Well, we just finished our weekly field walk and WOW - things are really happening out there. In past seasons, we've had to wait a little longer for the abundance of summer to really come upon us but it's starting now. That's thanks to farming in a warmer zone than we did in Orangeville, and to the continued development of our systems of production and efficiency. There's barely time to breathe between the wild rush of spring, getting everything in the ground, and the long harvest days of the summer.
I read a great quote the other day about this time of year on a farm: "The sort of days where sleep is encouraged in name only but not underwritten by any supporting programs".
But there's plenty of joy to be had in the first harvest of many favourite veggies. Juicy cucumbers and crisp carrots, fruity tomatoes and sweet peas. It's a special time of year, when everything is just beginning.
Our 13-year old nephew, Tristan (my brother's kid) is here at the farm for two weeks of farm camp! We're super excited to have him here.
What's on this Week
At week 4, we are still straddling spring and summer, so we've got a really big list of veggies available for you.
The radishes we planted between our onions are needing to come out. We planted 4 beds instead of 2 by accident! So we're pulling out everything that's left, topping them, and packaging them in 1lb bags. They might last til next week, but not longer than that. So enjoy the last radishes of the spring/summer - we'll have more in the fall. Same goes with bok choy - this will be the last couple weeks for it, and then back again in the fall. This is also the last week for our beautiful scallions, until our next planting matures.
This week we'll harvest the last of our broccoli and cauliflower. These are trickier crops for us, especially grown in the spring, so we're pretty pleased with how they turned out. The voles got to a lot of our transplants so we don't have as many as we'd like. We were also planning a second planting but we got bogged down in the spring and ran out of time and room in the field. Planting them in landscape fabric really helped with the weeds though! Lots still to learn. We've expanded our plans for our fall crop of broccoli and cauliflower, so hopefully you'll see more of these lovelies then.
- not really sure what made these guys look so funky, but it doesn't seem to impact the flavour
Kale, chard, salad mix, and lettuce are back again as our weekly staples! This week we have romaine again - next week we'll have our red butterhead and green oakleaf again. We also have a limited amount of spinach. We've noticed a bit of a slug problem which is causing some damage to some of the leaves of our lettuce and salad mix. This is a new conundrum for us so we're in the research phase.
CARROTS! The carrots we grew in our hoophouse early this spring are ready. We've got plenty. And we have beets as well again this week. If you haven't noticed, we grow three varieties - red, golden, and candy-stripe.
Zucchini and cucumber - now that they've started, we don't expect them to stop for quite a while! We try to harvest them at a small to medium size. Our cucumbers are a mix of pickling cukes and slicer cukes - however, they are all great for fresh eating!
PEAS!!!! The peas are here! We grow two varieties - a shelling pea and a sugarsnap pea. We love them both. The sugarsnap peas are special because you can eat the shell - seriously, eat the shell. So crunchy and sweet, the perfect snack. We've got loads of these and should be harvesting them for 2-3 weeks, and then that's that! So please enjoy this spring/early summer treat while its here :)
official pea taster
CHERRY TOMATOES - these are really starting to pop, we're so delighted by them every time we go in our greenhouse. We have just a small amount available this week, so you might find them in your share. They will continue to become more and more abundant as the weeks go on, with plenty for everyone.
Strathroy Farmers' Market
The Market is opening this weekend! Remember, you can reschedule your share to pick up either at the market or at the farm by going into your Harvie profile. But you have to reschedule it before Monday of the week you're getting your share. (If you don't reschedule it on time, send me an email and we'll make arrangements - but try to keep the Monday date in mind :))
Customization
Don't forget that you have til Tuesday at 9pm every week to customize your share. When we have a large amount of produce available, Harvie will likely give you as much variety as possible. But you can always go in your share and adjust it if you want multiples of certain items (for example, swap out your kale and add another pint of peas). If your share goes over $25 by swapping or adding extras, you'll pay the difference (charged to your credit card).
Additionally, there are more items available then those that end up in your share, so do take a look in case there is something you'd like to swap or add :)
NEW WEEKLY ADD-ON: ZandBee Co Flowers!
We are pairing up with our local bee keepers and flower-growers - Nick and Brittany of ZandBee Co!
They have the three bee hives on our farm, and they do a mix of rural and urban gardening, with a focus this year on flowers. Brittany makes beautiful seasonal bloom bouquets from the flowers they grow, which we'll be offering to you to purchase as extras on a weekly basis. The bouquets come in mason jars, wrapped in kraft paper. They are made of 15-20 stems, and come with flower food and care instructions. The actual flowers making up the bouquets will change on a weekly basis depending on what's available, just like our farm shares! This week, they are featuring the first sunflower blooms of the season!
They are $18 each.
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An example of one of ZandBee's weekly bouquets
Two More Local Shout Outs:
Frisa Farms
We'd like you to know a bit about our neighbours at Frisa Farms - they are literally across the road from us! They are egg farmers who have complete control of their production from start to finish - which is very uncommon in the industry! They raise their own chicks, grow their own feed, and everything is composted back onto their fields at the end. They grade their own eggs, which allows them to sell their own eggs to customers. They also have pasture-raised chickens for meat. In short, they are a very cool family employing some innovative systems and agricultural practices. Check them out on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrisaFarms/.. You can pre-order eggs and chicken from them online and pick up from 12-4:30pm on Thursdays. To get to the farm, turn left at the end of our driveway and they are the first lane way on the right. Long green barns! 30130 Centre Rd.
The Whole Grain Hearth
Members who picked up last year from the market might remember these guys. They are amazing bakers who source local, organic grains which they mill themselves. They have a wide variety of pastries and breads and other goodies. They are currently selling through their online store and offer delivery to Strathroy. Check out their website here https://www.thewholegrainhearth.ca/
Have a great week everyone, and enjoy your veggies!
Your farmers,
Kim and Alex
