, September 1

In your share this week:

• Carrots
• Scallions
• Very Baby Squash/Zucchini*
• French Fillet Beans
• Snow Peas - yes, these are the types that are supposed to be flat!
• Italian Parsley
• Garlic, 1 lb. Spanish Roja
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers (going to a different pick up spot this week)

*As I mentioned before, the squash and zucchini plants aren't doing too great this season.  It's our guess that the cooler weather kept them from growing to their full size and producing as in years past.  Then came that early frost a few weeks ago which probably stunted the plants as well.  We've been keeping a close eye on these plants and noticed quite a lot of very-baby squash and zucchini on the plants, literally 100's of them.  But they aren't really growing.  Instead they get to about 4 or 5 inches long and then rot on the plant.  So we decided to harvest a good majority of the small squash and zucchini this week and include them in your shares.  We'll see what the plants decide to do now.  If this helps at all.  However, Shain tells me there's another cold period coming in this weekend which could affect the plants negatively again.  I guess it's one of those times when we can only wait and see.

The tomato season is well underway here on the farm.  This is what it looks like inside greenhouse #4 where we have 3 rows of tomato plants growing, as well as a few other crops.

 

In this first photo on the left is a row of shorter compact tomato plants.  They dwarf in comparison to the other two rows of tomatoes (on the right) which are close to 6 feet tall.  These plants all yield a smaller tomato fruit, which is how we get an abundance of tomatoes this "early" in the season.

Here are the three early smaller varieties of tomatoes you'll be getting quite a lot of this season.   First, on the left, is an Italian plum variety called Principe Bourgese.  In the middle is a favorite we've been growing for several years called Glacier.  It has a lot of flavor.  The third type on the right is called Ida Gold, which is a new variety for us this year.  (They are the ones growing on the compact plants in the picture above on the left.)

Each of these tomatoes will have a nice sweet flavor, especially when eaten fully ripe.  One interesting development for picking the tomatoes is that I've needed to start picking them a little under ripe.  A lot of the tomatoes left to ripen completely on the plant are splitting and cracking due the the temperature fluctuations in the greenhouse.  It's basically getting so hot in the greenhouse that the juicy ripe tomatoes are expanding in the heat and popping their skins.  So, let your slightly less ripe tomatoes sit out on the counter top for a few days and they'll taste much better.

Then every once in a while we get a funky one to make us smile...

Have a great week and enjoy your veggies!

Tara