View from the Tractor
ay! Week 5 of the CSA has finally arrived, marking a quarter of the way through the season. Normally, at this point, we'd be discussing the heat in the fields. But this season, things are different. On Wednesday, my son Aiden asked if we could build a fire in the fireplace. I had to explain to him that having a fire in July just felt incredibly unusual, so instead, I bundled him up in a jacket.
Despite the cool weather, our summer crops in the fields are holding on, and we're even starting to see the peppers and eggplants bloom with beautiful flowers. However, this cooler weather has slowed down growth and production on the farm. The inch of rain we received this week turned the farm back into a swamp. Interestingly, I heard that even if we didn't get any more rain for the rest of the year, we would still surpass the average rainfall for the year. Hopefully, the fields will dry out soon, and we can resume planting. Our next plantings will include cabbages, cauliflower, salad mix, and leeks. Rest assured, the bounty will soon flow abundantly.
We want to express our heartfelt gratitude for sticking with us throughout this challenging year. Once again, if the value of your share is off by more than $4, we will add a credit to your account. You can use this credit at any time, for any products, for the remainder of the season.
Warm regards, Michael and all the Farmers at Kilt Farm.
Fruit Share Update
We are only two short weeks away from the beginning of our 12 week fruit share. The fruit share starts later than the veggie share because Colorado fruit take a little longer to mature. It has been wonderful to have some early season fruit over the past two weeks, but the early season on fruit is always a gamble. Soon we will start to see apricots, plums, peaches and then later in the season we will have apples and pears.
If you have a fruit share, there is nothing else you will need to do. Starting the week of July 19th we will be packing fruit for the fruit shares.
We will also do our best to have fruit available as an add on if you did not purchase a full season fruit share.
Featured Add-Ons
If you want to spice up breakfast, what better way than to pair fresh fruit with local honey?
Try dicing up your fresh fruit and throw them into a yogurt parfait with some local Kilt Farm Raw Honey drizzled on top! Or if you're feeling adventurous, we love making our own granola from scratch-- and it's not as hard as you might think: All you need is uncooked rolled oats, diced peaches & apricots, some seeds or nuts (think anything crunchy-- like pepitas, pecans, or sunflower seeds), and any other fillings of your choosing (dried cranberries, cacao nibs, or even coconut flakes). Toss your ingredients in a bowl with warmed up honey, spread out the mixture on a baking sheet, and bake at 350° till golden brown.
You can use this granola for cereal, in your yogurt parfaits, or as a snack for a tasty, fresh-from-the-farm, home-cooked bite!
This honey works beautifully in marinades, bases for jams and jellies, on PB&J's for the kiddos' lunches, or scooped straight out of the jar. We are grateful to be able to partner with Nimbus Road Apiary to make this sustainable, nutritious, and perfectly sweet one-of-a-kind honey.
... And of course, we will continue to offer our wonderful mushrooms from Hazel Dell, wholesome & hearty pasta from Pastificio, fun treats from Pueblo Seed & Food Co, and gorgeous bouquets from The Fresh Herb Co.
Save the Date
We will be hosting a Summer Farm Celebration on Saturday, August 12th!
The Farm Celebration will be family-friendly with a hay ride farm tour, farm snacks, and beverages. As a small farm, the gathering of our members in celebration of land, nourishment, and community is incredibly special for us. We look forward to seeing old faces and new at this coming celebration, and we hope to have another farm tour celebration in the fall when pumpkins are flourishing in the fields!
More details on the Summer Farm Celebration will be provided as we near the date, so stay tuned.
We look forward to sharing this week's bounties with you in the upcoming CSA. Wishing you good community, good health, and good food.
