It's been a wet year in the past 12 months and now the sky and land are dry. It's a relief in many ways in terms of weed and disease control, but it's made us double down our watering efforts to keep new crops jumping. The good thing about dryness is sweetness. Our pineapple patches are in full swing and they are incredibly sweet since they grew well in the rains and in perfect timing are now putting their all into sugar production.
This week we are also bringing back a kitchen favorite, the dundja zucchini. They are loving having less disease and bug pressure and are marching on. We also have a gaggle of amazing turnips showing strong and we have to pick regularly to keep the plants from being overwhelmed with their large fruits. On the more tender side, we have two different sprouts - sunflower and pea- to dress up your home meals into culinary masterpieces. Also bok choy is making a strong showing this week, with dark green leaves and crunchy stalks that are supreme in veggie stir-fries.
On the fruit side of things, we have our first and limited offerings of jackfruit coming in slices, with seeds that can be either roasted, steamed, or planted. Look up google for jackfruit recipes, as they offer an outstanding vegan BBQ alternative and lot more. Mangoes are about to explode and we have some ripening offerings to share along with the best sweet tamarind in the Virgin Islands. For later in the season, avocadoes look to abundant and starfruits are flowering heavily.
Our collective efforts with other farmers to protect and boost the local farm scene in the Virgin Islands made news this week. Check out this link to see the story about why the Virgin Islands Farmers Alliance was created and how you can take part in the territory-wide effort. Please consider being a member of VIFA and donating to help the small farms of the VI succeed.
Remember as you prepare your farm share ingredients this week into your meals that you are doing much more than eating fresh foods. You are supporting a local food revolution in the Virgin Islands. You are a revolutionary. We have many more crops than we have farm shares, so spread the word:)
Thank you, and please enjoy our offerings its fullest,
Nate & the Farm Crew
