Well folks, this is it...the final week of the CSA season! And in true last week fashion, we spent the afternoon doing some preparation for possible frost tonight. The pic above shows our dahlia patch (some of which are only just starting to bloom, so it'd be nice to get them through the first frost or two). We decided to use the existing trellis t-posts to support some row cover, so the first step was to cover the tops of the posts with something a little bit softer so they didn't just rip holes in the cover. How will it work? We really don't know, we usually seem to get a few 'scares' before we get an actual frost, but you never know! Early frosts are one of the reasons that we do an 18-week CSA season. We often get nice falls and can produce well into October, but it's not something that we feel comfortable betting on if we've got over 80 boxes per week. Instead, we taper off the CSA season while we're sure to have plenty of variety and offer additional Farm Stand boxes if the weather allows.
Speaking of the last week...it's time to stock up! We've got lots of options this week for 'keepers'. Keepers are those storage items that retain or even improve on their quality over some time (weeks to months...not years!). So these crops will tide you over into the Fall/Winter so you can be enjoying Hoot Owl produce well past the CSA season. For bulk quantities, this week we have:
- 10lb sacks of red and yellow onions (or a mix)
- 10lb sacks of Norland Red, Adirondack Blue, or Yukon Gem potatoes (or a mix)
- Garlic by the pound (either Porcelain which is milder with huge cloves for easy peeling and German Red which is spicier with slightly smaller cloves).
- Also keepers, but we don't grow in huge enough quantities for bulk ordering are our winter squash varieties: Starry Night acorn squash, Delicata, Red Kuri, Kabocha, and Spaghetti squash.
- We've also still got some 10lb. flats of tomatoes available if you'd like to make your own keepers, i.e. can some tomatoes or sauce!
Alright, since this is the last week, let us assure you that in case you've become addicted over the season, there will still be some Hoot Owl produce around for a while after the CSA season ends. Here are the highlights...
- The Farmers Market will continue through the end of September, with the last market being the 29th.
- Right after the last pick ups of the CSA, is the Kootenai Harvest Festival on September 17th. We'll be attending as vendors, and there will also be a delicious locally sourced meal, music, dancing, kids activities, raffles, and many great vendors. It'll be a fun day, 12 - 6!
- We plan to continue to do Farm Stand boxes as long as the weather and our plantings allow. We never know how far into the fall we'll have produce, but the Farm Stand boxes are a great way for us to slowly decrease our harvests as the weather cools down and the available crops return to those cold-hardy few. We'll make sure you guys as CSA members know when and where you can get a Farm Stand box if you choose to.
- The Troy Farmers Market puts on a 'Fall Bounty Market' that we often attend if we have enough produce. This market is typically in early-mid October, we'll let you know when we know if we're attending and when the date is!
So get on in there and customize your boxes like it's the last week, because it is. Let us know if you have any questions, and we'll look forward to seeing you all later in the week!
Cheers, Bonnie & Rudy
