***New farm share packaging begins this week***
This Week
The fruit harvests continue, so we will have both watermelons and cantaloupes back this week! This succession of tomatoes peaked last week, and our harvest this week is not as fruitful. Kaden and I believe we have Southern bacterial wilt affecting our tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplants. There isn't much that can be done once it is in your fields. Here is a link with more info on this nightmare of a disease. Southern Bacterial Wilt Article
We have a lot of yellow squash from our newest succession, so I increased the quantity to 2 lbs. Every week we are almost doubling the amount of okra we harvest. We love the red okra because those plants don't cause as much of an itchy skin reaction as the Clemson spineless. Additionally, the red okra is an heirloom vegetable, and I think it has some great flavor.
New batches of jam are out and this week you can add-on or swap for two of our most popular flavors, the elderflower pear jam and mayhaw jelly. There was not a mayhaw crop this year in North Louisiana, so the mayhaw jelly is even more special than it normally is! We are sold out of pint size dill pickles, but we have plenty of quarts left in stock, so keep in mind the size of the pickle jars when adding to your share. There's also pint sized jars of spicy bread and butter pickles available for add-ons or swaps. If you want a fun activity for summertime with the kiddos, then add some pickling cucumbers to your share and preserve some flavors from this season with your family! A lot of folks have been taking advantage of the awesome daikon radishes we have right now to make pickles at home. I love seeing a share with more than 6 lbs of those added! If you have extra carrots and daikon left in your fridge, pickling them together is not too difficult and is such a great culinary addition to all kinds of summer meals, especially barbeque. This is the recipe we use at the farm for pickling radishes and carrots. It's simple and easy with only six ingredients. Pickled Daikon & Carrot Recipe
Next Week
I'm seeing blooms on the green beans, and I really hope that we will have some!
Farm Update
Now that we have our wash and pack station air conditioned, we are thinking about transitioning part of it to the indoor production of microgreens. This time of year can be the most difficult time to grow microgreens outdoors. For years, we have been growing microgreens alongside all of our other transplants. The peak of summer and the dead of winter are the hardest times to keep them going. We both think that a little investment in a metal rack and grow lights would really make sense for these crops we grow. I think it would also allow us to expand our production beyond just the sunflower and pea shoots we mainly offer. Diversifying would let us grow a good MicroMix. I also want to experiment with herbs like cilantro and superfoods like wheatgrass.
Over the years, I have been pretty transparent about the farm's financials. Thanks in large to farm share members like you, last week, we had the highest grossing income week since we started farming in 2020! I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you! Without farm share members who support our growing practices, show up week after week, and send us your love and encouragement, WE WOULD NOT HAVE A FARM. There's just 4 weeks left in this growing season, and to be wrapping it up on such a strong note is much needed validation for all of the hard work Kaden and I have put in since January. I learned so much this season that has made me a better farmer. Because of your investment in our farm, we have some equipment upgrades purchased that are going to make next Spring one of our best seasons ever! I hope you like strawberries!!
***On farm share packaging. We are cutting back on paper sacks, and decided to switch to cardboard boxes for packing farm shares. We have multiple sizes to test out. Our hope is that these boxes will eliminate any damaged food and better present your share. Kaden's Prius is nearly maxed out for Monroe deliveries, so now we can fit more shares in his car by stacking them to the roof. I know a lot of folks would like to return them. If you wish to return your empty box, please save them all until our farm share season is over, and we will pick them up on the last delivery day.
