Summer CSA pick up #6 this week

Farm News

Wow, do you know how we know that the temperature is actually trying to increase? Because the weeds are here!

This is one of the craziest times on the farm. Plants are still making their way through the four-season greenhouse and the halfway house (i.e. we are still dealing in baby plants) so we are still planting successions, and at the same time it is time to tend, tend, tend the plants that are already planted.

Last week we realized that, however we did it, we really needed to prioritize the weeding. Things were starting to get choked. They were doing okay, but to give them the leg up they need to grow big and strong and fill your bellies later, they needed to be freed from the weeds STAT! This means that on any given day we are harvesting, planting, and then squeezing in a row of weeding in the 25-are.

Nat and Sarahlee continue to make laps with the Kult Cress weeding along the outsides of the plants and on Thursday we did a big push and everyone was introduced to the CRAWL for the year. The crawl is almost a right of passage here at Rainshadow. I have no pictures because you literally crawl down a row on your hands and knees weeding everything out. It is a heck of a way to end a work week and all the farmers were grateful for lunch and a weekend!

All that tending, planting, harvesting. It is busy. Nice that while it is trying to warm up, it isn’t quite blazing hot yet. That will come, but right now we are grateful for the relative temperature reprieve.

It looks like it is going to be a bit warmer this week for Wednesday pick up, however. Wear your sun hats and don’t forget to shade your vegetables!

~ Alison & the Farm Crew

Ride your bike! Hack the traffic and market parking by riding your bike! We have had some great reviews from folks who are starting to ride to market. The weather is beautiful and it doesn’t cost a cent to park your bike at market!

Photo Credit: Ray Hansen, Sarahlee Lawrence
Top Pic: Last week we saw our first cucumbers! Those were pickling cucumbers that we grow because they are great for just plain eating too! Wipe or wash off the soft hairs, slice, dice, shred, or eat whole. And hold your breath, because lemon cucs are coming soon!

Next Pic: Well, we couldn’t escape that brutal cold snap without something happening. It turns out the biggest hit was our buckwheat and the cover crop next to it. While this is a bummer, last week we reseeded the whole section in buckwheat. We are hopeful that it will come all the way to fruition in time to make groats still.

Final Pic: Last week Nat and Sarahlee put in a few more extra-long days weeding with the kult kress. Here they are in the allium block (those are all of the onions you will enjoy all winter long!) communing with the dairy herd and getting as many weeds as they possibly could out before the crawl commenced.

Veggie CSA

Every week, we include this section with what we think will be coming out of our fields and hoop houses for the CSA pick up. Keep in mind, that we send this email on Monday just as we start harvesting for the week. That means this is a guess/estimation/extrapolation of what we think we are seeing in the fields. Sometimes we are spot on, but other times we are not.

Our CSA is market style, this means that it isn’t a guarantee that we have of all these things for everyone. Instead, this will be the variety of what we will hopefully (fingers crossed) have for you to choose from this week.)

A note on foundations: SURPRISE! You will learn your foundations and all the details of your CSA for the week when you pick up.

Harvest List will probably include:

asian greens & napa cabbage
green onions
dinosaur kale
head lettuce, salad mixes
rhubarb
radishes & salad turnips
kohlrabi
beets

zucchini
cucumber
chard
peas
thyme, lovage, lemon balm, parsley, chives, oregano, mint, marjoram
fennel

Meat CSA

Tune in next week for the Meat CSA.
Don’t forget, Meat CSA picks up every other week. Next meat CSA is 7/10.