We're already half way through the season!
Can you even believe it? We are now officially half way through our CSA season, our growing season, and our summer. Where has the time gone?! Our shares are still looking mighty summery with lots of corn, beans, tomatoes, melons, and peppers. The leafy greens are still growing fiercely and the blossoms on our plants are still blooming and promising lots more goodness to come.
Here on the farm though we are already thinking ahead to next year as we begin to plant cover crops in our fields that are done for the season. Cover cropping is a practice done to protect and enrich fields for a future season! There are many different types of cover crops which are planted for different goals. Currently, we are planting our winter cover crop, Winter Rye, in fields which previously grew early season corn, beans, peas, and a few of our old strawberry fields. Winter Rye is a great winter cover crop, as it grows well in the cool fall months and prevents soil erosion over the winter months. In the Spring, we mow the Rye down, bale it, and store it in our barns before replanting the fields. Next November we will use that dried and baled Winter Rye as straw to cover our strawberry plants over the winter. The straw is important for the berries as it both prevents weeds from sprouting as well as protects against winter injury, like frost damage and false starts due to early season thawing. Winter Rye is a perfect cover crop for us as it is excellent both during its life as a cover crop as well as after it is harvested for our strawberries.
But enough about winter and those late fall months... it sure is hot enough now to forget all about them anyway. Let's enjoy the heat and summer bounty while it lasts. We'll have squash and potatoes here before we even know it! Thanks for making it to the halfway point with us everyone and hope you enjoy the second half of our season just as much as the first!
What's in the shares this week?
- Watermelon!
- Sweet Corn
- Green Bell Peppers
- Cubanelle Peppers New this week!
- Shishito Peppers New this week!
- Tomatoes
- Leeks
- Broccoli
- Yellow Beans
- Gemstone Salad Mix
- Kale
- Thai Basil
- Cherry Tomatoes (LIMITED - available as extras ONLY)
*All items listed above are available for swapping as well as purchasing as extras unless otherwise designated*
We are also offering #2 Tomatoes for sale! 20 lbs. of tomatoes absolutely perfect for canning, cooking, and more! Check out the extras section to add them to your order!
Fruit Shares will receive: Nectarines!!!
We are also offering #2 Peaches for sale! 20 lbs. of peaches absolutely perfect for baking, smoothies, canning, or even snacking! Check out the extras section to add them to your order!
Mushroom Shares will receive: Oyster Mushrooms
Recipes of the week, by CSA Staff member, Phoebe!
Grilled Chorizo and Cheese Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers
Grilled Leeks with Shishito Romesco
Watermelon Poke — this might sound absurd, but it’s actually an incredible substitute for tuna!
Photo of the week: A perfectly peachy tree in our orchard. Photography by CSA Member, Stephanie Craig
