CSA Wk 8, August 12

Greetings!

What beautiful weather this am - sunny & bright, but cool enough to keep the sweatshirt on. Love it! Feels like fall.....which is right around the corner.

We are about 1/2 way through the CSA season and going strong. We've been tackling some pests as of late, mainly with an organic biological spray. We've had what we think is a woodchuck eating greens of carrots (you will notice they look a little chewed) and a few other things. But all in all, a great year so far with more surprises to come.

We are anxiously awaiting for tomatoes to ripen, but they are taking their sweet old time. All are still very green. Pesky tomato horn worms have found some of the plants - these are an intensely HUGE (about the size of an adults thumb) fat green caterpillar that munch away at the plants. No cure for these other than hand picking. If any of you feel led to want to look for them when you stop by today, pluck away - the chickens love them :-)

Each weeks yield from the garden ebbs and flows, so this week there was not enough of everything to give out to everyone. You notice the difference in medium/large columns, and this is one of the reasons we do the two sizes, and why the price is different. We try to balance it out over time so that everyone gets to try everything. Just be patient if you see something you have not got yet on the other list - in due time :-)

Onto the shares.

Medium Shares:
Turnip
Onion
Carrots
Beans
Summer Squash/Zucchini
Broccoli
Collard Greens
Kale
Swiss Chard
Lettuce
Cucumbers
Cilantro

Large Shares:
Cabbage
Turnip
Onion
Carrots
Beans
Potatoes
Summer Squash/Zucchini
Broccoli
Collard Greens
Kale
Black Russian Kale
Swiss Chard
Lettuce
Cucumbers
Corn - our own!
Green Pepper
Cilantro

A few things to point out this week:

TURNIP - this variety should not be very bitter. It is known for its softer bite. The GREENS are not attached -they are in a wheelbarrow in the barn, for anyone who would like them.

BROCCOLI - some shares got regular broccoli, some got Romanesco, which is more "crowny" looking and cooks more like cauliflower

CARROTS - some may have black holes from a worm of sorts that likes carrots. Just cut around them. We gave you plenty this week so we wouldn't have to pick through them all as much :-)

CILANTRO - it has started to bolt, which means but out its flower/seed heads. The soft parts all along the stem are still very usable.

LETTUCE - this time of year, lettuce/spinach tend to bolt quickly, and it's hard to grow it - which is why you don't see a lot of it in the middle of summer. Also, because of the intense sun, it sometimes is bitter. If this is the case, I recommend a sweet dressing to help tame it down.

Thanks so much. Enjoy your week!