We've only got two shares left in our 2020 CSA season, and for this second to last share, we've got a fun surprise for you- Brussels Sprouts! We LOVE brussels sprouts, but they're remarkably challenging to grow organically since we're not the only ones who love those sweet little cabbages. Aphids are always a challenge this time of year on cruciferous crops (think cabbage, kale, cauliflower, and brussels), and since we don't use chemicals, it's tough to get nice brussels without an aphid party on them. Instead of killing pests, we're focusing on nailing down our planting dates and getting our nutrients right to grow brussels sprouts. Last year we got our trial in too late, but this year, we did a lot better! We've still got a few aphids running around, but we'll get most of them off with a strong spray of water. Remember, insects are a natural part of our environment, if you find a few stragglers, have no fear- a quick dunk and rub or spray will get rid of them.
We're sending these to you stalks and all in order to avoid having to bag them into plastic. They also store really well this way. If you don't have room for the stalk in your fridge, you can pop the sprouts off easily by hand by simply pulling them downward, and then put them in the container of your choice.
We also want to officially invite you to the farm for a short tour and some fresh pressed apple cider for the final pick up day (10/22) from 5-5:45pm. We'll be pressing cider with Caleb's family's hand press for the first 20 minutes or so, and then will take a short walk around the farm to show you what we're up to this fall and answer any questions you may have. Please bring face coverings; although we'll be outside, we may not be able to properly spread out at times.
Finally, if you're a member and haven't done so yet, it wouldn't hurt to check your Deliveries tab real quick and make sure everything is in order for your final pickups.
All the best!
Ashley and Caleb
