Harvest #4 (Week B) should include salad radishes, salad turnips (hakurei), kale, swiss chard, mini head lettuce, romaine, lettuce mix, escarole, radicchio, cilantro, dill, basil, zucchini, and garlic scapes. Some items will be a choice. U-pick should include a small handful of herbs (please bring scissors), peas, and strawberries.

Last week was a catch up clean up maintenance kind of week, with a smattering of transplanting and harvesting thrown in. With the help of CSA members we weeded about 80% of the onion patch. After trimming the plants in the 'living mulch' aisles with our very effective at this weed-whacker and pulling/cutting the weeds right around the onion plants, the patch is starting to look almost 'good as new'. The onions are very appreciative to have some unobstructed views and consumption of the sun without rubbing shoulders with more aggressive plant family members.

We also fortunately found time to give tomato plants in the caterpillar tunnels some much much needed attention. Tomatoes are a sprawling, vining crop that we train to a one leader system, which requires consistent weekly removal of 'suckers' (smaller side growth shoots). Due to some good weather the past couple of weeks we spent all of our time doing outside work, reserving tunnel work for wet weather. It stayed dry, and we got behind, and each tomato plant had about 10 suckers to remove and 4' of vine to clip to suspended string. It was slow going work, but a nice change, and we're all caught up there now. Until this week when we need to go back in there and prune and clip additional new growth because they grow like mad this time of year.

I almost forgot about transplanting leeks, another huge project that is now off this year's to-do list. Getting those and the 2nd round of tomatoes in the ground more-or-less marks the transition from springtime with summer harvest in mind to summertime planting with fall harvest in mind (demarcation is not clear-cut). I was just surprised to learn (or be reminded) that we actually seed fall broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage this week. Seeding these crops and having them grow happily in trays in the greenhouse during the hot summer is a bit challenging. We start by putting the 48 trays with 6000 seeds in them under the shade cloth in the hoop house to keep the hot sun from heating the potting soil and tray too much (which can cause erratic germination). Once they begin germinating we'll move them back into the greenhouse which better protects them from pests but unfortunately can be excessively hot even when constantly venting. We've left them in the hoop house after germinating in the past but almost lost them after flea beetles discovered them and eagerly devoured their leaves. With the help of a household vacuum cleaner we managed to save the baby plants, but we'd like to avoid having to do that again. Thus, they'll grow in the greenhouse for 4 weeks until they're ready to be transplanted outside. Which also means I need to begin ground preparations this coming week. Wow, time flies.

A big thanks to everyone that heard our plea last week and joined us for a workshift to help clean up the onion patch! We're almost done but not quite. A couple well attended workshifts this week should be enough to put the wraps on that project.

This week's workshift schedule:

Bring gloves, water, a hat, sturdy shoes, and a pad for kneeling (if necessary for you)!

We meet under the large red maple at the end of the barn by the pick up room.

Hosted by longtime member Gia Yaccarino on Saturday, June 25 at 12pm, and Sunday, June 26 at 12pm.

Maybe you are a new member, maybe you’ve been a member for a while. Either way – this workshop is for you!

In the barn, everything made sense while you were putting your share into your bags to bring home. At home, it suddenly became very overwhelming once you began unpacking! We have all been there; it is part of the CSA learning curve.

Let us help you make the most of your farm share!Being a member of a CSA opens the door to so many topics!

At this workshop we will talk about:

- Resources: books, websites, Anchor Run CSA website (Recipes and Veggies 202 – it has pictures)

- How to keep your veggies as fresh as possible once they are in your refrigerator.

- The pros and cons of different preservation techniques (freezing, fermenting, canning, dehydrating).

- “Tools of the trade” which I find invaluable.

- Before you compost: radish greens are edible!

- Composting, composting at the farm, what and what not to include in a compost pile, vermicomposting.

- Solar Cooking

We will share recipes based on farm produce that our families love. And by share – I mean taste and provide copies of the recipes. Pestos - don’t limit yourself to Basil. What to do with all those greens? Veggie Hash! The list goes on! This is a casual, enlightening event that will enhance your experience of the CSA. Hope to see you there!