In your share this week:
- Salad Mix
- Radishes
- Arugula
Well folks, our start date is a little later than what we planned for back in March, but here we go! Our 2017 EverGreen Farm CSA Season is underway! And what a ride it's been getting to this point. We are still playing catch up from some set backs, and some plants are struggling from enduring a cold and dark spring, but the sun is out in all it's glory and we are looking forward to all of the growth that comes as a result of hard work and effort.
Your first share includes the few crops that are ready for us to harvest this week. As the weeks go, there will be more and more food available. We have 6 of our 7 greenhouses planted, crops growing outside, and more being planted nearly every day.
It's such a welcome joy to have fresh salad mix again, nothing like what is sold in the store. And Arugula! - a personal favorite. (I say this every year, but to those who are new, there's nothing quite like an egg salad sandwich on sour dough bread, topped with arugula.) If you happen to have "extra", it also makes a delicious pesto. Choices, choices!
Radishes can be used in many ways - eaten fresh, and sliced thin for salads or other recipes. They can also be sauteed, pickled (link to Carol's recipe) and fermented. Radish tops can be sauteed alone or in a stir fry, and there is even such a thing as radish top pesto.
The column on the right of this blog post has a link to our Facebook page and my Instagram. If you want to see more of what happens here on the farm, I try to post there frequently. Otherwise, I'll post a weekly newsletter and farm update here on this website, along with a list of the produce you are receiving in the share that week.
So, here's a summary of some of our adventures and efforts over the past few months:
Last snow of the spring was on May 17th (let's keep our fingers crossed). There have been many cold nights (some even down to the low 20's). We've had everything covered, double covered, and thankfully, nothing died (just stunted, so it's making a slow rebound).
Then there was that time when a sudden windstorm came through and was literally pulling one of the hoop houses out of the ground. (Videos are on our Facebook page.) I was home alone and while it seems silly to take a selfie while holding down the "hatches", I don't think anyone would have believed me otherwise. Now that was a ride!
Look at this quilt one of my friends made me! Perfect Happy Birthday gift for this Farmer Girl!
There's most certainly been a lot of weeding as we clear ground to plant. If anyone wonders why we hate thistle so much, maybe this picture will help explain. Each and every part of that root system is capable of growing a new prickly plant. What a bugger to get out. Lots of weeding on the farm!
And then there's the flooding situation this year. The water levels have remained below our house's foundation, but high enough to flood our septic system, so we are currently on day 16 of no showers, or toilets, etc. The day it snowed on the outhouse (in the middle of May!) was just too memorable, so of course it's also documented with a photo. Thankfully our basement continues to stay dry and we hope to be back to something closer to normal soon.
There is also beauty ALL around!
I'm partial to the curly reds.
May 5th was the perfect day to put the plastic covers on greenhouses 3 & 4. Warm sun, blue skies and no winds. A big project finished in just a little over 3 hours!
And more and more and more... Lot's going on behind the scenes. Lot's to look forward to. Glad to have you with us.
Have a great week and ENJOY your veggies!
Tara
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