“Let us linger here awhile in the foolishness of things.”
~Unknown
Summer Share Box 10 Crop List
- New Red Potatoes (All Shares)
- Slicing Cucumbers (All Shares)
- Pickling Cucumbers (Single and Half Shares)
- Zucchini (All Shares)
- Summer Squash (All Shares)
- Sweet Corn (Full and Single Shares)
- Sweet Onions (All Shares)
- Summer Crisp Lettuce (All Shares)
- Eggplant (Full Shares)
- Peppers (Bells for All Shares & Poblano, Italian Frying, and Hot Wax for Single and Half Shares)
- Tomatoes (All Shares – Slicers and/or Minis)
- Herb (Oregano for Full Shares and Apple Mint for Single and Half Shares)
Farmer Notes
*Our fall farm party is Saturday Sept. 7 th , come anytime between 12 and 5 for farm
tours, crafts, spaghetti dinner, bonfire, lawn games and tomato canning if you like.
Please rsvp if you can, but don’t hesitate to come spur of the moment!
*Everyone should get sweet corn next week
*Summer red lettuce will turn back to green romaine for box 11
*Green beans, melons and fennel are still a couple of weeks out yet
*Make some pico with fresh peppers, tomatoes, onions, corn, oregano, lime, s + p
and garlic … maybe a stitch of sugar
*Most everything in the box, save the cukes and lettuce are awesome on the grill
*Tomatoes are really coming in. Let me know if you want any for canning next
week: $30/bu. or $20 for a 5/9ths box.
*We have been short on ice packs – please return them
*Wash all of the produce before you eat it
Wow, the summer CSA season is over half way done now which means that summer is
slipping by us. We can sure notice the days getting shorter both in the morning and
in the evening. The plants in the field react to the day length as well. We do very
little field planting after Sept 10 th and most of our time is dedicated to harvesting
and preserving the harvest. Thankfully, the weeds also follow these same rules and
tend to grow a lot slower with less sunlight.
Our intern help also shifts around this time of year as several of our college folks
head back to school and we bring on 2 new interns to help finish out the season. We
are definitely still in the thick of summer crops with the peppers, tomatoes, onions,
sweet corn, eggplant, cucumbers and the melons just turning, It will be another
month before we return to the brassicas, spinach, winter squash, fall apples, carrots
and beets. It is a fun box this week with lots of recognizable crops and tons of color.
I hope you are all savoring these last weeks before school begins!
~Farmer Norm
Crop of the week – Tomatoes
Earth Dance Farms crop of the week is tomatoes. The tomato has been a prominent choice by home gardeners for many years, and its popularity continues to rise. Tomatoes are part of the Solanaceae family (aka nightshades) and range from vines, herbs, shrubs, trees, and many important agricultural crops like eggplant, peppers, and potatoes. This delicious and brightly colored fruit has a wide variety of uses in the kitchen and can be consumed raw or cooked, in many dishes, sauces, salads, and drinks. While botanically categorized as a berry, it is often referred to as a “culinary vegetable” because of their low sugar content in comparison to other “culinary fruits”. The flavors of the tomato can range from sweet, tart, tangy or balanced, and will depend on the type of tomato that is consumed. At Earth Dance Farm we grow a variety of slicing/canning and cherry tomatoes, and their colors vary as well. When it comes to storing tomatoes, it is often recommended to leave them on the table or counter at room temperature until fully ripe and ready to consume. Another tip to help tomatoes retain their moisture and plumpness is to store them upside down on a flat surface with the stem removed. 
This method is effective because it creates a seal that prevents wrinkling due to moisture escaping from the top portion of the tomato where it is attached to the vine. We hope you enjoy this week’s tomatoes and don’t forget to try some of the delicious recipes listed in the newsletter.
-Farmer Jon
Some recipes to try:
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