Good afternoon!
One year ago this week, we started our Fall 2020 CSA season. This season started almost 7 weeks earlier, and will hopefully continue into the new year! I have asked the Harvie crew to add a few extra weeks, pushing the shares into January. I'm feeling confident in our crop plan, and the investments we have made into extending our Winter capacity. This time of year is just so special. The pasture and surrounding trees go brown, but our fields are full of the most wonderful shades of green.
We had a light frost this week, 34 degrees Friday morning. It was enough to damage the leaves in a few volunteer squash, but all other crops are looking great! They should all start to taste a bit sweeter as more cool weather arrives. Cool weather crops convert starch to sugar. When the sugar is combined with water in their cells, the process allows for survival below freezing temperatures. We use the caterpillar tunnels and row cover to protect frost sensitive for when the temps drop below 28. The peppers, basil, and Fall tomatoes should continue through December! We will deliver shares on Dec 21 and 23, (gotta share these veggies with your families!), then take a brief break, returning the week of January 4.
Our propagation house is pretty enjoyable to work inside of during the mornings. We closed off the ends, so the seedlings and microgreens are protected at night and stay warm during the day. This week, we are offering a microgreen mix, plus the sunflower shoots, pea shoots, and radish microgreens will all be in the salad mix! The mix this week is my absolute favorite product to grow and eat. I have the utmost confidence to say that our mix is of a higher quality than salad mix you can find in the grocery store (Whole Foods included), or from any other farm in north Louisiana.
Leafy greens are here to stay, so all of the usual suspects are in the share this week-kale, lots of varieties of mustard, Asian greens, and lettuce! Most of the first plantings of broccoli have started producing their heads, so not long until I will be adding those to the shares! We should go until January cutting broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Next week, mesclun mix featuring endive will be added. Hopefully, the following week, we will get the first broccoli, celery, and slicing tomatoes!
Catch us at the Ruston Farmers Market on Saturday! We have lots of new jams! If you are in Monroe, Mercantile Monroe on Walnut St has around 8 flavors, some of which are the last their batches like mayhaw, strawberry, blackberry jam and black mission fig.
I hope you cook something delicious this week!
Sincerely,
Conrad Cable
