Week 25
(November 17)
Romaine Lettuce
Kale
Pac Choi
Red Skin Potatoes
Garlic X 2
Dill
Brussels Sprouts
New Red Fire Head lettuce
Collard Greens
Hakurei Turnips
As this marks the final week of our 2021 Farm Boxes we would like to send a great big THANK YOU to all of you for the past 25 weeks!
We are already brainstorming new ideas for our 2022 Farm Boxes and will let everyone know when those are available for purchase. We hope you all stay safe and healthy over the winter months and that we bump into each other before next spring. Until then...
(November 17)
Romaine Lettuce
Kale
Pac Choi
Red Skin Potatoes
Garlic X 2
Dill
Brussels Sprouts
New Red Fire Head lettuce
Collard Greens
Hakurei Turnips
As this marks the final week of our 2021 Farm Boxes we would like to send a great big THANK YOU to all of you for the past 25 weeks!
We are already brainstorming new ideas for our 2022 Farm Boxes and will let everyone know when those are available for purchase. We hope you all stay safe and healthy over the winter months and that we bump into each other before next spring. Until then...
Week 24
(November 10)
Carrots
Lettuce Mix
Red Buttercrunch Lettuce
Baby Beets
Brussels Sprouts
Scallions
Garlic
Parsley
Green Leaf Lettuce
Cilantro
We have been waiting a few weeks for the Brussels sprouts to get a nice frost so that they sweeten up and, after the past week of lower temperatures, they are now ready to harvest! We'll send them on the stalk so you can either put them in your refrigerator as-is or break them off the stalk, bag them up, and put the in your refrigerator's vegetable drawer. Brussels sprouts pair great with bacon, which we often cook together, but our favorite way to eat them lately is shaved thin and sautéed with onion, garlic, salt and pepper, and a bit of apple cider vinegar added at the end. The carrots and beets make up the root crops for this week and would love to be roasted in the oven with garlic and parsley. While we love our summer crops we love our salads even more and are continuing with their leafy goodness this week too. The red butter crunch is perfect for wraps while the green leaf lettuce (inside tip: it's iceberg before it has formed a head) is perfect for sandwiches and burgers. We don't believe that grilling season only runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day at the farm so we'll be grilling up burgers this week no matter what the temperature is. Dru often adds scallions to any salad we have for some extra flavor. This marks the second to last week of the 2021 Farm Box. We're looking forward to seeing you all for one final week after this one and are already looking forward to our 2022 Farm Boxes.
(November 10)
Carrots
Lettuce Mix
Red Buttercrunch Lettuce
Baby Beets
Brussels Sprouts
Scallions
Garlic
Parsley
Green Leaf Lettuce
Cilantro
We have been waiting a few weeks for the Brussels sprouts to get a nice frost so that they sweeten up and, after the past week of lower temperatures, they are now ready to harvest! We'll send them on the stalk so you can either put them in your refrigerator as-is or break them off the stalk, bag them up, and put the in your refrigerator's vegetable drawer. Brussels sprouts pair great with bacon, which we often cook together, but our favorite way to eat them lately is shaved thin and sautéed with onion, garlic, salt and pepper, and a bit of apple cider vinegar added at the end. The carrots and beets make up the root crops for this week and would love to be roasted in the oven with garlic and parsley. While we love our summer crops we love our salads even more and are continuing with their leafy goodness this week too. The red butter crunch is perfect for wraps while the green leaf lettuce (inside tip: it's iceberg before it has formed a head) is perfect for sandwiches and burgers. We don't believe that grilling season only runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day at the farm so we'll be grilling up burgers this week no matter what the temperature is. Dru often adds scallions to any salad we have for some extra flavor. This marks the second to last week of the 2021 Farm Box. We're looking forward to seeing you all for one final week after this one and are already looking forward to our 2022 Farm Boxes.
Week 23
(November 3)
Arugula
Lettuce Mix
Redleaf Head Lettuce
Jalapeños
German Butterball Potatoes
Fennel
Radishes
Garlic
Green Curly Kale
Welcome to November! It doesn't feel quite like late fall on the farm until it starts snowing while we harvest :) Today there were a few flurries when we were cutting lettuce mix and, although nothing stuck to the ground, it was definitely white and definitely frozen. It feels strange to also be harvesting jalapeños on the same day, but that is what we did. Usually most of the crops this time of year would be coming out of the hoophouses but the arugula, fennel, leaf lettuce, and lettuce mix were all harvested from the fields today. Even though we're getting into the 20s this week, next week's planned harvest also has a number of crops coming from the field.
We put the sides down on the hoop houses last night for the first time since spring and left them down all day today. Crops are slowing down with the lower temperatures, but the even lower light levels. At this point, they are mostly acting like big refrigerators, keeping crops out of the wind, making sure they are not too hot or cold, and waiting for us to harvest. For those of you that pick up at the farm make sure to take in all the golds, yellows, and oranges on the trees on Clark Road that have popped this week.
(November 3)
Arugula
Lettuce Mix
Redleaf Head Lettuce
Jalapeños
German Butterball Potatoes
Fennel
Radishes
Garlic
Green Curly Kale
Welcome to November! It doesn't feel quite like late fall on the farm until it starts snowing while we harvest :) Today there were a few flurries when we were cutting lettuce mix and, although nothing stuck to the ground, it was definitely white and definitely frozen. It feels strange to also be harvesting jalapeños on the same day, but that is what we did. Usually most of the crops this time of year would be coming out of the hoophouses but the arugula, fennel, leaf lettuce, and lettuce mix were all harvested from the fields today. Even though we're getting into the 20s this week, next week's planned harvest also has a number of crops coming from the field.
We put the sides down on the hoop houses last night for the first time since spring and left them down all day today. Crops are slowing down with the lower temperatures, but the even lower light levels. At this point, they are mostly acting like big refrigerators, keeping crops out of the wind, making sure they are not too hot or cold, and waiting for us to harvest. For those of you that pick up at the farm make sure to take in all the golds, yellows, and oranges on the trees on Clark Road that have popped this week.
Week 22
(October 27)
Romaine Lettuce
Scallions
Garlic
Mixed Peppers
Collard Greens
Chinese Cabbage
Lettuce Mix
Hakurei Turnips
Redskin Potatoes
Shishito Peppers
It feels like much of this season has been filled with rain, then A LOT of rain, then more rain, which always makes it feel that much sweeter when the sun comes out like it did on Tuesday. The good news is that last week, when it was 70 and sunny, we tucked about 4000 garlic cloves into freshly tilled soil that we will harvest next July. It was the perfect last day for the 2021 farm crew and the sun and temperatures made the last big push (and the year end beers we had on the deck) that much nicer. We harvested and washed some of this week's crops today, and will finish harvesting and packing farm boxes tomorrow morning, but it sure is quieter around here this week.
After the past four years working in the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dru has accepted and starts a new job at Feeding America in mid-November. We are looking forward to her being a part of that team for so many reasons while, at the same time, we are enjoying being home together working on and talking about the farm. We are having big conversations about life and work and the farm and so many other things that we used to talk about all the time. We're feeling fortunate to have this change line-up with when the farm is slowing down, and are looking forward to all the new things these conversations and ideas will bring as we start to get down to planning the 2022 season.
(October 27)
Romaine Lettuce
Scallions
Garlic
Mixed Peppers
Collard Greens
Chinese Cabbage
Lettuce Mix
Hakurei Turnips
Redskin Potatoes
Shishito Peppers
It feels like much of this season has been filled with rain, then A LOT of rain, then more rain, which always makes it feel that much sweeter when the sun comes out like it did on Tuesday. The good news is that last week, when it was 70 and sunny, we tucked about 4000 garlic cloves into freshly tilled soil that we will harvest next July. It was the perfect last day for the 2021 farm crew and the sun and temperatures made the last big push (and the year end beers we had on the deck) that much nicer. We harvested and washed some of this week's crops today, and will finish harvesting and packing farm boxes tomorrow morning, but it sure is quieter around here this week.
After the past four years working in the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dru has accepted and starts a new job at Feeding America in mid-November. We are looking forward to her being a part of that team for so many reasons while, at the same time, we are enjoying being home together working on and talking about the farm. We are having big conversations about life and work and the farm and so many other things that we used to talk about all the time. We're feeling fortunate to have this change line-up with when the farm is slowing down, and are looking forward to all the new things these conversations and ideas will bring as we start to get down to planning the 2022 season.
Week 21
(October 20)
Red Leaf Lettuce
Cilantro
Baby Beets
Mixed Pepper
Dill
Curly Kale
Pac Choi
Garlic
Romaine Lettuce
Radish
We hope you have all enjoyed the past few days of exactly why the midwest fall is like nowhere else. As the sun rose on Monday morning, we donned long underwear, two shirts, an insulated sweatshirt, stocking caps, and gloves while we scraped the first thin layer of ice off the windshield before taking our kids to school. But as we worked our way down the harvest list it seemed like with each crop we harvested another layer came off so by lunch, and throughout the rest of the afternoon, we worked in pants and t-shirts. We even headed to the kids soccer practice in flip-flops!
This week's share is also the kind of share that we love in late October in the midwest too. In the Spring, we're often chasing that time between too cool and too hot to get the romaine and leaf lettuces to be big enough but not bitter. In the fall they just grow steadily week by week, never get bitter, and sweeten with the cool nighttime temperatures. We have more leafy greens growing for the next few weeks with kale filling that space in this week's share. Farm crew is wrapping up their season on the farm this week so if you see them at pick up on Wednesday please make sure to tell them thank you for all their hard work day-in and day-out this year!
(October 20)
Red Leaf Lettuce
Cilantro
Baby Beets
Mixed Pepper
Dill
Curly Kale
Pac Choi
Garlic
Romaine Lettuce
Radish
We hope you have all enjoyed the past few days of exactly why the midwest fall is like nowhere else. As the sun rose on Monday morning, we donned long underwear, two shirts, an insulated sweatshirt, stocking caps, and gloves while we scraped the first thin layer of ice off the windshield before taking our kids to school. But as we worked our way down the harvest list it seemed like with each crop we harvested another layer came off so by lunch, and throughout the rest of the afternoon, we worked in pants and t-shirts. We even headed to the kids soccer practice in flip-flops!
This week's share is also the kind of share that we love in late October in the midwest too. In the Spring, we're often chasing that time between too cool and too hot to get the romaine and leaf lettuces to be big enough but not bitter. In the fall they just grow steadily week by week, never get bitter, and sweeten with the cool nighttime temperatures. We have more leafy greens growing for the next few weeks with kale filling that space in this week's share. Farm crew is wrapping up their season on the farm this week so if you see them at pick up on Wednesday please make sure to tell them thank you for all their hard work day-in and day-out this year!
Week 20
(October 13)
Baby Lettuce Mix
Sweet Potatoes
Mixed Peppers
Microgreens
Garlic
Romaine Lettuce Head
Onion
Red Poblano
Scallions
Tomatillos
We're still rolling along on the farm with this extended fall. The coldest nighttime temperature for the next two weeks is coming in at 43 (with many nights still in the 50s), so some of our fall plantings that went in a little later than scheduled are still growing and getting closer to where they should be at this point on the calendar. These same temperatures have allowed us to leave the peppers growing a bit longer than usual as well and provided us with enough red poblanos to include one for each share this week. By far, the best thing to do with this is to make ancho chile powder. There are plenty step-by-step instructions online but the jist is to dry it in the oven at the lowest heat setting until it is brittle and crinkled, remove the seeds and stem, and then either chop it finally until it becomes a powder or pop it into a spice/coffee grinder or food processor and process until a powder. Store it in an airtight container or an old spice jar. It's delicious and your winter tacos, chili, and basically anything that you feel like putting it in will taste great! We're also really happy with the sweet potatoes we have harvested so far. These have been slightly cured so are starting to get sweeter (and should be eaten fairly quickly). But don't worry, we have many more to dig and more time to cure additional ones that will be in Farm Box in the upcoming weeks. These are the last of the tomatillos so if you haven't gotten any of the previous ones roasted and into the freezer this is your last chance to do so until summer 2022.
Week 19
(October 6)
Green Beans
German Butterball Potatoes
Baby Choi
Red Leaf Lettuce
Mizuna
Red Radishes
Bell Peppers
Garlic
Hakurei Turnips
Onions
The third planting of beans just keeps on giving! This October share is also the first one that has more cool season than warm season crops since late June. We love the German Butterball potatoes and usually make smashed and fried potatoes with them. To do that, first boil them until they can be just pierced with a fork then drain them. Pour a small amount of olive oil on a baking sheet for each potato then push them flat(ish) with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a glass. Next, top them with a bit more oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss them in the oven at 375-400F and pull them out when the edges start to get crispy. Confession: I love when most food is a touch burnt...pizza just a little too long in the oven, cheese from nachos that cooks on the baking sheet and has to be peeled off to eat, and potatoes (or chips or french fries) that go just a touch over. Don't even get me going on the Better Made "Rainbow" chips! We started growing this 'New Red Fire' leaf lettuce this year and are are definitely keeping in on the list for 2022. It makes a great sandwich lettuce and the color just gets a deeper red as the temperatures drop. Baby choi glazed with teriyaki is something that we can't pass up when we are harvesting it and, as most of you know, the Hakurei turnips are one of our all time favorites. They are really good in the spring, but they are especially great in the cooling temperatures of the fall.
(October 6)
Green Beans
German Butterball Potatoes
Baby Choi
Red Leaf Lettuce
Mizuna
Red Radishes
Bell Peppers
Garlic
Hakurei Turnips
Onions
The third planting of beans just keeps on giving! This October share is also the first one that has more cool season than warm season crops since late June. We love the German Butterball potatoes and usually make smashed and fried potatoes with them. To do that, first boil them until they can be just pierced with a fork then drain them. Pour a small amount of olive oil on a baking sheet for each potato then push them flat(ish) with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a glass. Next, top them with a bit more oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss them in the oven at 375-400F and pull them out when the edges start to get crispy. Confession: I love when most food is a touch burnt...pizza just a little too long in the oven, cheese from nachos that cooks on the baking sheet and has to be peeled off to eat, and potatoes (or chips or french fries) that go just a touch over. Don't even get me going on the Better Made "Rainbow" chips! We started growing this 'New Red Fire' leaf lettuce this year and are are definitely keeping in on the list for 2022. It makes a great sandwich lettuce and the color just gets a deeper red as the temperatures drop. Baby choi glazed with teriyaki is something that we can't pass up when we are harvesting it and, as most of you know, the Hakurei turnips are one of our all time favorites. They are really good in the spring, but they are especially great in the cooling temperatures of the fall.
Week 18
(September 29)
Yellow Beans
Spinach
Dill
Arugula
Eggplant
Carmen Pepper
Garlic
Red Tomato
Brussels Sprouts Leaves
Tomatillos
Poblanos
White Onion
Yellow beans and dill (with butter) make the perfect pairing this week. We're excited to have those both for the first time this season and we're even more excited to have spinach back for the first time since week three. It's starting to sweeten up with the cooler nights we've had this week and, while you could cook it, we suggest these first tender leaves get chopped and combined in a salad with the arugula. The Brussels sprouts leaves mean that the sprouts are just starting to form and will be in at least one share in October and most likely in one in November as well. You can treat those like collards or cabbage leaves and either slowly cook them or blanch them then stuff them. For any of you that are dreading Brussels sprouts in the future shares, just remember...fried and with bacon and you should be alright. This is most likely the final tomato of the 2021 season. We are leaving the plants in and there are some small green fruits on them, but with nighttime temperatures for the rest of the week in the 40s and consistently in the low to mid-50s next week this is mostly likely their swan song. We may have one more eggplant harvest (possibly), but they are in the same boat. We are leaving the peppers growing in one of our hoophouses so as long as we keep having sunny days we should have a mix of them for a few more weeks.
We spent some time in the last week cleaning out (and cleaning up) the greenhouse and for the first time since early March there is nothing growing in it. We are planning to seed some more micro greens early next week but a cleaned up and organized greenhouse means the end of the season is nearing. We still have seven more weeks of Farm Box that we are exicted about but, at the same time, our brains are already starting to think about seed ordering, crop planning, what we have learned, what we will do different, and what unknowns will come with the 2022 season.
(September 29)
Yellow Beans
Spinach
Dill
Arugula
Eggplant
Carmen Pepper
Garlic
Red Tomato
Brussels Sprouts Leaves
Tomatillos
Poblanos
White Onion
Yellow beans and dill (with butter) make the perfect pairing this week. We're excited to have those both for the first time this season and we're even more excited to have spinach back for the first time since week three. It's starting to sweeten up with the cooler nights we've had this week and, while you could cook it, we suggest these first tender leaves get chopped and combined in a salad with the arugula. The Brussels sprouts leaves mean that the sprouts are just starting to form and will be in at least one share in October and most likely in one in November as well. You can treat those like collards or cabbage leaves and either slowly cook them or blanch them then stuff them. For any of you that are dreading Brussels sprouts in the future shares, just remember...fried and with bacon and you should be alright. This is most likely the final tomato of the 2021 season. We are leaving the plants in and there are some small green fruits on them, but with nighttime temperatures for the rest of the week in the 40s and consistently in the low to mid-50s next week this is mostly likely their swan song. We may have one more eggplant harvest (possibly), but they are in the same boat. We are leaving the peppers growing in one of our hoophouses so as long as we keep having sunny days we should have a mix of them for a few more weeks.
We spent some time in the last week cleaning out (and cleaning up) the greenhouse and for the first time since early March there is nothing growing in it. We are planning to seed some more micro greens early next week but a cleaned up and organized greenhouse means the end of the season is nearing. We still have seven more weeks of Farm Box that we are exicted about but, at the same time, our brains are already starting to think about seed ordering, crop planning, what we have learned, what we will do different, and what unknowns will come with the 2022 season.
Week 17
(September 22)
Green Beans
Red Potatoes
Kohlrabi
Sweet Potato Vines
Mizuna
Onions
Garlic
Cherry Tomatoes
Jalapeños
Carmen Peppers
Happy first day of fall! There are (finally!) green beans in this week's share. Some of you that pick up at the farm each week have followed our tractor saga where we ordered a larger tractor in February so we could head into the season making wider beds and using more of our cultivation equipment to control the weeds. Like many things we are all dealing with this year, it was a trial in patience as parts and pieces were unavailable and backordered. We finally got it late summer but had set up many of our early plantings so we could weed them with that tractor. That meant we had a hard time keeping up on the weeding in some things and the first planting of greens beans was overtaken by weeds. The second one didn't happen because of how wet it was in mid-summer, but this third planting, set up to work with our new tractor, is the best we have ever grown. They are big, strong, and loaded with beautiful beans. It may seem like a small victory, but we are so happy to be able to include them in this week's share and hope that you enjoy them as much as we have been the past week. As of yesterday, the last potatoes are out of the ground. It feels great to have them in the cooler going forward for the season. We also have a rare item this week in the sweet potato leaves. There are a lot of recipes online, most with influence from the Philippines and SE Asia. Many of the ones that we have been looking at include shrimp paste or fresh shrimp and we are definitely leaning towards cooking them in a coconut shrimp curry. Our summer kitchen remodel is nearly complete, the cooktop went in today, and we can't wait to get back into cooking on appliances outside the oven and grill (or eating out or at friends' and family's houses). We have sure missed cooking and can't wait to break in the new space with some old favorite recipes and some new ones (like the sweet potato leaf curry) that we have never tried.
(September 22)
Green Beans
Red Potatoes
Kohlrabi
Sweet Potato Vines
Mizuna
Onions
Garlic
Cherry Tomatoes
Jalapeños
Carmen Peppers
Happy first day of fall! There are (finally!) green beans in this week's share. Some of you that pick up at the farm each week have followed our tractor saga where we ordered a larger tractor in February so we could head into the season making wider beds and using more of our cultivation equipment to control the weeds. Like many things we are all dealing with this year, it was a trial in patience as parts and pieces were unavailable and backordered. We finally got it late summer but had set up many of our early plantings so we could weed them with that tractor. That meant we had a hard time keeping up on the weeding in some things and the first planting of greens beans was overtaken by weeds. The second one didn't happen because of how wet it was in mid-summer, but this third planting, set up to work with our new tractor, is the best we have ever grown. They are big, strong, and loaded with beautiful beans. It may seem like a small victory, but we are so happy to be able to include them in this week's share and hope that you enjoy them as much as we have been the past week. As of yesterday, the last potatoes are out of the ground. It feels great to have them in the cooler going forward for the season. We also have a rare item this week in the sweet potato leaves. There are a lot of recipes online, most with influence from the Philippines and SE Asia. Many of the ones that we have been looking at include shrimp paste or fresh shrimp and we are definitely leaning towards cooking them in a coconut shrimp curry. Our summer kitchen remodel is nearly complete, the cooktop went in today, and we can't wait to get back into cooking on appliances outside the oven and grill (or eating out or at friends' and family's houses). We have sure missed cooking and can't wait to break in the new space with some old favorite recipes and some new ones (like the sweet potato leaf curry) that we have never tried.
Week 16
(September 15)
Arugula
Pea Shoots
San Marzano Tomatoes
Beets
Poblanos
Cherry Tomatoes
Onions
Fennel
Garlic
Tomatillos
Heirloom Tomato
Bell Pepper
Here come the fall crops! The first leafy green back into the shares this week is arugula, one of our all time favorites, and from what we heard from some of you in the spring it is one of your favorites as well. We've been eating it the past few days and loving having this peppery green back in our refrigerator. We also have another spring favorite coming back around with the pea shoots. BUT, the tomatoes and peppers have said they aren't done yet and have continued to grow and ripen in these still warm days. Those warm season crops are slowing down but aren't quite down and out. We planted the beets with our Paper Pot Transplanter this time around and are really happy with the results with the correct spacing and ease of weeding making for some nice, large roots. We have never grown San Marzano tomatoes so, like most new crops we try, we only planted a small number of plants. We'll group these in with the good results from the watermelon trial from a few weeks ago and are planning to plant more of these in future years.
(September 15)
Arugula
Pea Shoots
San Marzano Tomatoes
Beets
Poblanos
Cherry Tomatoes
Onions
Fennel
Garlic
Tomatillos
Heirloom Tomato
Bell Pepper
Here come the fall crops! The first leafy green back into the shares this week is arugula, one of our all time favorites, and from what we heard from some of you in the spring it is one of your favorites as well. We've been eating it the past few days and loving having this peppery green back in our refrigerator. We also have another spring favorite coming back around with the pea shoots. BUT, the tomatoes and peppers have said they aren't done yet and have continued to grow and ripen in these still warm days. Those warm season crops are slowing down but aren't quite down and out. We planted the beets with our Paper Pot Transplanter this time around and are really happy with the results with the correct spacing and ease of weeding making for some nice, large roots. We have never grown San Marzano tomatoes so, like most new crops we try, we only planted a small number of plants. We'll group these in with the good results from the watermelon trial from a few weeks ago and are planning to plant more of these in future years.
Week 15
(September 8)
Zucchini
Cherry Tomatoes
Shishitos
Shallots
Carmen Peppers
Red Potatoes
Beefsteak Tomato
Kohlrabi
Heirloom Tomatoes
Bell Pepper
It rained(!) and even though it was less than expected it was still a relief. We have been moving irrigation and running it almost constantly for the past month to make sure all the crops have the water they need to keep on growing. This week on the farm was a blur of planting many fall crops and, in a sure sign that we are moving towards cooler weather, we pulled the second planting of cucumbers and seeded fall and winter crops into two of the hoop houses. The lettuce, salad mix, pac choi, and spinach have already germinated and the other crops should be up in the next few days. It's always bittersweet to pull the summer crops but always exciting as we start to see the change from fruiting crops back to greens and roots. We have a few more rows of potatoes to dig but those are almost all out of the ground and into the cooler and we are starting to prep the space and plan our fall garlic planting (which won't happen until mid-late October). Even though those crops are going in and you will start to see more of them, we are holding onto the peppers and tomatoes as long as we can and will keep them coming weekly while we have them. We're looking forward to working and enjoying the fall, our favorite time in Michigan, as we watch the first color starting to touch the trees and listen to the Sandhill cranes across the street as they begin to gather for their trip south.
(September 8)
Zucchini
Cherry Tomatoes
Shishitos
Shallots
Carmen Peppers
Red Potatoes
Beefsteak Tomato
Kohlrabi
Heirloom Tomatoes
Bell Pepper
It rained(!) and even though it was less than expected it was still a relief. We have been moving irrigation and running it almost constantly for the past month to make sure all the crops have the water they need to keep on growing. This week on the farm was a blur of planting many fall crops and, in a sure sign that we are moving towards cooler weather, we pulled the second planting of cucumbers and seeded fall and winter crops into two of the hoop houses. The lettuce, salad mix, pac choi, and spinach have already germinated and the other crops should be up in the next few days. It's always bittersweet to pull the summer crops but always exciting as we start to see the change from fruiting crops back to greens and roots. We have a few more rows of potatoes to dig but those are almost all out of the ground and into the cooler and we are starting to prep the space and plan our fall garlic planting (which won't happen until mid-late October). Even though those crops are going in and you will start to see more of them, we are holding onto the peppers and tomatoes as long as we can and will keep them coming weekly while we have them. We're looking forward to working and enjoying the fall, our favorite time in Michigan, as we watch the first color starting to touch the trees and listen to the Sandhill cranes across the street as they begin to gather for their trip south.
Week 14
(September 1)
Watermelon (!!!)
Tomatillos
Eggplant
Zucchini
Red Bell Pepper
Carmen Peppers
Heirloom Tomatoes
Garlic
Poblano Peppers
Cherry Tomatoes
White Onions
Jalapeños
Beefsteak Tomatoes
It is officially September and it finally feels like fall, but we have watermelon for the first time ever for us and we, seriously, could not be happier about it. It was just a small, single 250 ft row that we planted as a trial to see how they would do and what we would learn and we are now definitely hooked on growing (and eating) them. We can't wait to plant these next year along with some cantaloupe and honeydew too (both of which we have never grown before). These watermelon feel like a huge win on our end and have really given us some excitement this week. We also thought we would make a the shares line up with a couple of dishes on your end. Take everything in the picture to the right of the watermelon (minus the cherry tomatoes - you should just eat those) plus half of the garlic, char it on a grill, then toss it in a blender for salsa verde. Take everything to the left of the watermelon, plus the other half of the garlic, and make ratatouille. We've eaten both of those in the past few days and were also reminded that when they are just made both are great, but when they sit in the fridge overnight they are even better.
(September 1)
Watermelon (!!!)
Tomatillos
Eggplant
Zucchini
Red Bell Pepper
Carmen Peppers
Heirloom Tomatoes
Garlic
Poblano Peppers
Cherry Tomatoes
White Onions
Jalapeños
Beefsteak Tomatoes
It is officially September and it finally feels like fall, but we have watermelon for the first time ever for us and we, seriously, could not be happier about it. It was just a small, single 250 ft row that we planted as a trial to see how they would do and what we would learn and we are now definitely hooked on growing (and eating) them. We can't wait to plant these next year along with some cantaloupe and honeydew too (both of which we have never grown before). These watermelon feel like a huge win on our end and have really given us some excitement this week. We also thought we would make a the shares line up with a couple of dishes on your end. Take everything in the picture to the right of the watermelon (minus the cherry tomatoes - you should just eat those) plus half of the garlic, char it on a grill, then toss it in a blender for salsa verde. Take everything to the left of the watermelon, plus the other half of the garlic, and make ratatouille. We've eaten both of those in the past few days and were also reminded that when they are just made both are great, but when they sit in the fridge overnight they are even better.
Week 13
(August 25)
Green Leaf Lettuce
Red Bell Pepper
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Heirloom Tomato
Garlic
Poblano Peppers
Cucumbers
Cherry Tomatoes
Onions
Jalapeños
Beefsteak Tomatoes
We're soaking in the summer sunshine and temperatures this week as we start to adjust our schedules to include the start of school, clubs, athletics, and other activities that go along with the fall each year.
We really enjoyed the red potatoes in Week 11 and are happy to start digging our Yukon Golds this week. They make, hands down, THE best mashed potatoes and we will definitely be enjoying them that way in the next days. It's a tomato and pepper party this week with another head of the green leaf lettuce to top off your sandwiches or to enjoy a cooling salad for lunch during some of the multiple 90 degree days that are projected. We definitely don't feel like turning on the oven on those days so it's either eating veggies that don't have to be cooked or firing up the grill in the shade.
We talk about these last days of August on the farm as the start of the final push for the year. There are still 12 more weeks of Farm Box and long days of harvesting and planting, but in the next 4-5 weeks all the crops for the rest of the year will be seeded or transplanted and all of the hoophouses will be turned over one more time from the warm season crops back into the cooler season ones. Before we know it, fruits will start to give way to leaves and roots, the trees will start to slowly color, and the evenings will find us wrapped in sweatshirts making s'mores in the backyard around a bonfire.
Week 12
(August 18)
Green Leaf Lettuce
Orange Bell Pepper
Baby Leeks
Eggplant
Shishito Peppers
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Cucumbers
White Onions
Cherry Tomatoes
Carmens Peppers (Sweet)
Shallots
Zucchini
Heirloom Tomato
Lettuce is back after a hiatus during the hottest part of the year so BLTs are on the menu this week! We've been trying a few different heat tolerant varieties and some different overhead watering options to keep them cooler the past few weeks and some different tractor weeding techniques that have both really paid off. They are weed-free, crunchy, not bitter at all, and absolutely delicious (we ate the first head from this planting last night). We have also been trying a few different orange bell peppers over the past few years and have finally settled on a new one this year that produces both nice and abundant peppers. We have heard all the feedback from many of you on how much you have been enjoying the shishitos so you'll find them in this week's share again.
On the farm this week, the greenhouse is starting to fill up with late summer/fall plantings and we have officially begun the transition to fall/winter in two of the hoop houses. For the first time since April there is a bit of open space inside two different houses that has been tilled and is being prepped for parsley and lettuce plantings later this month. We are also getting ready to dig all of our potatoes and turn where they are currently growing into arugula and other baby leafy greens. Our final seed order of this season is going in this week for a few more cool season crops as we move towards cooler mornings and earlier sunsets.
(August 18)
Green Leaf Lettuce
Orange Bell Pepper
Baby Leeks
Eggplant
Shishito Peppers
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Cucumbers
White Onions
Cherry Tomatoes
Carmens Peppers (Sweet)
Shallots
Zucchini
Heirloom Tomato
Lettuce is back after a hiatus during the hottest part of the year so BLTs are on the menu this week! We've been trying a few different heat tolerant varieties and some different overhead watering options to keep them cooler the past few weeks and some different tractor weeding techniques that have both really paid off. They are weed-free, crunchy, not bitter at all, and absolutely delicious (we ate the first head from this planting last night). We have also been trying a few different orange bell peppers over the past few years and have finally settled on a new one this year that produces both nice and abundant peppers. We have heard all the feedback from many of you on how much you have been enjoying the shishitos so you'll find them in this week's share again.
On the farm this week, the greenhouse is starting to fill up with late summer/fall plantings and we have officially begun the transition to fall/winter in two of the hoop houses. For the first time since April there is a bit of open space inside two different houses that has been tilled and is being prepped for parsley and lettuce plantings later this month. We are also getting ready to dig all of our potatoes and turn where they are currently growing into arugula and other baby leafy greens. Our final seed order of this season is going in this week for a few more cool season crops as we move towards cooler mornings and earlier sunsets.
Week 11
(August 11)
Redskin Potatoes
Havasu Pepper (Medium+ heat level)
Heirloom Tomatoes
Cucumbers
White Onions
Mixed Peppers
Cherry Tomatoes
Garlic
Zucchini
Beefsteak Tomatoes
We have fajitas on our minds with this week's items. The mixed peppers, white onion, and havasu pepper (if you'd like to add some heat) will make the perfect sautéed or grilled filling. Feel free to add some meat in with that but charring the zucchini and adding it to the peppers and onion would work equally well. Of course, you can't have fajitas without some fresh diced, beefsteak tomatoes! The heirlooms and cherry tomatoes are really producing this year (they produce well each year but they seem to especially be cranking out the fruit in 2021) and we are enjoying Caprese salads while we can. We usually don't seed basil this late in the year but we just put in a late seeding to see if we can push into the fall with it inside a hoophouse. If that works, we are planning to be eating caprese and fresh pesto into the middle of fall. We started to dig the first of the potatoes last week to see how they were looking and, while the two types of yellows (Yukon Gold and German Butterball) still have a little time before they are ready, the reds look great and are ready to go! We really like these ones for home fries with breakfast or just boiled and topped with butter, salt, pepper, and sour cream. The fennel has a nice anise flavor and does well when it's roasted and topped with shaved Parmesan cheese. It's also great in a yogurt salad and the fronds can be used to flavor stock. After a challenging year with our first planting of cucumbers in 2020, we're happy to report this year's planting is just continuing to produce week after week. Nothing is quite as refreshing as cucumber water and we've also been known to drop a slice of cucumber as a garnish into a gin and tonic (which is perfect for these hot, hot days).
Week 10
(August 4)
Heirloom Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Sweet Onions
Jalapeños
Poblano Pepper
Cherry Tomatoes
Garlic (Cured/Shelf Stable)
Green Pepper
Collard Greens
Cabbage
Beefsteak Tomatoes
August already and this week's Farm Box is telling you to embrace summer and make a batch of gazpacho. If you would like a mild version you can use the green pepper, but for a little more spice you can use the poblano and the jalapeños. For what it's worth, we're planning to use all three of them when we make it! We would also recommend a mixture of the red and heirloom tomatoes for both color and flavor. You can peel the tomatoes if you're blender/food processor won't chop them fine enough and can peel the cucumbers if you'd like, but the 'Socrates' variety we grow has very thin skins that shouldn't need peeling. Don't forget to add those extras on top that always make gazpacho shine - like a dollop of creme fresh, a swirl of good olive oil, and some toasted almonds (my favorite part to add some much needed crunch/texture). And lastly, DO NOT forget the crucial step of chilling it and then adjusting the salt level after it's cold. It's amazing how much that changes when it sits for a bit and chills down. We love making cole slaw with the small 'Tiara' cabbage we grow but this week we switched it up and shaved the cabbage thin, cooked it in olive oil with shaved onions, and then added red wine vinegar to deglaze. Bacon would work in that recipe too but it was great without it along side some grilled meat.
We've spent this week weeding new plantings of zucchini and green loose leaf lettuce and stringing and trellising a planting of tomatillos that we are really excited about. The tomatillos are looking amazing right now and we should be harvesting in just a few weeks. We can't wait to grill tomatillos, poblanos, and white onions and blend them in to salsa verde for a taco Tuesday in the not to distant future.
Week 9
(July 28)
Cherry Tomatoes
Chives
Cucumbers
Fresh Shallots
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Shishitos Peppers
Fresh White Onions
Fresh Garlic
Yellow and Costata Romanesco Zucchini
Red Russian Kale
Hakurei Turnips
The end of July means the onion family is coming on strong. The white onions and shallots should still go into your refrigerator, since they aren't cured yet, but the garlic (and any future garlic this season) can be stored on your countertop or in your pantry. Our greenhouse is currently filled with garlic but by the end of the week all of it for the next twelve months should be cured, sorted for the largest cloves that we will plant this fall, and cleaned out so we and start planting the first of our fall and early winter crops. Each year it still seems counter intuitive to us that we are seeding, planning, and planting many of our October and November crops in the peak of the summer months, but if we don't get many of them going now they won't be ready for those fall and early winter harvests. While we are busy thinking about cool season crops this week we hope that you are enjoying another Farm Box full of summer! White onions are the traditional onion in pico de gallo and we are definitely making that to go with tacos. The first planting of cucumbers is really starting to produce now (we also just put in our second planting to keep them coming into the late summer/early fall) so refrigerator pickles with some of the garlic and a few of the shishitos are on our mind. We're planning to sauté the zucchini, shallots, hakurei turnips, kale and turnip greens with a good helping of red pepper flakes as a side dish for something right off the grill. Of course, it's BLT season with the beefsteaks and we also love using the cherries for BLT salads. Looking forward to red bell peppers coming soon and late planted tomatillos and eggplant later this season that are just starting to flower.
(July 28)
Cherry Tomatoes
Chives
Cucumbers
Fresh Shallots
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Shishitos Peppers
Fresh White Onions
Fresh Garlic
Yellow and Costata Romanesco Zucchini
Red Russian Kale
Hakurei Turnips
The end of July means the onion family is coming on strong. The white onions and shallots should still go into your refrigerator, since they aren't cured yet, but the garlic (and any future garlic this season) can be stored on your countertop or in your pantry. Our greenhouse is currently filled with garlic but by the end of the week all of it for the next twelve months should be cured, sorted for the largest cloves that we will plant this fall, and cleaned out so we and start planting the first of our fall and early winter crops. Each year it still seems counter intuitive to us that we are seeding, planning, and planting many of our October and November crops in the peak of the summer months, but if we don't get many of them going now they won't be ready for those fall and early winter harvests. While we are busy thinking about cool season crops this week we hope that you are enjoying another Farm Box full of summer! White onions are the traditional onion in pico de gallo and we are definitely making that to go with tacos. The first planting of cucumbers is really starting to produce now (we also just put in our second planting to keep them coming into the late summer/early fall) so refrigerator pickles with some of the garlic and a few of the shishitos are on our mind. We're planning to sauté the zucchini, shallots, hakurei turnips, kale and turnip greens with a good helping of red pepper flakes as a side dish for something right off the grill. Of course, it's BLT season with the beefsteaks and we also love using the cherries for BLT salads. Looking forward to red bell peppers coming soon and late planted tomatillos and eggplant later this season that are just starting to flower.
Week 8
(July 21)
Heirloom Tomatoes
Basil
Jalapeños
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Fresh Red Onions
Collard Greens
Fresh Garlic
Cherry Tomatoes
Parsley
This share just screams summer with tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, fresh onions, basil, and more! The farm is really hitting its stride and humming along now. The greenhouse is almost empty (just a few more things to plant out this week) and will soon be filled with the 2021 garlic harvest that will cure over the next 2-4 weeks. As they cure (so that they become shelf stable and can be stored on your countertops/in your pantry) we'll keep you supplied with fresh garlic weekly so plan on roasting, pickling, sautéing, and making pesto over the next few months. This will be the last parsley until the late summer/early fall (we are just about to seed another round) so we would suggest making chimichurri, our favorite sauce, this week. There are plenty of recipes online, it's another great way to use garlic, and goes with all things grilled. We're excited to have zucchini in the shares since we planted a bit early this season and they took a hard hit from the three nights of cold over Memorial Day weekend. But, we've nursed them the past month so they are now covered with flowers and early fruits and looking nice and healthy. Enjoy this week's share and look forward to more go summer's offerings and more new items next week too!
Week 8
(July 21)
Heirloom Tomatoes
Basil
Jalapeños
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Fresh Red Onions
Collard Greens
Fresh Garlic
Cherry Tomatoes
Parsley
This share just screams summer with tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, fresh onions, basil, and more! The farm is really hitting its stride and humming along now. The greenhouse is almost empty (just a few more things to plant out this week) and will soon be filled with the 2021 garlic harvest that will cure over the next 2-4 weeks. As they cure (so that they become shelf stable and can be stored on your countertops/in your pantry) we'll keep you supplied with fresh garlic weekly so plan on roasting, pickling, sautéing, and making pesto over the next few months. This will be the last parsley until the late summer/early fall (we are just about to seed another round) so we would suggest making chimichurri, our favorite sauce, this week. There are plenty of recipes online, it's another great way to use garlic, and goes with all things grilled. We're excited to have zucchini in the shares since we planted a bit early this season and they took a hard hit from the three nights of cold over Memorial Day weekend. But, we've nursed them the past month so they are now covered with flowers and early fruits and looking nice and healthy. Enjoy this week's share and look forward to more go summer's offerings and more new items next week too!
Week 7
(July 14)
Cherry Tomatoes
Shishito Peppers
Fresh Sweet Onions
Hakurei Turnips
Curly Endive
Basil
Green Leaf Lettuce
Red Russian Kale
Kohlrabi
We're finally drying out this week and getting back onto a regular irrigation schedule and away from digging trenches to get the water to drain out of some of the lower lying places on the farm. We're moving into Week 7 with more new items coming to your plates! We are most excited about the shishito peppers this week. Those of you who had them last year will find this variety has a touch more heat than the 'Mellow Star' ones we grew last year. They aren't hot, but compared to last year's completely mild ones there is a little bite. For those of you who haven't had them before, the most common way to cook them is to toss them in vegetable (or another neutral tasting) oil then either char them on a grill or in a very hot cast iron skillet (or frying pan if you don't have a cast iron skillet). Then top them with some coarse salt and dip them in soy sauce before eating them whole (minus the stem). They go great as a snack by themselves or with anything grilled. We also love the Hakurei (aka "Japanese salad") turnips. They are sweet and crunchy with a great texture, especially when sliced thin and eaten raw. If you are wanting to cook them, a quick sauté is the best way to go. The Walla Walla sweet onions have been bulbing up over the past few weeks and will continue to do so, but we just couldn't wait any longer to get to the first ones of the year. Like the fresh garlic, they have not been cured so should be kept in the fridge to stay fresh. The curly endive is a bitter green that does best when paired with some fat from cheese, bacon, egg, or all three. You can chop it and eat it raw but it is most often cooked. If you go searching for recipes make sure to look under "curly endive" otherwise you'll most likely find recipes for "belgian endive" instead. We're looking forward to the week ahead as we wrap up the last of the spring planted vegetables, start to turn them in, get ready to replant those spaces, and begin the garlic harvest.
Week 6
(July 7)
Cherry Tomatoes
Poblano Peppers
Jalapenos
Carrots
Red Beets
Green Leaf Lettuce
Swiss Chard
Garlic Scapes
Cilantro
Radicchio (not pictured)
French Breakfast Radishes (delivery only this week)
We are so excited about all the colors and all the new products in this week's bags! Yea for cherry tomatoes starting and going forward into September. For the next two and half to three months these will sit on our table where we'll grab one to two to snack on every time we walk past. We made the first Caprese salad of the year yesterday and it was delicious. Watch for more basil in next week's share to pair with more tomatoes. We have been babying these carrots specifically for Farm Boxes and are happy to get them harvested, washed, and into your hands. We'll now start to get the hoop house space where they were planted prepped for the second planting of cucumbers that will be ready for planting in just a few weeks. We love beets (!) and feel like they are the unsung hero here because they are joining so many other good vegetables. Don't forget to use the beet greens too! The poblano peppers (little bit of heat, nice smokey flavor) and the jalapeños add even more goodness in this share. If we were you (and had a kitchen that wasn't getting remodeled right now), we'd make sure to pair the green leaf lettuce with the tomatoes to make a BLT salad. For the dressing we combine red wine vinegar, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper then top with bacon because that combination tastes like July. We're looking forward to more summer crops just around the corner and to seeing all of you this week.
(July 7)
Cherry Tomatoes
Poblano Peppers
Jalapenos
Carrots
Red Beets
Green Leaf Lettuce
Swiss Chard
Garlic Scapes
Cilantro
Radicchio (not pictured)
French Breakfast Radishes (delivery only this week)
We are so excited about all the colors and all the new products in this week's bags! Yea for cherry tomatoes starting and going forward into September. For the next two and half to three months these will sit on our table where we'll grab one to two to snack on every time we walk past. We made the first Caprese salad of the year yesterday and it was delicious. Watch for more basil in next week's share to pair with more tomatoes. We have been babying these carrots specifically for Farm Boxes and are happy to get them harvested, washed, and into your hands. We'll now start to get the hoop house space where they were planted prepped for the second planting of cucumbers that will be ready for planting in just a few weeks. We love beets (!) and feel like they are the unsung hero here because they are joining so many other good vegetables. Don't forget to use the beet greens too! The poblano peppers (little bit of heat, nice smokey flavor) and the jalapeños add even more goodness in this share. If we were you (and had a kitchen that wasn't getting remodeled right now), we'd make sure to pair the green leaf lettuce with the tomatoes to make a BLT salad. For the dressing we combine red wine vinegar, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper then top with bacon because that combination tastes like July. We're looking forward to more summer crops just around the corner and to seeing all of you this week.
Week 5
(June 30)
Green Peppers
Cucumber
Green Cabbage
Basil
Shelling Peas
Collard Greens
Iceberg Lettuce
Fresh Garlic
French Breakfast Radishes
(Radishes will be in farm pick-up only bags this week
and delivery only next week)
Welp, it rained...like we asked it to...and then it just kept coming. We feel fortunate to not have terrible flooding right now on the farm or in our house. The fields are definitely wet, we have standing water in some places, our potatoes are not overly happy, and a few of the hoop houses had some water flowing through them that has shrunk to large puddles. On the whole things are alright around here after the storms of the past few days. We hope you are all safe and as dry as can be. Some friends have flooded basements and others have flooded fields and we hope for everyone that is dealing with that dries out after Tuesday afternoon and your houses and farms can be put back together.
In some exciting news, those of you that have been following our tractor saga (we ordered one at the end of February and did all of our crop planning to fit the size of the planting beds it would make) came this week! Our other one dig an amazing job for the past decade on nearly everything we asked it to do. We grew into its size as the farm expanded and have now reached a point where we need to lift pallets that are too heavy for it, use some cultivating equipment that it is too narrow to use efficiently, and so we increased the horsepower and lifting capacity. We haven't been able to get it into any fields with all this rain, but we have been able to use it to move a few things around the farm the past few days. We are very excited to get the next planting of beets (the first planting will be in the Farm Boxes either next week or the following one) and carrots (also coming soon to Farm Boxes) seeded soon so that we can try out different spacings and also work on weeding with the tractor tools instead of doing so much by hand. It takes a long time and a lot of labor hours to get to the end of our 270ft beds (with 3-4 rows of crops in them) when we do it all by hand. We have some Farm Box family kiddos that have been very excited to sit on it so you may see it parked out by the driveway on Wednesday for them to climb up on. Our previous one has found a great home with close friends just a couple of properties down Clark Rd that are starting a farm here in Bath. We're glad it is staying close and are happy that we'll get to see it do great for them too!
(June 30)
Green Peppers
Cucumber
Green Cabbage
Basil
Shelling Peas
Collard Greens
Iceberg Lettuce
Fresh Garlic
French Breakfast Radishes
(Radishes will be in farm pick-up only bags this week
and delivery only next week)
Welp, it rained...like we asked it to...and then it just kept coming. We feel fortunate to not have terrible flooding right now on the farm or in our house. The fields are definitely wet, we have standing water in some places, our potatoes are not overly happy, and a few of the hoop houses had some water flowing through them that has shrunk to large puddles. On the whole things are alright around here after the storms of the past few days. We hope you are all safe and as dry as can be. Some friends have flooded basements and others have flooded fields and we hope for everyone that is dealing with that dries out after Tuesday afternoon and your houses and farms can be put back together.
In some exciting news, those of you that have been following our tractor saga (we ordered one at the end of February and did all of our crop planning to fit the size of the planting beds it would make) came this week! Our other one dig an amazing job for the past decade on nearly everything we asked it to do. We grew into its size as the farm expanded and have now reached a point where we need to lift pallets that are too heavy for it, use some cultivating equipment that it is too narrow to use efficiently, and so we increased the horsepower and lifting capacity. We haven't been able to get it into any fields with all this rain, but we have been able to use it to move a few things around the farm the past few days. We are very excited to get the next planting of beets (the first planting will be in the Farm Boxes either next week or the following one) and carrots (also coming soon to Farm Boxes) seeded soon so that we can try out different spacings and also work on weeding with the tractor tools instead of doing so much by hand. It takes a long time and a lot of labor hours to get to the end of our 270ft beds (with 3-4 rows of crops in them) when we do it all by hand. We have some Farm Box family kiddos that have been very excited to sit on it so you may see it parked out by the driveway on Wednesday for them to climb up on. Our previous one has found a great home with close friends just a couple of properties down Clark Rd that are starting a farm here in Bath. We're glad it is staying close and are happy that we'll get to see it do great for them too!
Week 4
(June 23)
Iceberg Lettuce
Fresh Garlic
Shell Peas
Scallions
Red Russian Kale
Microgreens (Red Stemmed Radish)
Parsley
Romaine
We are so excited about four more first time items this week (five if you count the radish micros as a new one since we haven't grown that type yet this year)! The iceberg lettuce has to go on burgers, in tacos, or as a wedge salad this week for sure. We are pulling the first garlic for this week's boxes and it is sharp and pungent and oh so delicious. It hasn't been cured so please store it in your refrigerator. When we start including cured garlic (usually around mid-August) we'll make sure to let you know it can be stored at room temperature. Fresh shelling/English peas are here! Those of you that were with us last year, or have shopped with us at the Bath Farmers Market over the past decade, know that these are our love language. We grow 'Green Arrow' peas which is the variety that Dru's great-grandma Lydia (our oldest daughter's namesake) grew when Dru was growing up. You do not eat the shell on these ones, just the delicious peas inside. Our preferred way is sitting on the porch, late in the evening after a long day, with a cold beer.
(June 23)
Iceberg Lettuce
Fresh Garlic
Shell Peas
Scallions
Red Russian Kale
Microgreens (Red Stemmed Radish)
Parsley
Romaine
We are so excited about four more first time items this week (five if you count the radish micros as a new one since we haven't grown that type yet this year)! The iceberg lettuce has to go on burgers, in tacos, or as a wedge salad this week for sure. We are pulling the first garlic for this week's boxes and it is sharp and pungent and oh so delicious. It hasn't been cured so please store it in your refrigerator. When we start including cured garlic (usually around mid-August) we'll make sure to let you know it can be stored at room temperature. Fresh shelling/English peas are here! Those of you that were with us last year, or have shopped with us at the Bath Farmers Market over the past decade, know that these are our love language. We grow 'Green Arrow' peas which is the variety that Dru's great-grandma Lydia (our oldest daughter's namesake) grew when Dru was growing up. You do not eat the shell on these ones, just the delicious peas inside. Our preferred way is sitting on the porch, late in the evening after a long day, with a cold beer.
Week 3
(June 16)
Cilantro
Garlic Scapes
Collard Greens
Spinach
Baby Lettuce Mix
Kohlrabi
Basil
Red Buttercrunch
Today we are celebrating the 14th anniversary of our move-in date to this wonderful, work-in-progress, 121 year old farmhouse!
It's the third week of Farm Box already and there are more new items going into the bags. Cilantro is joining the party (can you say "Taco Tuesday?"), collard greens (the perfect pairing to any smoked meat and fyi, if anyone wants to talk smoked meats at pick up we are more than happy to hang out and go down that road!), and kohlrabi (trust us when we say you want to look up a recipe for creamed kohlrabi). We are saying goodbye to spinach this week with the last harvest until the temperatures cool down back in the fall. We're making plenty of garlic scape and basil pesto (just sub the scapes for garlic cloves in any recipe) and we'll be eating many salads in the next few weeks as we always love them as quick and healthy meals (and our kitchen is currently gutted after 14 years of talking about redoing it so we are either eating raw vegetables, things that can be cooked in a microwave, or carry-out these days).
We've enjoyed the cooler temperatures this week as they make long days of weeding onions much more bearable but we are looking forward to more summer fruiting crops going the shares as the day and night time temperatures continue to keep rising.
Week 2
(June 9)
Romaine Lettuce
Garlic Scapes
Scallions
Radishes
Swiss Chard
Spinach
Baby Lettuce Mix
Microgreens
We hope everyone has been eating salads, lettuce wraps (shout out to the Davenport Family for sharing that one on social media!), and sticking your noses in that first little bag of basil any time you walked passed it.
Welp...we asked for rain and rain is definitely what we got the past few days. There is no doubt that we needed it. Once upon a time we used to stress really hard about what the weather was going to do (okay, okay, we still do, but we are working on stressing just a little less than we used to), but we have, for the most part, come to terms with the fact that we can't dictate when it rains or doesn't. Instead, we focus on how we react to it and how it changes our priorities when we have too little or too much. The best example on the farm right now is our potatoes. We hilled them last week (which means we mound up the soil to bury them each time they start to pop through the soil) and they already need to be hilled again, but with as wet as it is we can't get the tractor in the fields to do a thing right now. So, instead we spent almost all day inside the hoop houses pruning and clipping all the heirloom tomatoes, and almost half of the cherries, which really needed to be done too. On sunny days we only spend the early hours in the hoophouses before it gets too hot to work, but with the rain and clouds we were able to get so much done inside today! The heirlooms are looking beautiful, the cherries are on their way, and the red beefsteaks will be looking just as good by the end of the week. Here's to a few new items this week and plans for some surprise new ones next week too.
Week 1
(June 2)
Red Buttercrunch Lettuce
Microgreens
Basil
Pea Shoots
Scallions
Red Russian Kale
Spinach
Baby Lettuce Mix
We enjoy our winters full of sifting through seed catalogs, creating crop plans, updating our website, and reviewing what we could do better year-to-year...BUT we really love when we get to start planting, weeding, harvesting, washing, bagging, and see all of you again.
Welcome to Week 1 of the 2021 Ten Hens Farm Box!
We made it! Needless to say, this has already been a wild ride of a spring. From almost 90F in March and April to back-to-back 36F nights at the end of May its been a roller coaster. We've lost some crops, we've saved some crops, and we've held off on planting some crops we would usually have in the ground by now. We are happy to report that our sweet potatoes, while looking pretty grumpy the past few days, made it through last weekend's low temperatures and should start to put on some more new growth soon. Cabbage leaves are growing larger, radishes are starting to size up, Swiss chard is flaunting its brilliant colors in a sea of green fields, tomatoes are flowering (we've even eaten a few of the very first cherry tomatoes that our daughters didn't get to first), cucumbers are in the ground and growing, and there are all kinds of spring leafy greens looking just beautiful for the boxes this week. Enjoy these first tastes of the year!
(June 2)
Red Buttercrunch Lettuce
Microgreens
Basil
Pea Shoots
Scallions
Red Russian Kale
Spinach
Baby Lettuce Mix
We enjoy our winters full of sifting through seed catalogs, creating crop plans, updating our website, and reviewing what we could do better year-to-year...BUT we really love when we get to start planting, weeding, harvesting, washing, bagging, and see all of you again.
Welcome to Week 1 of the 2021 Ten Hens Farm Box!
We made it! Needless to say, this has already been a wild ride of a spring. From almost 90F in March and April to back-to-back 36F nights at the end of May its been a roller coaster. We've lost some crops, we've saved some crops, and we've held off on planting some crops we would usually have in the ground by now. We are happy to report that our sweet potatoes, while looking pretty grumpy the past few days, made it through last weekend's low temperatures and should start to put on some more new growth soon. Cabbage leaves are growing larger, radishes are starting to size up, Swiss chard is flaunting its brilliant colors in a sea of green fields, tomatoes are flowering (we've even eaten a few of the very first cherry tomatoes that our daughters didn't get to first), cucumbers are in the ground and growing, and there are all kinds of spring leafy greens looking just beautiful for the boxes this week. Enjoy these first tastes of the year!
