Farm Update
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| We've been irrigating like crazy lately since it's been so dry! These green bean plants are getting a much-needed drink of water. |
Hi everyone! I hope you're all doing well and enjoying your veggies! We're definitely enjoying the farm's bounty in our own kitchen this week! In fact, despite the fact that we spend so many of our waking hours this time of year working, the fact that we have such good food three times a day, made with the freshest ingredients summer has to offer, makes me feel like we are, in fact, living life luxuriously. Even though I may have spent the morning bent over weeding a bed of carrots and come home for lunch covered in dirt and sweat (which is decidedly un-fancy), once I sit down to a fresh salad, grilled zucchini, and something Fred has expertly whipped up on the grill, I am reminded that this is, indeed, the good life.
And there has been a ton of weeding this week, so with the exception of Monday (which I always spend on the road doing our delivery route down to Ann Arbor, and eat leftovers while driving back so I can get the van back in time to load up for our Alma drop-off), that has pretty much been my week. While the weeds aren't growing as quickly now, we're still trying to dig our way out from under all of the weeds that just explode in late June. Slowly but surely, we'll eventually get to the point where the farm isn't on the edge of getting overrun by weeds, and our pace will be able to slow down a little. For right now, we're trying to keep the weeds under control and keep everything irrigated as well as we can so nothing gets too dry.
Many of you may have noticed that we haven't had rain in quite a while if your yard looks as crispy as ours. And while it's annoying to see your grass get brown and lose its softness, the lack of rain is really a problem at the farm. One good rain is worth about a month of irrigation, and it also means that we don't have to spend a bunch of time moving our irrigation lines around the farm to make sure everything stays alive. We got a little sprinkle on Monday night, but other than that's it's been bone dry around here. We're still actively planting, and seeds won't germinate if they can't find any moisture in the ground.
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| Here is a planting of carrots we put in the ground just this morning. We've set up our drip line irrigation system right where the seeds are planted so they will have enough water to germinate. |
Fortunately, we do have our drip line irrigation system that uses little flat plastic hoses with perforations every few inches. We put the little hoses right next to the base of the plants, so the plants get the moisture they need without us having to use an excessive amount of water. It also helps keep the weeds under control, because if the weed seeds don't get water, they don't germinate either.
Depending on the weather, there are different types of work and different types of things to watch out for at the farm. When it's dry like this, we spend more time irrigating and more time fighting insect pests. Because all of the little quash bugs and potato beetles are also trying to stay alive, they're trying to suck the moisture from our plants. Since we're organic, we can't just spray a bunch of pesticides all over everything, but there are methods we can use to keep our crops from being eaten alive by bugs. There are a few organically approved pesticides (like Pyganic, which is made from chrysanthemum extract, and Spinosad, which is actually a bacteria that attacks insects but is perfectly harmless to plants, animals, and humans), but they're so expensive that we have to use them sparingly. Another effective pest control solution for some bugs is diatomaceous earth, a gritty substance that cuts up the soft bodies of things like slugs so they stay away from the plants, but washes off really easily after harvest. It also makes our crops less palatable to some four-legged pests, simply because they don't like the texture. It's kind of like if you were at the beach, and someone kicked sand on your sandwich. It's still edible, but you'd get a bunch of gritty sand in your mouth.
Then of course, it's a different story when we get too much rain. Rain during the hot part of the season causes vegetables and weeds alike to grow like crazy, but too many days of rain and clouds later in the season when the temperatures are cooler puts plants at risk of developing foliar diseases. We're always on the lookout for signs of plant diseases when we get a lot of rain in September and October, because when a plant's leaves don't get a chance to dry out, those are prime conditions for foliar diseases to take off. Basically, Michigan weather being as legendarily mercurial as it is means that we always have to be ready for whatever it throws at us. We have to be ready to battle bugs or diseases or weeds, or just to spend a lot of time dragging irrigation lines around to keep our plants strong and healthy. Then once we achieve that, we harvest them, wash them up, and bring them to you!
And that's actually my favorite part. I love the inherent variety of the work that populates my week. I love that I get to spend some hours on the road doing deliveries and listening to audiobooks, some time methodically pulling out weeds with the sun on my back and dirt on my hands, some hours in our wash/pack area putting together all of those little bags of spring mix and carrots and the prepacked shares for our home deliveries and Lansing-area folks. And I get to spend some time connecting with all of you at the drop-offs, some hours doing bookkeeping, and some doing creative work, like writing this newsletter each week. It's so varied that I never get a chance to be bored. There will be a point toward the end of the season when I am bone tired and on the edge of burning out (because the CSA season really is a marathon), but that's not for several months yet. Right now we've got all of that July energy behind us and lots of good summer food to eat. And that really is the good life.
What to Expect in the Shares this Week
If you pick up at our Alma, Mt. Pleasant, or Midland drop-off, here are the options for your shares! If you have a half share, you’ll choose one item from each choice category, and if you have a full share, you’ll choose two. And if there is something you don’t like or can’t eat, you can bring it to the trading station at the end and trade it for something you like better.
- Potatoes
- Carrots or beets
- Cucumbers or pearl onions
- Zucchini
- Spring mix
- Basil or microgreens
- Kale, Swiss chard, or cabbage
If you pick up at our Lansing, Okemos, St. Johns, Midland hospital, or Alma hospital drop-off, or if you have home or workplace delivery, here are your options! We have three different prepacked shares, and you can let me know which one you want by filling out this quick form by lunchtime the day before your drop-off. If you have a half share, you can choose one of these options, and if you have a full share, you’ll choose two.
Share A:
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Pearl onions
- Zucchini
- Spring mix
- Basil
- Cabbage
Share B:
- Potatoes
- Beets
- Cucumbers
- Zucchini
- Spring mix
- Basil
- Swiss chard
Share C:
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Zucchini
- Spring mix
- Microgreens
- Kale
Recipes
- Salt to taste
- Whatever seasoning you like! We've made this with chili powder, cumin, curry powder, and basil, and they're all great. This is pretty versatile, and you can change the flavor profile depending on what seasoning you use.
Instructions:
Splash olive oil in a pan over medium heat, and add carrots. Sauté the carrots until they are soft, but not mushy. A few minutes before the carrots are ready to take off of the heat, add the pistachios and stir them around in the pan. When the carrots are properly soft, take the pan off the heat, add salt and preferred seasoning to taste. Enjoy!
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