So close… the peppers are so close, and there are young eggplant also so close… What is here now are plums to add to the fruit part of the box. There are as well lots of Tomatoes to pick, and more Boysenberries and Raspberries. One of the members has their own Raspberries and asked for Boysenberries – they very carefully got both last week. Oh well, you can’t have too many fresh berries. The bird netting is keeping the larger birds out, and the smaller berry snatchers go through the web like it isn’t there, unless they make a mistake. Two of them have had to be cut lose. The last one was determined to bite the rescuer on the finger, which only was annoying. A small bird has a small bite.
Going back to peppers and eggplant – the rule of thumb with farmer’s choice is maybe one or two small ones. You have the ability to ask for none, or to get more than the small number. This is especially true for the next 8 to 10 weeks while Tomatoes do their best to overflow the delivery boxes. The default is a pint till of cherries and a couple of slicers. If you only want cherries or slicers some week, speak up. The eggplant are maybe 4″ long and an inch or so in diameter this week. Last week they were an inch or so long. It is possible by the end of this week that some will be large enough to go out. Again, you are going to get one, unless you beg for more.
There have been inquiries about peaches. Thus far, the early peaches resemble rocks. Colorful rocks, but extremely hard. All that can change in an instant, of course. The horrible no good awful weekend when the temperature hit way to high actually killed about 15 of our peach trees. That was a sad thing to see. The remaining trees group into ‘no fruit’ and ‘some fruit.’ So. What that means is that there won’t be extra peaches to sell; the ones that are available when they are available will be portioned out with judicial rigor and care amongst the members only. Very fair. Very few. Sigh. Farming isn’t for the melancholy.
The other victim of the heat dome were most of the Potatoes. The consequence seems to be small spuds, plenty of them but small. The next step here is to use those matured potatoes as seed for later in the fall. The russets especially are okay with that idea. One variety of russet is showing the nasty scabbing (well, scabbing) that happens here; the effect is cosmetic. The worst of the lot end up in the cows or horses.
The new planting of lettuces is showing some good size; the red and green cabbage however are needing to go out. The immediate plan is that personal share will get a cabbage – unless you do not want cabbage, in which case you will get lovely lettuce. The lettuce starts in the greenhouse for the next planting failed in three trays because of heat – new starts have been seeded and are up – started them in the house where it only gets to 73.
The last little note is that the winter squash and sweet potatoes are extremely happy and thriving. Look for them in October! Oh yes – baby carrots are 1 week out, looking great.
in the box for week 9:
| Greens | Green or Red cabbage), White and/or Red Chard; Optional lettuce (red small head or green) |
| Crunchies | hook neck squash – enough for most everyone. Cucumbers maybe later in week |
| Herbs | Arugula, Green Onions, Chives, Basil, Cilantro, Fennel (ask), Oregano, mint. If you want ‘lots’ of Oregano that can be done. Your challenge is to figure out what herb is what… We need to clean out the fennel, it is getting old, new starts coming. |
| Other | Slicer and Cherry Tomatoes (lots more this week), 1-3″ beets with greens, Ugly Walla Walla onions, Raspberries and/or Boysenberries -Potatoes – various colors. Flower of the week will be mystery arrangement or roses Any preference?
and plums! |
Next Week:
- Bell or Spicy peppers
- Eggplant
- Few Cucumbers
- Baby Carrots
On Deck:
- Figs, Peaches (maybe next week?)
- summer squash (Zucchini, Patty Pan)
- More Cucumbers
- More and bigger Carrots
Beans and Corn are still growing – about knee high for the corn. Beans are waist high…
