Hi friends! This is Jena, the barn manager and chef liaison at ESF. I'm helping Farmer Mike out by writing the Farm Happening for this week as we're still deep in planting season and time is our most precious commodity. Our hothouse cucumbers are setting fruit like crazy and our fields are now full of quickly growing chard, kohlrabi, onions, kale, Asian specialty greens and more. Field cucumbers, delicata, patty pans and green and yellow zucchini started getting their days in the sun and Iber and I are going to be putting over 5,000 cherry and slicing tomatoes, hot and sweet peppers, and eggplants in the ground before the month ends. I can't even count how many colours of sunflowers, snapdragons, and marigolds for our vibrant summer bouquets just went into Field 1. And yes, we're hoping to see scapes from our 3-foot-tall garlic within the next two weeks!
This week is all about our specialty greens and lettuces: my flashy heirloom radicchio and troutback lettuce heads make any plate feel fancy, beet greens for all the juicing, baby mustard mix makes a comeback and our green leaf this week is a wonderfully crisp, crunchy Batavian that tastes like what iceberg wishes it was. Try it on sandwiches and burgers or cut the leaves into ribbons for taco night. Our chives are also blossoming so it's the perfect time to order a bunch along with a box of nasturtium blossoms to add flavor and colour to any dish. Don't forget a loaf of sourdough and fresh flowers for the table!
I'm looking forward to baking your bread, packing your orders, and to the next time I get to write.
Until then, take care and enjoy!
- Jena and the Earth Spring Farm Team
REMINDERS FOR A SUCCESSFUL PICKUP!
Hello Members! This is Morgan, the CSA manager, chiming in! It's time for another round of quick reminders to make sure everything runs smoothly at pickup.
1. READ YOUR LABEL! It's essential that you ONLY take what you ordered, and nothing else! We've had some issues with folks taking someone else's box, grabbing someone else's eggs, etc. Sad for other people, expensive for the farm. So please double-check your label, take the box with your name on it, and take ONLY what's printed on the label. If something is missing, please email me at morgan@earthspring.farm to let me know!
2. COME DURING PICKUP HOURS! We're running a tight schedule on the farm, and on Saturdays in DC, so it's important that you pick up your share during the allotted pickup hours. Market staff isn't available to help before market opens, and we sometimes need the extra time before our neighborhood pickups begin. Thanks for respecting the pickup schedule for us and our hosts!
3. RETURN YOUR BOXES! Most people like to just take their produce out of the box and leave the box at the pickup location. That's great! You're welcome to take boxes home, but please remember to return them. Thank you! Boxes should be disassembled and left flat. Follow the steps below to help us keep our boxes in working order for as long as possible.
Thanks for being with us this season. We're happy to be your farmers!
