It sure got chilly all of a sudden!
Luckily, we have narrowly escaped the seasons first frosts and all of our crops are still looking great! Early frosts are one of our true enemies here on the farm and can really make a mess of things for us. We do our absolute best to prepare for a potential overnight frost by picking everything that's ready and could be damaged. Over the weekend we picked every ready bell pepper and tomato we could find out in our fields, just in case! Good thing the frost didn't hit us though, cause there's still tons of peppers and tomatoes out there ripening up as we speak!
Our best protection against the threat of frosts is the beautiful Connecticut River right in our backyard. We are lucky enough at Warner Farm to be nestled right against the river in the very fertile soil of the Connecticut River Valley. This long flowing river absorbs tons of heat during the day from the suns rays and overnight helps to insulate our fields against the freezing temperatures. This is a great source of protection for minor frost threats, but obviously doesn't keep us safe all winter long.
When the frosts do finally set in they pretty much take all our summer crops down with them. The low temperatures freeze the water inside the plant cells, making them burst! Once this happens, the produce becomes mushy and starts to rot right on the vines. Tomatoes and Peppers are the first to go as they have quite a high water content, the beans and corn will follow next. Some plants are happy out in the frost though! Kale, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Spinach, and Carrots are more than happy to put up with a little cold weather and just get sweeter and more delicious after a few frosts. Let's cross our fingers that the frosts hold off just a little bit longer though so we can enjoy the last of Summer's bounty before we truly settle in to enjoy the Autumn harvests.
What's in the shares this week?
- Spaghetti Squash New this week!
- Green Beans
- Fennel
- Red Bell Peppers
- Shishito Peppers
- Orange Carrots
- Red Beets
- Onions
- Red Potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Kaleidoscope Salad Mix
- Kale
- Rosemary
- Warner Farms own Fuji Apples! (2 lbs.) 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 20 lb. boxes of #2 Field Tomatoes, perfect for cooking, canning, and other kitchen projects. Check out the extras section to add them to your order!
Fruit Shares will receive: Bosc Pears!
Mushroom Shares will receive: Oyster Mushrooms
Recipes of the week by CSA staff member Phoebe!
Photo of the week: An overly-abundant ocean of beautiful green Curly Leaf Kale. Photography by CSA Member, Stephanie Craig
