Notes From The Field | November 5, 2023
Penultimate Harvest
by Farmer Derek

Now that we're into the final two weeks of share pick up, it's time to wish thee well and reflect on what's been. We're fortunate to have some wonderful fall weather as we close out the 2023 harvest season. Be sure to bring enough bags - and plenty of strength - to carry home your farm share! We're planning to unload as much produce as possible over these next two weeks, from the fields and from storage (maybe 15lbs per member, so 9,000lbs total). But don't worry, a lot of the produce has a long shelf life and will hold up just fine in your refrigerator (greens and most roots), on your counter (sweet potatoes, onions, garlic), or in a cool dark spot (potatoes).

We hope you've enjoyed the harvest this year. For new members, hopefully the quantity and variety wasn't too overwhelming and you were able to find some new favorite seasonal vegetable(s). For returning members and those that have been here as long or longer than us, hopefully overall this season feels like it's up there with some of the best. If you've been with us for a while, you know (and maybe appreciate) that every growing season is different, with certain crops that perform incredibly well one year and not the next. Sometimes beloved crops disappear altogether, like husk cherries (we were unable to identify why they've been on a slow decline for a few years so decided to nix them until we figure out why).

In my mind, at this moment, I feel overall most crops performed well and met (my) expectations this season. Some yielded more than ever, like carrots. Some were a bust, like broccoli and cauliflower and standard fall cabbage. We tend to remember the extremes most easily. Pest and disease pressure was average overall, but was specifically better or worse for certain crops. Pressure on zucchini, cucumbers, beans, and tomatoes was less than normal but greater for chard, beets, and spinach. The weather this season, overall again, had fewer extremes than some years but still can claim a few anomalies. We endured our latest frost in May and many local growers lost their cold-sensitive tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant (we got lucky). May and June were very dry and we ran irrigation constantly. July turned very wet and we didn't have to irrigate outdoor crops after that. August was cool and then we sustained our hottest spell of the season in September. October and November have provided some quintessentially-perfect fall weather.

We're only now beginning to plan for next season, and of course our goal is to make the farm experience even better, or at least as good as it can be. If you have any suggestions we'd love to hear them. If you have any questions please reach out. Have a great winter. We'll be in touch periodically with updates and announcements and perhaps a flash veggie sale or two. A big, heartfelt thanks, feeling of love and appreciation for you, our farm members!