Harvest #12 (Week B) should include zucchini, beets, carrots, sweet peppers, fresh onions, scallions, tomatoes, fresh garlic, lettuce, italian dandelion, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, watermelon, and herbs. Some items will be a choice. U-pick should include cherry/grape tomatoes, green/snap/string beans, tomatillos, flowers, and herbs.

We're tremendously thankful and appreciative of these cool days and nights that followed just barely enough rainfall last Thursday. That .65" was the first rain that fell in almost two weeks. In anticipation of adequate rainfall we sowed just under a mile of fall/winter carrots and are hopeful they receive another drink of precipitation today. We trialed a method of weed control prior to planting that involved covering the 60'x210' patch with silage tarps for a month to stimulate weed seed germination followed by termination through occultation (sun starving the seedlings). The goal is to remove weed pressure and reduce the weed seed bank in the soil so that the carrots have a better success rate and labor is reduced.

Besides seeding carrots for fall and winter consumption, we've been busy transplanting many other late season treats. Celery, fennel, kale, chard, beets, cabbage, napa cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, hakurei turnips, and lettuce have all been planted in the past couple of weeks. The hoop house is filling up with successions of arugula, romaine, salad radishes, daikon radishes, radicchio, kale, chard, beets, and lettuce. We have about 3 more weeks of sowing for transplanting outdoors in September then we transition to a few weeks of sowing for transplanting into tunnels during late September and early October. Crops transplanted in September and October will be harvested in November and December (Late Fall CSA season).

Very soon we'll begin sowing cover crops over spring and early summer veggie crop fields. Last week we spread compost on those areas and worked it in with a chisel plow. We'll try to subdue the grasses and other weeds that have taken over these spots since the edible crops were harvested with another pass or two with the tractor. This should give the oats, rye, wheat, clover, buckwheat cover crop seeds a better chance of successful germination and growth. We're planning to sow the cover crops seeds a bit later this year to avoid them maturing this fall and dropping their own seeds and becoming a weed problem next year (mostly a buckwheat issue).

Enjoy this great weather! Come to a workshift if you can!

Best weather of the summer is here! Join us on the farm to (probably) harvest potatoes. Kid friendly! And a big thanks to everyone that helped out last week!

This week's workshift schedule:

Please bring gloves, water, a hat, and sturdy shoes! We meet under the large red maple at the end of the barn by the pick up room.

Workshift Guidelines. Workshift Sign Up Instructions.

We continued enjoying this week's harvest with salads, although I also made a delicious zucchini soup, combining the squash from the farm and from my garden. Also with the large tomato harvest, most meals were all about the tomatoes! See below for a short list of what we enjoyed.

Tomato, zucchini, onion, peppers, lettuce - grilled all the veggies and used the leftovers in a salad the next night using a balsamic dressing. This time topped it with some feta cheese. We are loving this and do it at least once a week.

Tomato and basil - we have been enjoying caprese salads using locally made mozzarella cheese - so simple and delicious!

Tomato, pepper, onions, basil - made a yummy tomato salad that comes from my childhood. The tomatoes are best peeled, but if you don't feel like it, that's ok. Slice the onions, chop the peppers and tomatoes. Make a simple red wine vinaigrette - salt, pepper, dried oregano, red wine vinegar and olive oil. Mix all together and enjoy - make sure you have good crusty bread because one of the best parts of this salad is the juice left at the bottom of the bowl.

Zucchini, onions, garlic, parsley - made an easy, really delicious soup. Hard to believe that something so simple with so few ingredients can be so good - company loved it and asked for the recipe. Saute onions and garlic in a combo of butter and olive oil until soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Slice 1.5 lbs zucchini thinly - I used a mandoline. No need to peel or de-seed. Add the sliced zucchini and stir frequently until starting to soften. Add about a cup of broth and a cup of water and allow to softly simmer until veggies are very soft. Puree either with blender or immersion blender until very smooth. Adjust seasonings and enjoy topped with chopped parsley.

A nice surprise was in the pick up room this week - okra (low yield for now but should increase). Biologically, okra is a fruit, but we use it as a vegetable. Okra is an excellent source of vitamins C and K1. Vitamin C is a water-soluble nutrient that contributes to your overall immune function, while vitamin K1 is a fat-soluble vitamin that’s known for its role in blood clotting. Additionally, okra is low in calories and carbs and contains some protein and fiber. Many fruits and vegetables lack protein, which makes okra somewhat unique. Okra is well known in African cooking and is gaining popularity as it is more widely available at farms and farmers markets. Okra does not store for long - consume it within a week of receiving.

Okra can be grilled, roasted, sauteed or stewed. We have several delicious recipes on this site, including Okra and Green Beans, Easy Indian-Style Stewed Okra, and more. Check it out and enjoy this delicious veggie.

A note on the fresh onions we are receiving. Like with the fresh garlic, these cannot be stored at room temperature, unless you are using them quickly. Store loosely wrapped in plastic until you use them up!

Fellow member Carrie Muench sent me a recipe for Cucumber Salsa. It also incorporates tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro and parsley from farm. Carrie wrote "I came across this one online from Home Made Food Junkie. As I was making to share at work, I left out the cumin. I thought the sour cream was an odd addition, but it turned out tasty".

Thank you for taking the time Carrie, and for the rest of you out there, please share your fun recipes with the rest of the members by emailing me at lindadansbury@comcast.net and put Anchor Run in the Subject line.