CSA Newsletter for August 1, 2015

Farm Update

Last week, we had our largest head
of broccoli ever at the farm.  It
weighed in at just over three pounds
and was roughly the size of Fred's head!

Hello everyone! Now in mid summer, we have finally had a dry spell and have started to really get a handle on the weeds. Fortunately even with the dry weather, which usually brings out a lot of insect pests, it seems the bugs that usually give us trouble (like squash bugs and cucumber beetles) have not been able to take off very well for some reason.  We are hoping for rain tomorrow as Fred has started to plant some larger plantings for fall, many of which are just popping out of the ground.  At this time of year our onion, shallot, and potato plant foliage have started to die back as they come closer to the time when we will do large one-day harvests and put these crops into storage.  We have started eating some of our fantastic cherry tomatoes at home and should have some to bring to the drop-off in a week from now!  The tomato plants have grown like crazy with the heat, and many are over seven feet tall in the coldframes!  We will be going into a labor crunch soon as our summer help goes back to school; we do have a few new folks who will be helping us out part-time but we are still a little nervous as we go into this transitional time in a couple weeks. The work certainly seems endless this time of year, but it is worth it because we are entering one of the most abundant parts of the season!

What to Expect in Your Share This Week

At the regular drop-offs:

• Choice of romaine heads or spring mix
• Choice of beets or carrots
• Choice of beans or potatoes
• Choice of cabbage or chard
• Choice of kale or zucchini
• Onions
• Choice of cucumbers, basil, or frisee

For home/workplace delivery:

A Share:                    B Share:
Romaine                    Spring mix
Beets                         Carrots
Snap beans                Potatoes
Cabbage                    Cabbage
Zucchini                    Kale
Onions                       Onions
Basil                          Cucumbers                

Preserving the Harvest

Traditionally, August is a time of great bounty from the fields, and anyone who has ever had a large garden knows that sometimes you just can't keep up with all the goodies coming out of it.  So that's where preservation comes in.  Since the beginning of agriculture, people have been preserving the summer harvest for the winter ahead, and now with modern canning and freezing methods, we have more options than ever for saving summer produce for later.  So check out these ideas for preserving your share, and you'll be able to enjoy August (kind of) for well into the winter!

Can it!  Some popular things to can are tomatoes, salsa, tomato sauce, beets, and green beans.  Just follow the links for tutorials on how to can all of these things!

Pickle it! When we think of pickles, we think cucumbers, but you can pickle other things too.  Here's how to pickle cucumbers, beets, and cabbage (sauerkraut).

Lacto ferment it!  Lacto fermentation is unfamiliar to many people, so check out this article to learn more about this traditional preservation method.  The article also offers recipes for lacto fermented carrots, green beans, and onion relish. 

Freeze it! Kale, green beans, cabbage, zucchini, broccoli, peppers, and basil pesto are all great to freeze.

Chances are good you'll want to eat all of the goodness in your share sooner rather than later.  But if you find yourself with an abundance of a particular item, these tips should help.  Enjoy!