2016 – Week 13 Newsletter

“I know the lands are lit, with all the autumn blaze of Goldenrod.”

– Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-1885)

Produce list

Genovese basil
Eggplant
Bell peppers
Cortland apples
Fennel
Potatoes
Onions – full/single
Sweet corn – full/single
Squash – full
Thyme – full
Chard – full
Tomatoes – single
Dill – single/half
Cucumbers – single/half
Kale – single/half

Farmer notes

Expect a worm inside the tops of all of the sweet corn – a later crop, especially on wet years, is prone to this. Cut off tip and enjoy
Apples are gnarly and small but crisp and tasty (see farm article) – slice them up for a snack or use in a salad
Below are some enticing eggplant recipe ideas members shared on Facebook this week (full post here)
Fennel stalks can be sliced thin and eaten and the fronds used like dill
Roast some potatoes with thyme, dill or fennel
You can expect some green beans, radishes, and choy for next week
More hot peppers for salsa or freezing in next week’s box
Wash all of your produce before you eat it
Enjoy the beautiful weekend ahead and the delicious fresh food!!

This past May 14^th through May 18^th we had frost here on the farm, with the morning of the 15th and 16^th reaching 29 and 28 degrees respectively. A final spring frost can happen even at a temperature of 36 degrees and is not unusual for this date in May. It is unusual, however, to bottom out as low as 28 degrees this late in the spring. Many of the apple trees, strawberries, plum trees etc. were in full bloom, and were damaged heavily by this occurrence. Two varieties of apple trees, Cortland and Goldrush, survived this period, but their fruit did not turn out well. This week, I am sorry to say, we offer you the best and brightest of our Cortland apple crop of 2016. The fall share folks may receive some of the Goldrush crop in late October.

Every farm season is unique and offers both blessings and challenges. Each year there are some crops that do extremely well and others that do poorly or do not produce a crop at all. This is exactly why we grow such a variety of crops and plant them at different times and in different locations on the farm. This is also a primary factor in creating a livelihood for us that is interesting, challenging, creative, and humbling. The apples are poor this year, the late planting of sweet corn has worms at the tips, the rutabaga crop died in the field from water logged soils, but jeepers, the potatoes, the eggplant and peppers, the green beans and the fennel – so much of our produce is having a monster season … and welcome to organic farming!

What do you do with eggplant?