Hi Friends!
We are officially half-way through our 2021 CSA program. We hope you've been enjoying your produce each week. We have been blessed not to have any major hail events so far this season. We really feel like we have been spared! The dry weather with continued high temperatures has proven to be a challenge, especially for growing greens and cooler weather crops. It really reinforces the reasons that we grow the way that we do. When you grow a large variety of crops, you'll always have some that thrive under certain conditions, while others do not.
We are excited to have certified organic Starkrimson pears to offer our members this week! These red skinned pears are one of our favorite fruits! They are similar to a Bartlett pear...soft and full of juiciness once ripe. We have found them to have exceptional sweetness! We love to cut them up and freeze them so we can enjoy them year round in crisps and, especially, in smoothies, where they lend a creamy sweetness!! They'll need a little time to ripen once you receive them...on the counter at room temperature is great. They become a more red color, rather than deep burgundy once ripe. Test them every day or so for softness on the stem end to help determine when they're ready to eat.
Matt has been getting the last of our fall plantings in the ground. Hopefully with the temperatures dropping these greens will be happier and grow better. Our South Dakota weather is always a challenge to grow in, but we keep planting in hopes that the harvest will be plentiful!
What seeds have you sown recently? Hope? Joy? Encouragement? If so, may your harvest be an abundant one!
