Repeat information from last week for our every-other week members: June is the month that Summer officially begins (the Summer Solstice is in just over ten days away!), our farm starts peak harvest period, Tomatoes and all Summer crops start really rolling, and we get to see how this year's group of plants and people handle the heat! It always feels like 85 things are happening on the farm at once, there are SO MANY delicious things to eat, we start preserving the extra abundant harvest for future eating (pickling, canning, drying, fermenting...) plus we're keeping our minds on finding opportunities to sneak off the farm and go for a swim and/or a hike. (Sundays are our only potential opportunities for those beloved non-farm activities. These moments are treasured.)
For those of you new(er) to the farm, or even those who have been with us for a decade or more, here's a peak of what the farm looks like from above.
In general, we have buildings in the middle of the farm (our house, our barn...) and the fields and hoop-houses of vegetables are in an oval shape around the buildings. We use permanently-shaped beds in all of the growing areas in order to make the most efficient use of amendments we add to the soil, plus reduce soil compaction. We plant multiple crops in any given area throughout the season, so even though all of the fields are currently fully planted, after we harvest the last spring crops, all of the fields will be planted again with summer crops. It's a highly coordinated system between spreadsheets, seeding baby plants in the greenhouse, prep beds in the fields for planting, tend (prune, trellis, treat organically for any pests and/or disease), harvest, then we pull out crop residue (to our giant compost piles) and start over again.
All of this results in so much/many amazing food and flowers!
Other vegetable notes:
- Summer Squash really shines when you slice it lengthwise, marinate it in oil with salt + black pepper + garlic, and then grill it. Oh my.
- Rainbow Swiss Chard is related to Spinach. Treat them the same. They are both very creamy and incredible when you wilt the greens in a saute pan with butter and then served with eggs and/or pasta with cheese sauce.
- Our Cucumbers are best NOT peeled! Enjoy those peels! (and the tiny seeds)
- Dice Radishes and stir with softened cream cheese and use as a sandwich spread. Mixing in the herb blend called Sandwich Sprinkle from Penzey's Spices elevates it to the next level. Top with slices of Cucumbers.
- KALE and CHARD: Eat as raw salad, or use as a base for a Cava-style grain bowl (there are LOTS of versions of this recipe online), or dry it and powder it for use as a supplement, or freeze it for use in smoothies all summer long. SEASONAL NOTE: We will have Kale each week between now and July 1. Then we won't have any Kale until maybe late September. If you want to use Kale in July, August, and/or the first few weeks in September, you need to preserve it! Freezing is best.
- Preparation ideas and recipe suggestions will be below your share contents in your confirmation email sent the morning of pick up day. Also check out our Pinterest Page for lots of recipe ideas, organized by vegetable.
Around our house we have a number of fruit crops that we grow just for our family. Growing most types of fruit using organic methods in this region and climate is more challenging than growing vegetables using organic/Certified Naturally Grown methods. (That's why there are SO FEW local, organically grown fruits in this area! The Certified Naturally Grown Blueberries at Swift Creek Berry Farm are a notable exception. We love partnering with them during Blueberry season to make their Blueberries available to you!) Our family has a goal of growing all of the fruit we consume (with the exception of just adding in Blueberries from Swift Creek). We know that the labor involved to get these fruits to harvest makes them not a reasonable part of a business plan. :) It is, however, a labor of love for our children during the summer. They are picking and freezing and canning and covered in dark purple mulberry juice plus other fruit remnants. There are very dirty hands and knees and feet on our children this time of year! There are a multitude of sacrifices our kids make because they are farm kids, but bathing in fruit juices and assembling their breakfasts from the plants around their home is a gift we can give them, and we are all grateful for it.
A couple of field and hoophouse pics for you from the farm last week:
The general way that we approach vegetables is to chop or slice them small-ish and then mix with a great sauce or dressing. Cabbage (of any kind) + Kale or Chard or Spinach + Radishes + Carrots + Beets + Cucumbers + Dressing = perfect base for lunch and dinner. Try it!
Also remember to shred Carrots and Beets (raw!) and add to sandwiches or wraps with Lettuces and cheese and other protein. So, so good.
The general way that we approach vegetables is to chop or slice them small-ish and then mix with a great sauce or dressing. Cabbage (of any kind) + Kale or Chard or Spinach + Radishes + Carrots + Beets + Cucumbers + Dressing = perfect base for lunch and dinner. Try it!
Also remember to shred Carrots and Beets (raw!) and add to sandwiches or wraps with Lettuces and cheese and other protein. So, so good.
Bread Share members: You'll get a SEPARATE email to customize your bread share in just a few moments.
To Customize Your Share:
Each time you are scheduled to have a share, you'll receive an email from us 2 days prior. It should have subject line "Time to Customize Your Share." The software will create a default share for you (based on your indicated preferences and what we have available to harvest) and list those default contents in the email. The email also contains a link saying "Want to make changes to your share or add extras?" Click on that link to customize your share! Customization ends between 6 and 7 am on the day before your pick up day (depending on the time of year and thus how early we start harvesting). The cut off time is always specified in the email.
For Pick Up:
- Same for cooler(s) at pick up locations with any cold items that aren't vegetables (eggs, fermented vegetables, etc...See below for more info.)
- Preparation ideas and recipe suggestions are in your email. Also check out our Pinterest Page for lots of recipe ideas, organized by vegetable.
Self-serve Pick Up looks something like these (with seasonal variation!):
Additionally, we send an e-newsletter a couple of times per season to let folks know what's growing and happening on the farm, what recipes we're digging, and any special events. We've added your email address to our list of recipients.
We so deeply appreciate the opportunity to farm for you. Thank you for being the most important part of our farm! We love you!
With blessings on your meals ~
Janet, Dan, and the whole Broadfork crew (Julie, Siera, Leah, Erica, Tait, Alisa, Jen, and the farm kids)
