Harvest #20 (Week B) should include leeks, winter squash, potatoes, carrots, Italian dandelion, arugula, Swiss chard, kale, lettuce, basil, eggplant, garlic, tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, and shishito peppers. Some items may be a choice. U-pick should include herbs and flowers.

Last weekend we received about four inches of rain, more than all of August. Because the ground was severely moisture deficient following the hot and dry spell, that amount of rain was fairly well received and most fields soaked it up relatively quickly. The additional rain on Tuesday prevented us from transplanting outdoors all week, but we had almost ten thousand spinach and lettuce plants to transplant in the tunnels which was doable because the roof keeps the water out and we have almost complete control over the soil in there. As long as it doesn't rain too much tonight we'll get the penultimate round of outdoor crops in the ground this coming week, including kale, arugula, mustard, choy, and radishes. The final round of indoor and outdoor crops will go in the following week and then it'll strictly be maintenance mode.

Regarding the tunnels, we're incrementally emptying them of the summer tomato crops. As of today, two of three tunnels have been cleaned out. Because the second round of tomatoes is in the moveable high tunnel and we can prepare and plant crops for its subsequent move, it's possible to leave the tomatoes to their thing for a bit longer. There is some risk in this, however, because spinach, planted in the adjacent plot, doesn't tolerate excessive rainfall too well, at least in our soils. It does exceptionally well in cool and cold weather, however.

I'm assuming the heat wave two weeks ago invigorated the summer crops for a strong final push before they really taper off. We'll continue to see bountiful tomatoes, peppers, basil, and eggplant for at least another week before they slow down following next weekend's Autumnal Equinox.

This coming week we're hoping to harvest the last of the potatoes and winter squash. Very soon we'll embark on the sweet potato harvest, but due to storage constraints, we need to have all of the winter squash distributed first. As summer crops wane, upcoming harvests should begin to include other traditional cool weather crops like turnips, radishes, beets, romaine, radicchio, fennel, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, kohlrabi, bok choy, and napa/chinese cabbage.

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.

Workshift Guidelines - Workshift Sign Up Instructions

Wild For Salmon is owned and operated by Steve and Jenn Kurian of Bloomsburg, PA.

Editors Note:

Anchor Run CSA hosts two buying club events each year, in the spring and fall. When you order through the buying club you automatically save 20% at checkout. Follow This Link for instructions on how to order. Your order will be delivered to Anchor Run on Thursday October 19th and can be picked up 2-8pm. Orders are due by October 13th.

We understand and appreciate that not everyone eats fish.

Hopefully the low humidity days are with us for good! It is so much nicer cooking in this weather. I made a couple of different dishes this week that I want to share - please send how you are enjoying the harvest by emailing me at lindadansbury@comcast.net.

Peppers, garlic, herbs - Prepared a really delicious side dish. Rub whole peppers with oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill peppers until charred all over (alternatively, this could be done under the broiler). Place in a paper bag until cool enough to handle. Peel off skins, cut into large chunks, and take out the stems and seeds. Place in large bowl. In a small skillet, put a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Thinly slice a garlic clove or 2 and when oil is hot, add garlic and cook until light brown. Remove from heat and throw in a handful of chopped herbs - I used thyme and rosemary. Pour the mixture over the peppers, add some salt and pepper. Drizzle a bit of balsamic vinegar and mix well. Place about 2/3 of the peppers in an oven proof baking pan. Add spoonfuls of goat cheese around the dish and top with remaining peppers. Bake at 400 degrees until peppers are bubbly and cheese is melted and a little browned. Remove from oven and enjoy!

Basil, garlic - The farm has an amazing crop of basil right now - both as a choice in the pick up room and in the herb garden. I took advantage of this and made a nice batch of pesto for the freezer.