As I write this, the sky is a bright grey muffling the afternoon sun, and the air in the farm office is a good six degrees warmer than the air outside. Today is the first cool day in a long, long time. Those of you who have eager dogs to walk after dark, or who sip coffee on porches before sunrise (me), will have noticed that in the past few weeks the time between sunrise and sunset has lengthened. The dark hours have begun to shed the feeling of summer, bringing a welcome respite to the staggering heat.
These little dips in temperature herald a change of season, and the time for some of the most beloved of our crops: brassicas! Brassicas are a genus of plant in the mustard family, sometimes also called cruciferous vegetables or cole crops; you know them by the names broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, kohlrabi, and rutabaga. Brassicas are a diverse bunch, spanning the both most and least conventionally popular vegetables, as well as some of the most touted nutritional powerhouses.
Today, we moved the first of the fall broccoli, cauliflower, and kale from the green house to the fields. We start it “indoors” to protect from insect predation, then transplant it to rows where earlier crops, like beans, have infused the soil with nitrogen. These are crucial steps, but brassicas need more than just the right start and the right nutrient profile; they need a lucky farmer with a feel for the weather.
Too many nights below 50 degrees after transplanting can lead to broccoli with small, malformed heads. Despite this risk, broccoli will not develop a head at all without several weeks of exposure to periodic temperatures in the 50s (a process called vernalization). Some cold exposure is the key to the delicious flavor of many brassica varieties, particularly kale. Without cold, the plant is not triggered to store sugars. Kale is one of the hardiest of the family, but all benefit from the right amount of cool weather. Too many warm days, and immature cauliflower can grow unevenly and develop an unpleasant gritty texture while our leafy greens turn flavorless. Heat too high can cause the plants to go to seed, or “bolt”.
Today, we roll the dice. The whole crew, with tractors and transplanters, took part in moving these green shoots from their nursery to a new home. In a few hours, an empty field of soft brown has been transformed into neat lines studded with tender plants. We’ll know in early October if our timing was right: if we’ve grown flavorful, beautiful, cruciferous magic.
Food Truck at the Farm Stand
This Saturday, August 24th, join us at the Farm Stand from 11-2 for Tex-Mex food truck “The Roaming Coyote”, serving up street tacos and chimichangas. The weather forecast is clear and sunny with highs in the 70s- we couldn’t ask for a more perfect day to eat outside! Check out the full menu here.
Missed Your Pick-Up?
We know this is a hectic time of year! If you’re unable to make it to your CSA drop in time, remember that we always take unclaimed shares back to the Farm Stand where we hold them for you the following day.
Missed Tuesday CSA shares are available at the Farm Stand Wednesday from 2 PM to 7 PM
Missed Saturday CSA shares are available at the Farm Stand on Sunday from 9 AM to 2 PM
If you need to make another arrangement, please email us as soon as possible at farm@willowsfordfarm.com so that we know you need more time. Due to the limitations on our refrigerated storage space and the perishable nature of our CSA items, we do not hold shares past closing time at the Farm Stand unless we hear from you. In the event that you aren’t able to pick up your veggies or other shares, you can feel good knowing that unclaimed items are donated to local families in need through both Loudoun County Interfaith Food Bank and Dulles South Food Pantry.
Eat well today and be well always,
Ashley, Collin, John, Lex, Rory, Nate, James, Alexandra, Michelle, the many, many animals of all sorts, and the quietly growing brassicas
