2021 – Summer Week 9 Newsletter

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

~Thomas Edison~

Summer Share Box 9 Crop List

Sweet Corn – All Shares
Summer Squash – All Shares
Cucumbers – All Shares
Mini Tomatoes – All Shares
Cilantro – All Shares
Peppers (Green Bells and/or Hot Wax) – All Shares
Farmer’s Choice: Radishes or Okra – Half Shares
Eggplant – Full Shares
Green Beans – Full Shares
Watermelon – Full Shares

Farmer’s Notes

*We received over an inch of rain again this week so the crops are looking good

*We are planting many vegetable starts now for the fall and winter boxes

*Watermelons this week and next, followed up by the cantaloupe

*Sweet corn will be in most every box for the next month or so – you can grill them, steam them, blanch and freeze them, micro

wave them at 2 minutes per ear – and don’t forget to use them in salsas and cold salads

*Probably 2 more weeks before everyone is receiving slicing tomatoes – the minis will keep coming

*We will try to stay with basil and/or cilantro for the next month since it pairs well with many of the other high summer crops

*We have another green bean planting set for a mid fall harvest

*Sorry, no sugar snap peas this year – we were a little late in planting them and that hot spell in early June kept them from germinating

*Think about if you want to pickle any cucumbers this season – next week we will offer a special pickling cuke along with dill as an add-on option

*We hope that you are enjoying your summer as it is dang near mid-August already

*Please continue to return our boxes and ice packs each week

Well, we are in the heart of the summer CSA now as we come to the halfway point in our season. Crops like tomatoes of many varieties, Italian and Japanese eggplant, sweet corn, bell and different hot peppers, melons of several flavors and herbs like cilantro and basil will remain in the boxes for the next 4 to 6 weeks. We will be offering several add-on options as we move forward: pickling cucumbers for canning, large quantities of tomatoes for canning, a salsa box. We will let you know in advance what we may have to offer and a price – payment can be made online using the miscellaneous option. Next week, August 19th, we will offer a bag of 25 pickling cucumbers and a bunch of dill for $25 – let us know if you want one of these. I know that many of you are on vacation here before school gets underway. Please make sure that you have a neighbor, friend or family member pick up your box for you if you are gone. Enjoy the box of summer’s bounty!!

~Norm

Crop of the Week: Sweet Corn

Sweet corn and field corn are closely related, but they aren’t exactly the same. Field corn is used to make food products like cornmeal, corn chips, and corn syrup, but it’s primarily grown for animal feed. No matter how much butter you slather on it, the high-starch and low-sugar content means it’ll never taste good. Popcorn is a whole different kind of corn too, and it makes up less than one percent of the corn grown in the country. Sweet corn is an annual plant that requires a long, frost-free growing season. It is wind-pollinated and if you miss the optimal harvest time the corn’s flavor will go downhill fast as its sugars convert to starch.
Besides being delicious, corn is also good for you. It’s loaded with lutein and zeaxanthin, two phytochemicals that promote healthy vision. The silk is a great diuretic, commonly used for kidney, bladder, and urinary tract infections. Just dry it in the shade and keep it to make tea when you need it.

Some Recipes to Try:

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