Good afternoon!
We were extraordinarily fortunate to receive such amazing weather this week! The warmers temps proved essential, leading to good germinations in some of our last plantings of 2021! We sowed turnips, radishes, kale, lettuce, mustard, and arugula that will all be harvested in late January-February. We also started a large round of seeds in the propagation house for some early Spring plantings of bok choy, head lettuce, and scallions.
The yellow carrots are perfect right now, so we will have a mixed orange and yellow bunch for all of you this week! It's a fun opportunity to add color to your plates, and taste the subtly of the two types of carrots. Late fall and winter, once the frost starts, is the best time of year to grow carrots for taste. Our soil grows great carrots. We have incorporated lots of organic material and compost into the sandy loam. Combined with using a broadfork, instead of a tiller, to break the hardpan, we get long carrots that aren't difficult to harvest. They don't grow as quickly in the fall, as spring or summer, but instead develop a sweetness that improves with declining temperatures. Fortunately, we have a great carrot crop this year, so I guarantee carrots in the shares every week until January.
Y'all have asked, so I reached out to Todd Maggio at Black Trumpet Trading Co. and the dried black trumpet mushrooms are back as an add-on! Todd has run pretty low on inventory, because he is making black trumpet ice cream that is gaining popularity-I'm glad we got some! These are my favorite mushroom. No other mushroom I've tried adds as distinct, or enjoyable a flavor to a recipe. I use the stock from the reconstitution process just like vegetable stock. I love pairing them with pasta, or cooked greens. There's cutting celery, dill, and basil as add-ons too, so you can make some really favorable main courses.
Our operation has become a four-season farm. Most folks think we slow down in the winter months, but we have learned how to do the exact opposite. It feels like peak season around here, with slightly less output. Every single bed is either planted, or being cover cropped. Crops grow a little slower, so we must plant more of each, decreasing our variety. Winter farming is fun and challenging, but necessary to balance our work load, so we aren't overwhelmed to make extra money in other seasons.
Congratulations to members Hayley and Scott Grantham on the birth of their daughter, Peyton! She's so cute, I can't wait to meet her! We love growing nutritious and healthy food for all of you with young families! Lastly, today is my 30th birthday! My mom asked me what kind of cake I wanted, and I told her that member, Ron Hiltz, makes the best cheesecake ever, and maybe ask if he would make a birthday cake. Not only did he make a beautiful cake, but used our blackberry/goumi berry jam as a topping! Thank you so much, it really is so special. I have to pack a little more veg for the farmers market, then I'm cutting a slice!
Thank you all for choosing local food!
Sincerely,
Conrad Cable
