This is week 2 of our Farm Share! It was so wonderful getting to see our members last week, reconnecting with both returning and new members. It feels like our season has truly begun, so let the ride begin!
For half of our bi-weekly members, it is your first week! Here is my welcome intro from our last newsletter – if you’re new this week, give it a read:
I like to take this time each year to thank you for signing up. Your membership fuels our farm! With your early financial support, we are able to purchase the many items we need to buy each spring. With your commitment to purchase from us weekly, we are able to plan in advance our vegetable production and reduce waste. And getting to know you gives what we do meaning, as we know the people we are feeding. Where and how we buy our food is a huge decision, and we don’t take it lightly that you have chosen us. We will be doing our very best to provide you with a wide variety of high quality produce this year!
What’s in the Share This Week:
Green continues to be the theme for the first few weeks of June. We have salad mix, spring onions, green garlic and kohlrabi. Two new green items this week are head lettuce and little gems. Well, the head lettuce is actually red (it’s gorgeous). The little gems are our popular mini romaines. They’re like the crispy heart of the romaine. Try using the leaves instead of bread for tuna salad, or something similar. Radishes won’t be ready until next week, but we have some hakurei turnips again, which you may or may not see in your share. Our kale and chard are currently in short supply, since they seem to have struggled in our wet north beds. Fortunately we have new kale transplants ready to go in the ground, so we should have more and more of this crop as the summer goes on.
I find spring produce is excellent for stir fries and omelettes (and salads, of course). Remember, green garlic can be used in place of regular cloves of garlic for any recipe.
Little gem with tuna!
What kohlrabi looks like peeled and sliced.
Vegetable Storage Tip
Remove the leaves off of your root vegetables before putting them in the fridge (bonus #2 - you can eat the leaves of radishes, beets, and kohlrabi, just use them like chard or kale!). The roots will keep on drawing moisture and energy from the root, making it wilt faster. If you store the roots in a plastic bag or container inside your fridge, they'll last a long time.
On The Farm
This week, we are finally getting our winter squash and melon into the field. A little later than we wanted, but they have plenty of time to grow. On our field walk today, we saw baby cucumbers and squash! So exciting. Our mini cabbages are also well on their way, as are peas, beets, and radishes, turnips, carrots, and more! The field is full of life out there – toads, snakes, fledgling robins, orioles and swallows and red-winged blackbirds, spiders, ladybugs, bunnies (not so great for the kale, but at least someone is happy), daisies and clovers. It feels inspiring and humbling to be but one living thing amongst so much life. On the farm, we get the chance to be immersed in nature while we softly carve out our small space amongst it.
Cucumbers and zucchinis looking happy - thank you planting party folks!
Baby zucchini Baby Cucumber
Admin Details + Reminders
You’ll have until 11:55pm. on Tuesday, June 7th to customize your share. Not sure how? Follow this how-to: https://harvie.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/1260802865550-Customizing-Your-Box-
If you need to switch your pick-up location, skip, hold or reschedule a delivery you can learn how to do that here: https://harvie.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001542514-How-to-skip-reschedule-or-change-a-delivery-location
Have another question? You can probably find the answer at Harvie University here: https://harvie.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/categories/115000048773-Harvie-University-Members
Farm Pick Up Procedure
Pick up on the farm is on Thursdays between 3pm-7pm. We like to be organized and have everything ready before 3pm, but please don't be tempted to arrive early because sometimes, as with all things, we're not done til the last minute.
Our address is 30073 Centre Rd, Strathroy. We're down a long driveway, with a sign at the top of the driveway. Pick up happens outside our packhouse, with the big red and yellow doors. It's just on the left about halfway down the driveway. There's a small gravel parking area there.
Tips: Put your turn signal on early when slowing down– cars drive fast along this road and get impatient if they don’t know you’re turning. Please don’t turn around in our neighbours driveways. Be mindful of other cars coming and going, as we have a narrow driveway.
Market Pick up
Find us at the market, we’ll have your share ready for you! Covent Garden Market (outdoors) is from 8-1 and Strathroy 8-12.
Green Bags
We’re REALLY excited to be packing our shares in these green reusable bags again. Just remember to bring back your bag when you come to pick up your share. If it needs it, give it a wipe down too.
Forget to pick up your share? Going to be late?
Don’t worry, it happens to someone every week! We always leave shares out in our packhouse after we go in at 630 or 7. We'll put them inside the cold room once it's dark, so don't worry if you have to come past 7. If you need to come another day, just send us an email or text and we'll leave your share in our cold room for you and you can pick it up when you're able to.
If you need to get in touch with me on pick up day, send me a text rather than an email if you can. 519-719-7253.
Email is mulberrymoonfarm@gmail.com
Contact me at any time with your questions, comments, concerns :)
We love to see what you are doing with your veggies, so make sure to tag us @mulberrymoonfarm in your social media posts and stories.
Enjoy your first or second share of veggies, and thanks for keeping us growing!
- Farmer Kim
