Welcome back to week 14 of the 2022 Flat Tack Farm CSA program!
What's Happening?!
The next apple variety is ripe and ready! It's from a very old tree, which we think might be an heirloom Jonathan. The fruit is great for fresh eating with a nice sweet/tart balance and a wonderful aroma. It was introduced/discovered in 1864 and is a very common variety grown in the US. We took over management of the apple orchard at the farm last year and have been slowly pruning and rehabilitating the trees. They were quite a mess and hadn't been taken care of for at least 5-10 years prior to our arrival. It's a slow process, but we are so excited to be able to have delicious fruit to offer. In the orchard there are various apples, pears, plums, and a younger cherry tree. This week we will have 1 lb. shares of the Jonathan apples available.
Harvest is in full swing right now! Some of the fun items coming up are Eggplant, Cukamelons, Cherry Tomatoes, Tomatillos, Peppers, Basil, lettuce, potatoes and lots and lots of garlic. The tomatoes are finally ripening!!! Yay!
Also ready for those home brewers out there- HOPS! We have a bountiful amount of Cascade and Willamette hops available. Beyond brewing- hops also make great tinctures/tea and aromatic pillows to help with sleep & relaxation. They are also said to be great for weight loss, aiding in digestion and inflammation, menstrual cramping /menopause, and are antibacterial! One traditional use was making a hop pillow to help improve sleep.
We will also be doing our annual potato dig this Friday at 2 pm and would love to have some help! It's been challenging this season for us to maintain a full work crew and we are currently down 1 employee. We have a handful of volunteers that come out on occasion, but for our larger harvests- it really helps to have a few more helping hands. It takes a village!
Volunteer Call for the Annual Potato Dig
Details:
We dig the potatoes by hand with digging forks and put them into bags to store in a cool spot. After we're done harvesting, we do a potato boil/potato bar where everyone can feast on fresh potatoes. It's fun for the whole family and a great way to get out and get your hands dirty.
To RSVP please email flattackfarm@gmail.com and let us know how many people would like to attend.
Date: Friday 8-26 from 2 pm to 6 pm
Please bring: gloves, hat, sunscreen, water bottles and wear clothes/footwear that you don't mind getting dirty. If you've got an extra pitch fork or digging fork, bring that too! Also, bring their favorite potato topping for the potato feast after the dig. Please leave furry friends at home.
Thank you for supporting your local farmers,
Kelly, Patrick & the Flat Tack team
