Well it definitely feels like summer now. This is exactly what we need for those peppers and tomatoes to ripen.
My day is starting much earlier now (sunrise) and I head inside to wash eggs and do office work around noon. Then I head back outside again around 6pm and work until sundown. All the harvesting must be done in the cool early morning to maintain freshness.
I have a special on eggs this week. Since the bakery and restaurants, who normally purchase my eggs have closed because of the pandemic, I am overwhelmed with eggs, getting about 85 a day now. Please take advantage of this surplus by ordering a flat of 30 medium sized eggs for $9. Try baking a quiche or strata, zucchini bread, or bread pudding.
Weekly Pick up Reminders . . .
On-Farm Pick ups:
- We now have families picking up Thursday and Saturdays at the farm. As you enter the gates, please turn left and drive down the hill to park your car with the front of the car facing the fence/Daily Lane. You will see a “Visitor Parking” sign. We continue to have a bottleneck in the driveway when a couple cars stop for a quick pick up and then another car has to wait out on Daily Ln. for them to turn around and depart.
- During the hot days of summer, I will wait until you arrive to retrieve your produce box from the cooler so that it’s not sitting out in the heat. If you are in a hurry, please text me when you are on your way and I’ll have it ready for you when you arrive.
- A mask is not required as long as you maintain the 6 ft. social distancing requirement. Only handle your own produce box too please. Each box is sanitized prior to packing and is handled only by one, gloved person to minimize handling of your food. Eat well and stay well.
True Juice Pick ups:
- A mask is now required as you enter the premise.
- True Juice is undergoing a major remodel so you will find your produce box in the dance studio with a lot of storage clutter. Please forgive the mess . . . it’s a tough transition to make. True Juice, Daily Blessings Farm, Sun Horse Apothacary and many others in the community are developing a Rogue Valley Wellness Coop. True Juice is our home base and when the pandemic has ended we will be offering all kinds of different classes that promote health and wellness.
- True Juice has graciously allowed me to use their location at no charge so you don’t have to drive out to the farm to pick up your produce. Please make sure you thank them and try something on the menu.
This Week in Your Box …..
Basil: Yum! I can smell the basil as I walk the field each day and harvested several cups of beautiful leaves to make garlic pesto. This is my first harvest of the Sweet Italian Large Leaf basil. This week’s harvest provides a smaller bunch than you’ll see in future weeks as I snip off the center stem. This causes the plant to focus its energy on generating more leaves and not flowering. Basil is a difficult plant to store after harvest because it wilts SO easily. It wilts immediately after harvesting, so I cut it the day before I pack your boxes and allow it to recover overnight in buckets of water at room temperature. The best way to store cut basil is on the original stem in a glass/vase of water. Change the water daily and pick off the leaves as you use them. Any exposure to cold causes the leaves to blacken.
Summer Squash: All four types are available this week. Yellow crookneck/straight neck, green zucchini, 8-ball zucchini, and Y-star yellow scallop summer squash.
Trio Green Beans: I’m seeing a few more yellow and purple beans in the mix now. Did you discover what happens to the purple beans when you cook them?
Cucumbers: The traditional green Marketmore cucumbers are plentiful this week and lemon cucumbers should be ready next week. Armenians will be ready in about a month.
Lettuce: You have several lettuce choices this week.
- Gourmet Salad Mix: A mixture of 10 different kinds of baby leaf red and green letttuces. Many members said they gobbled it up in 2-3 days so you might want to order an extra bag.
- Hearts of Mini Romaine
- Red and Green Salanova – NEW this week as an extra!
Radishes: I’m still gathering these pink, red and purple cuties. They have been growing under the shady leaves of the cauliflower and broccoli so that the heat doesn’t impact them. This is called companion planting – when one plant helps the other grow in some way.
Red Beets: We will have a large harvest of these this week. You can order them in bunches (with tops) or “loose” (without tops).
Orange Beets: These Touchstone Gold heirloom beets are my absolute favorite. I hope you like them too. Compare the flavors with traditional red beets. They are very limited in supply so this is your best opportunity to try them. I didn’t leave many in the field to grow bigger.
Swiss Chard: A perfect choice for a quiche this week?
Kale: A mixture of Toscano, Lacinato flat leaf varieties combined with curly Red and White Russian varieties.
Arugula: The arugula is struggling in the heat and won’t be with us much longer. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Carrots: This week I harvested the long, Napoli carrots. I still have lots of the short Parisienne carrots if you want them too”. I’ve listed them separately on this week’s delivery, and cut off the tops-described as “loose”, so you can choose.
Lots of Extras:
- EGGS! Try this week’s special . . .
- Flat of 30 medium - $9
- Dozen Lg - $4.50
- Dozen XL/Jumbo - $5
- Limited Supply of Homemade Garlic Scape Pesto. This is an 8 oz container of pesto made with garlic scapes, basil and cashews. You are going to love it!
- Fresh Lavender Bouquets wrapped in white tissue paper and tied with a silk purple bow from Brambleberry Hollow (our honey provider) and owner of our on-farm bees. This is organic, culinary lavender so you can eat it or craft with it.
- Baking Zucchinni’s. All 1.25 to 2 lbs in size. Perfect for baking, shredding or stuffing.
- Organic Strawberries by the pint. Limited supply!
- Organic Cranberry Dry Beans – Delicious pink/purple pinto beans. Just 1 lb left.
- Organic Flowers Bouquets from Pistil Farm. Available in a small or large bouquet.
- Organic Soothing Hand Salve. Perfect for those irritated, chapped skin from hand washing.
- Organic Dried Basil made from our own Sweet Italian Basil.
- Organic Dried pepper flakes made from our own mixture of poblano, red and green bell, padrone and paprika peppers
- Red Ace Beets – Loose (without tops)
- Parisienne Carrots – Loose (without tops)
- NEW! Salanova Lettuce. Available in both red and green. This head cuts away easily with uniform, easy release leaves making your own salad mix a breeze.
What’s Happening On The Farm?
I’m sad to share that the Painted Rooster Bakery has temporarily closed due to the pandemic restrictions. As a result, their delicious bagels won’t be available until they reopen again. I am working with the owner to hopefully sell their breads directly through our CSA while they are closed to the public. This will help keep 8 people employed and continue to deliver fresh, delicious organic bread to you
A summer routine is working out now irrigating and harvesting every morning, followed by washing, packing and then heading inside for egg washing, office work until the evening arrives for weeding and fertilizing. . It’s essential to harvest the summer squash and cucumbers daily because they grow 1 – 2” every day. They can quickly grow into a non-marketable size. This morning I felt like I was at football practice as I launched at least 20 squash into the chicken pen. Then I put the rest in the tractor loader and dumped it in the orchard for the deer. How quickly it all gets away from me when I’m not looking.
My story . . .
A few members have asked me about my farming experience so I thought I’d share a brief history with you. I worked in education for 14 years; specifically with marginalized populations: special education with moderate to severe disabilities, non-English speakers and migrant camp kids primarily in Jr. high school. I started developing school gardens which quickly because outdoor classrooms, and my passion for agriculture was born. Over 26% of my student population arrived to school hungry every day and it was apparent that food, not only essential before learning could take place, became a common ground to share with all students. I worked with Davis Farm to School, local legislature and the school district to grow enough food, with the students participating, to introduce a fresh salad bar in 22 schools. The kids loved eating and seeing fresh produce that they had helped grow and trying new flavors. My non-English speaking students began to make connections with foods and tools as we worked outside. They taught me their language as I taught them English. I often found the migrant camp students sitting in detention after school so I invited them to work in the garden with me as a positive way to influence them with purposeful movement and skill building. Finally, my special education students enjoyed many benefits of the garden particularly for sensory stimulation. They enjoyed tasting flavors, smelling herbs, feeling textures, and sometimes just exercising to a point that they could return to a general education classroom and sit still during instruction. It was a positive outlet for all students. As a result, I wanted to more directly influence healthy eating through agriculture education. When my father passed away, I was provided the opportunity to return to Grants Pass and begin farming on the land that I grew up on. My family purchased this land in 1972 and we built all the structures on the property ourselves. Now I can return service to the community that raised and supported my education as a student. Thank you for providing me the opportunity to do that!
Have a wonderful week.
Blessings,
Carrie
