Hi, it’s been a while

Posted byEllen and ColePosted inFarm Update

Time flies. Our 35 week harvest season is just about two-thirds of the way through. The time is flying by – we have been busier than ever on the farm and raising a toddler. We have been quiet over email nearly the whole season!

We’d like to share some of the best of what’s been happening at the farm right now. If you’ve been visiting us at the market, we thank you for your patronage and hope you have been enjoying the particularly tasty and abundant harvest this year.

What’s abundant right now:
– Lettuce – huge, tender, many types to choose from
– Carrots – perfectly sweet after cold weather in February
– Strawberries – finally! warm weather has our strawberries producing in large numbers now
– Green Beans – best we’ve ever grown – have you tasted them?
– Sweet Peppers – enough said
– Cherry Tomatoes – always
– Heirloom and Red Slicing Tomates – time to make sauce.
– Romanesco Cauliflower – try it if you haven’t, about a month longer for cauliflower season.
– Celery – our famous celery is in season. This year we also have pink celery. Check it out!
– Green Garlic – a spring treat, young garlic pulled before maturity. Use the whole bulb, stem and leaves like regular garlic. Delicious fresh flavor!

What crops are on the horizon:
Cucumbers, Summer Squash, Basil – We are approaching that magical time of year when nearly any vegetable under the sun is in season. Take advantage of all that diversity in your kitchen!

Flowers flowers flowers:
Did you visit us at the market this past weekend? If so, you likely noticed the booth overflowing with spring blooms. We are swimming in snapdragons and larkspur right now. Ranunculus season is nearing its end. This coming Saturday will likely be the final week for ranunculus. Ranunculus will be followed by spring “wildflowers” like agrostemma, bachelor’s buttons, bupleurum, and queen anne’s lace. The season for those flowers is also short, so don’t miss them!

On the farm:
We are busier than ever. This time of year the farm team is planting, harvesting, sowing, seeding, tending, trellising, and prepping new ground every single day to keep the crops flowing, plants happy, the flowers cut, and new crops coming. With a series of new tools and systems this year, we have freed up lots of time on the farm to also continue work on ongoing projects throughout the season, like irrigation and structural improvements. We have also unfortunately been dealing with repeated truck issues, and our market truck is still down for major repairs. We got our hands on a hard-to-find refrigerated rental which is getting the job done for the time being. We are grateful for that! 

Farm Member update:
With much of the season behind us, you may be ready or nearly ready to add more funds to your Farm Card. You can reload your card funds online here. If you’re unsure of your current Farm Card balance, you can check that here.

This month in photos:

The green garlic is ready! This is what a garlic plant looks like before it is mature. You can (and should) mince up the entire plant, including the leaves. There is something very special about green garlic in the springtime. We will be enjoying fresh young garlic in everything over the next two months!
Some organic carrots we are trialing this season. Each carrot pictured here is a different variety. Each variety of vegetable has its own unique traits from appearance, growth habit, culture specifications, plant health and adaptability, flavor, and more. We are always looking for the right balance of variety characteristics, with a strong emphasis on flavor. We are continuously conducting multi-year trials of different crops to make sure we are always improving and producing the best crops available. It is a lot of work behind the scenes, but we know it’s worth it. This year we also wrapped up a trial of green beans we have been working on in collaboration with Johnny’s Selected Seeds for the last three years. We identified some new winning beans on our farm! Once we think we have found the best possible varieties, we start the process all over again. You can really see and taste the difference.
Bachelor’s buttons are beginning to bloom. Our spring “wildflower” season begins in the middle of March and lasts for only about 2-3 weeks. Look out for these spring ephemeral flowers – bachelor’s buttons, queen anne’s lace, agrostemma, and bupleurum at the market these next few weeks. Though we call these flowers “wild,” we actually cultivate them in the field like the rest of our more well-known flower varieties. We plant these flowers in the fall and tend them all winter long just to experience the joy they bring for a few weeks in the springtime. Don’t miss them!
Veggie tray by Cole’s mom, Bonnie. This is a great idea for enjoying the organic bounty right now!! We ate a whole tray in a week (thanks Bonnie!).

And that is our update from here on the farm. 

We look forward to seeing everyone this weekend at the market!

All the best,
Ellen and Cole

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