Hi Y’all – hope all is well with you!
August, as mentioned earlier, is a big change from July. July has a lot of “get it in the ground, fight the weeds, harvest the berries which take a long time to pick… August is mostly dealing with the consequences of July and watching things come ripe. The odd effects of the ‘heat storm’ are finally starting to abate. The long term impact is to the potatoes – which you know if you have been reading along. The short term was the lettuces. It takes 8 weeks to go from germination to table for the fastest lettuce, and as much as 10 weeks for the heading lettuces. All that to say, the new lettuces started after the heat storm are just getting to the baby lettuce stage. There won’t be much this week, but in the coming weeks lettuce is back on the menu.
The surprise this week is that our beans are starting to be ripe. The way things happen, one or two plants seem to always be precocious, and some seem to be slow. The middle group is where there are lots of beans. Wednesday most likely won’t have enough to distribute; by Friday there should be a picking large enough to send out a pint or so. Week 14 is likely where a quart or so might show up in your box.
Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, summer squash and cucumbers are in their full cycle now. All of these will persist and be available till first frost, although the size and numbers will drop as the days get shorter. It is fun to see the interesting dishes that are being made with the tomato base; the chili was a surprise, mostly because this is the first year since starting the CSA up in 2015 when there were spicy peppers at all, let alone enough to give plenty to those who like them. The pick list with your email requests is extremely helpful – especially for those items which may not be common.
The orchard is in full swing now as well. The first tree has been picked clean – some low quality went to the critters. They have decided that if the garden has people in it, then obviously the people are there to give treats to the animals. The horses just look hopeful, which is a powerful influence. The cows, on the other hand, are quite noisy about their rights and privileges – making all kinds of noise till goodies are forthcoming. The amusing thing is to see the rather rotund cows lumbering along at full tilt to get there first. They look a lot like Macy’s parade cows, if that image makes sense to you.
One of the members took advantage of a bonus box of Tomatoes in week 12. If you are looking for a shoe-box size portion of the slicer/beefsteak type, a bonus box is $10. There will be enough for possibly two this week. There was a request for extra Figs from a member with a strong childhood memory – should be plenty this week. Mostly you will get about a pint – if you had all the figs you would ever want last week, speak up and your share can go to the childhood re-visit.
Speaking of this week: in the box for week 13:
| Greens | Any lettuce that can be found mostly green. there are 1 or 2 cabbage – you must ask. White and/or Red Chard; optional Asian mustard. There is a small amount of Kale just coming in. |
| Crunchies | Misc. Summer Squash: hook neck, patty pan, zucchini. Teen-aged Carrots (Sugarsnax54), Cucumbers, Green Bell Pepper if you ask. Best cucumbers ever grown here… |
| Herbs | Garlic, Arugula, Green Onions, Chives if you ask, Basil, Cilantro, Oregano. No mint this week. Hot pepper, zero to 3 or 4? |
| Other | Yellow or Red Beefsteak, Slicer and Cherry Tomatoes, 1-3″ beets with greens, Figs (normal 2-4 per unless you are allergic). Potatoes – various colors. Flower of the week will be mystery arrangement or roses. Any preference? Optional Eggplant (ask) – Apples – early apple, good cooking or eating fresh, short shelf life. If you want a bonus box of apples, ask. Potatoes are at a minimum; but there will be a portion in your box.
Green beans in small quantity, probably more Friday than Wednesday. Roses, or an arrangement – more Stock (flower) is coming back in. |
Next Week:
- More apples? TBD, but likely.
- More beans
On Deck:
- Second (yellow) crab apples
- More apples – forever.
- Corn
- Cauliflower (plants are 6-8″ and happy campers, same for Broccoli)
- Broccoli
