If only it could get just a little bit hotter...he says with a sarcastic tone.
Here is the good news.. the tomatoes and peppers are lovin' it. Growing like crazy and soaking up the sunshine. The brassica's are shirking ofcourse. Their true time is the fall.
Speaking of timing.. lets talk about garlic shall we. Close friends of our farm is Blackstar Urban Farm which is owned by Karen Foster. Karen was actually going to farm here this year growing exclusively our herbs and flowers but family first and she was needed at home. However...never one to be idle, while she was there, she planted and cared for about an acre of some of the finest garlic that will ever grace your kitchen. Music Hardneck Garlic is a beautiful porcelain variety with 5-7 big, easy to peel cloves with a medium hot bite and rich flavour. These have been cured and will store for months. We are getting first shot at her harvest so this is a great oportunity. As much as I would like to put it in the share, I am sensitive to the fact that for some there are strong allergies so I have to offer it alongside in our Farm Stand. You can purchase single bulbs, 1lb and 2lb bags.
We experienced some frustration last week with the heat. Fruit and produce that was fresh (and stayed fresh in our cooler) for some, turned very quickly. This has never happened before and I make a great effort to ensure everything is as close to harvest as possible. So to get emails, that said things like, "hey Mike...think you should know.." really rocked us. It was Lydia that figured it out. We are placing your produce in a cool (not overly cold room) and packing it in our re-usable grocery bags and then snuggly into the plastic totes. Then they go in the truck where they can be travelling for up to 7 hours with the A/C on. It is the plastic totes!! There is no room for the vegetables to breathe and the cold air from the front of the van isn't going all the way back. Once you see it..it totally makes sense. Soooooooooo.... out comes the hole bit and the drill ..and duct work has been purchased to jury rig an a/c vent that goes over the precious load while in transport.
I think this will do it. Everyone who had something not travel well should tell us. We will credit. You don't need to pictures or anything..we trust and believe you. I sincerely thank everyone who wrote in because this is what makes us better. Our goal is that your share is something that delights you every single week. This is a process.
Hey... here is one for you before I go.
It takes its cloves off :-p
Enjoy.
~Michael
