Saturday, July 18, 2015

CSA Newsletter for July 18, 2015

Farm Update


Jane and Jessamine went
out to the blueberry patch on
Friday morning to help Fred
collect some blueberries.
 Hello everyone!  The fields have been very wet this week, and our cool season crops like beets, onions, and cabbage, which thrive in this type of weather, have some of the best flavor I ever remember them having!  The blueberries have also been doing really well, and the berry size has really increased this year, due to the favorable weather, irrigation, pruning, and better soil fertility.  The tomatoes in the coldframes are really starting to take off, but the outside tomatoes are at a big risk for disease because having moisture on their leaves is really detrimental.  So Fred has been keeping a close eye on them.  The zucchini and cucumbers are also growing really quickly, so we'll have plenty of them in the shares this week.  Another thing that is growing really well with the warm and wet weather is the weeds, and staying on top of them has been a real battle.  This is definitely the year of the weeds, but fortunately the weather that benefits the weeds also benefits the things we actually want.  So it should be another great week of veggies, and we hope you all enjoy your shares!



What to Expect in Your Share This Week

At the regular drop-offs:
  • Choice of kale or cabbage
  • Choice of green onions, shallots, or basil
  • Blueberries for everyone!
  • Choice of beets and broccoli
  • Choice of carrots and cucumbers
  • Choice of large-leaf salad mix, spring mix, or romaine heads
  • Zucchini for everyone

For home/workplace delivery:

A Share:                    B Share:
Kale                          Cabbage
Green onions            Basil
Carrots                      Cucumbers
Beets                         Broccoli
Blueberries               Blueberries
Zucchini                   Zucchini
Spring mix                Large leaf salad mix




Organic Pest Control:  How We Protect our Plants from Bugs and Other Tiny Pests

We often get asked “So, how do you control insects on your crops?” While conventional farms have a vast array of pesticides and pest-resistant GMO varieties in their arsenals, it is tricky to keep insects under control organically. We do take some crop losses here and there because of our dedication to not using synthetic chemicals or GMO varieties. The main thing we focus on is plant health and growing as much as we can in the right season, so plant growth is strong and vigorous and can fend for itself well. If a plant is under stress due to poor soil or adverse weather conditions, it is more susceptible to attack by pests.  A good example this season was our potatoes that got hit hard by potato beetles because they received frost damage twice in the spring, which weakening plant health considerably. A big part of helping our crops grow vigorously is by feeding the soil the right balance and amount of nutrients. We do this by taking soil tests and foliar nutrient tests, and then using the results to determine the right mix of natural fertilizers for our soil. However, some pests attack no matter how healthy the plant is, and some insects (like squash bugs and flea beetles) have given us quite a bit of trouble over the last few years.

A common misconception is that if a farm is organic, it doesn’t spray anything on the crops, which isn’t actually true.  We don’t spray anything synthetic, but there are plant extracts and other naturally occurring substances that can be used in organic systems.  We do use things like Pyganic, which is a chrysanthemum extract that deters and kills some insects. We also use Bt, which is a bacteria that easily infects soft bodied worms like tomato worms and cabbage loopers, but is harmless to people. Neem tree extract and food grade diatomaceous earth (fossilized ocean shell powder that make small lacerations on insects exoskeletons) are also ingredients we use. We apply the ingredients by mixing all four of them together and diluting them in water, then using a motorized backpack sprayer (basically a commercially modified leaf blower) that blasts a mist of this mix into the plant foliage. We use all four ingredients on the plant at the same time to make the plants the most inhospitable to the insects as possible.  This technique has been much more effective than spraying individual ingredients and we have gotten nearly complete control of several pests over the last couple years due to this way of applying organic sprays.

None of these natural products have the same effectiveness as the synthetic chemicals used in conventional systems. However, it is important to us that the food we eat does not have pesticide residues that we would be ingesting, and that the farm is a safer place for us, our workers, our animals, and the environment. Our fields and our surrounding areas are also teeming with a lot more insect and reptile life than in conventional systems. Synthetic chemicals often have a lot of side effects on other insect and reptile life in the environment, and it is good to see the great number of snakes, frogs, toads, bees, and other pollinating insects that make their home in our fields every year.

This year has been an easier year for us to control pests in general as insect pests tend to thrive when field conditions are warm and dry.  So far we have had a lot of rain, and this has helped keep the insect populations from taking off.  Our biggest problem so far this season was with our potatoes, where the reduced plant health from late frosts left the plant very vulnerable to infestations.  In most years our potatoes do not get hit with frost and the beetles are just a minor and easily controllable nuisance.

Like many other aspects of organic vegetable production, pest control is a lot trickier than in conventional systems, but it is worth it.  I like that our kids can grab carrots or lettuce leaves and eat them right out of the field, and I don’t have to worry about what else they’re ingesting.  I also like that the way we grow things supports not only a healthy diet, but also a healthy ecosystem.

Recipes


Black Bean and Zucchini Quesadillas
We are finally into zucchini season, and I am super pumped about it!  This morning I made several loaves of zucchini bread to freeze and pull out for a nice accompaniment to breakfast, or to bring to a last-minute potluck.  And as I still have a large pile of zucchini on my kitchen counter, I can't wait to try a bunch of these 26 Zucchini Recipes, particularly the Black Bean and Zucchini Quesadillas and the Zucchini Fries!  And in case you're interested in my zucchini bread recipe, you can find it right here.

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