This is the weird part of the main season – always is, and so far there isn’t a good way around it. The true warm season crops are still being set out and are kicking into gear; the Green season crops are coming to the end. This usually promotes anxiety in the farm team, and some weird combinations in the boxes. So, last week a few of you got a half pint of baby potatoes… the rest of you did not. And so it goes.
The early bean, for example, doesn’t pick very well. By the way – in prior years such as the infamous 2022 the germination of corn and beans was terrible. The solution seems to be to sprout the seed beforehand, and then you get the example above after two days in the ground. Same thing is happening with the corn, it is up after four days.
Tomatoes are growing really fast now – and a couple of precocious cherry tomato plants insist on setting fruit. The annoying thing is that one or two fruit doesn’t go very far – then all of a sudden there are gallons. That brings up an interesting point: quantity of produce in the main season.
As you know, seed purchase happens in January. The gamble is always “how many main season members will be on board?” Then the fudging and hemming and hawing commences. So, for the last three or four years the CSA has been running about 20-25 members overall, with 30% of those full share. In 2023 there were massive shortfalls of things like corn, beans and even to some extent potatoes. Here’s the surprise: Main season 2023 has exactly 9 members of which one is a full share. And there are lots and lots of beans, corn, potatoes, Tomatoes, summer and winter squash… It’s gonna be a very interesting year.
The plan (well. the thought) so far is to offer ‘farm call’ options for mass pickings, random people who might want to have some of the amazing tomatoes… or even a subscription of say 5 boxes done over farm call. All that to say, there will be some weeks where you are gonna have a big box even though you paid for a personal share – those big squash or giant tomatoes get crowded in the personal share box!
Here’s what is available this week:
| Lettuce | The Cegolaine, Winter Density and Red Iceberg keep coppicing – the new lettuce is still coming along… |
| Brassicas | Cabbage is coming to the end… Mostly red cabbage (really good and surprisingly different taste) available, and a couple of small heads of green sitting around. Some small Kale leaves – the head stunted it. Broccoli is considering the possibility of forming florets, but not yet. |
| Roots | Beets… maybe in two weeks? These beets really do not like where they were planted. Irrigation helps. But. |
| Greens | Arugula… Wasabi went to the cows and horses. They said “meh.” |
| Herbs | Cilantro, Parsley, Chives, Mint, Oregano, Basil (baby tiny Basil) Thyme and Sage in a couple weeks. |
| Misc | There are a small number of baby potatoes – it is a hunt to find them. Roses will be in your box. Lots of fruit set, Raspberries and Boysen berries and grapes are forming, Figs are about half way (need more heat). |
By the way – this small number of members is a help to address some garden maintenance. The beds that were fallow in 2023 are now the main beds, the former main beds need to be replenished.
And just a note: there are about 300 corn plants, and 6 rows 75 feet long of green beans… not to mention the large number of squash. pumpkins. decor gourds…
