Notes From The Field | July 16, 2023 Fully Saturated and Then Some by Farmer Derek
Watermelon sneak peak, coming to you in early August. Do they appreciate all this rain, these sweet oblong heavy fruits? In our past experience the answer is no, at least the round variety we used to grow. Pretty sure the ancestor of the modern watermelon is a plant from arid regions of north Africa.
It could probably be worse than this. We're lucky our fields reside on relatively high ground on the upper reaches of minor tributaries and aren't part of any riparian flood plains. The diversions and waterways we've established over the years help deflect the worst of the heavy rainfall. Nothing prevents the significant amount of water from falling on the fields except for our tunnels that are currently protecting tomatoes. Since Friday morning we've received 5 inches of rainfall, this is by mid-morning Sunday, with another couple of inches forecast for today. Having farmed here for 15 years now and dealing with all types of weather extremes, I don't panic hopefully as much as I used to, knowing this will pass and damage should be minimal. Still, it does stir up some unpleasant feelings knowing precious soil and nutrients are being washed out to sea. Sorry ocean critters.
What's next? The farm season marches on. We're still seeding each week, now well into our fall crops. We continue to transplant each week as well. Last week we transplanted 7,500 cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprout, lettuce, and herb plants over 5,000 bed feet. We're supposed to transplant fennel, beets, kale, rutabaga, and chard this coming week but that may be delayed. Tomatoes receive their weekly maintenance and are entering what will hopefully be a time of good yields. Thrice-weekly zucchini and cucumber harvests continue to take up a lot of our non-distribution day time. Hoeing and weeding take up a minimal amount of time right now but will soon increase with the amount of late summer and fall crops that are going into bare ground. Aisle maintenance is also peaking with warm season grasses and annual weeds trying to establish a foothold there. At least they do provide protection and prevent soil erosion!
On a good note, we did finish harvesting a record amount of carrots this past week. Yield and quality are probably the best we've had. Incredibly, the total weight harvested by staff and members is approximately 6,500lbs, or 3.25 tons! I didn't do much of the harvesting myself, only wielding the tractor and tool that loosened the beds, but I did get to lift each 60-70lb bin and put it in the cooler. Much better than a gym membership I swear.
Watermelon sneak peak, coming to you in early August. Do they appreciate all this rain, these sweet oblong heavy fruits? In our past experience the answer is no, at least the round variety we used to grow. Pretty sure the ancestor of the modern watermelon is a plant from arid regions of north Africa.
It could probably be worse than this. We're lucky our fields reside on relatively high ground on the upper reaches of minor tributaries and aren't part of any riparian flood plains. The diversions and waterways we've established over the years help deflect the worst of the heavy rainfall. Nothing prevents the significant amount of water from falling on the fields except for our tunnels that are currently protecting tomatoes. Since Friday morning we've received 5 inches of rainfall, this is by mid-morning Sunday, with another couple of inches forecast for today. Having farmed here for 15 years now and dealing with all types of weather extremes, I don't panic hopefully as much as I used to, knowing this will pass and damage should be minimal. Still, it does stir up some unpleasant feelings knowing precious soil and nutrients are being washed out to sea. Sorry ocean critters.
What's next? The farm season marches on. We're still seeding each week, now well into our fall crops. We continue to transplant each week as well. Last week we transplanted 7,500 cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprout, lettuce, and herb plants over 5,000 bed feet. We're supposed to transplant fennel, beets, kale, rutabaga, and chard this coming week but that may be delayed. Tomatoes receive their weekly maintenance and are entering what will hopefully be a time of good yields. Thrice-weekly zucchini and cucumber harvests continue to take up a lot of our non-distribution day time. Hoeing and weeding take up a minimal amount of time right now but will soon increase with the amount of late summer and fall crops that are going into bare ground. Aisle maintenance is also peaking with warm season grasses and annual weeds trying to establish a foothold there. At least they do provide protection and prevent soil erosion!
On a good note, we did finish harvesting a record amount of carrots this past week. Yield and quality are probably the best we've had. Incredibly, the total weight harvested by staff and members is approximately 6,500lbs, or 3.25 tons! I didn't do much of the harvesting myself, only wielding the tractor and tool that loosened the beds, but I did get to lift each 60-70lb bin and put it in the cooler. Much better than a gym membership I swear.
Enjoy the rain day/weekend/week!
How I Enjoyed My Harvest | July 16, 2023
How I Enjoyed My Harvest | July 16, 2023 Zucchini Days by Linda Dansbury
Someone is enjoying a zinnia blossom.
We have A LOT of recipes on this site, all geared to help with enjoying the harvest. Many of the recipes include multiple veggies that are available at the same time. Even though there are already tons of them, I am always seeking out new ways to prepare the veggies. This past week I did 2 new things:
Cucumbers, snap beans, zucchini, carrots - I pickled a pile of veggies Italian style or Giardiniera. It called for making a flavored vinegar and then boiling each veggie separately until bright colored and barely soft. You can eat them at that point or conserve them; i.e. place in mason jars, covered with olive oil and then process the jars. I chose to eat them fresh - when I tasted them, they were a bit too vinegary for my taste, so I drizzled good quality olive oil on them - that did the trick. I still have some experimenting to do, but it was a fun and tasty try!
Zucchini, garlic, basil - I found a recipe for turning zucchini into an actual pasta sauce. It incorporates anchovies and onions that you saute up with the zucchini until all are soft but not brown. Blend or use immersion blender and finish with lemon juice. Toss with pasta and add chopped basil, toasted hazelnuts and parm cheese. We ended up not being home for dinner for a few nights, so I ended up freezing it for enjoyment later - if as good as I think it will be, I will post the recipe.
Snap Beans, cherry tomatoes, mixed herbs, scallions - I make salads with a lot of the veggies we receive - they are great for summer and using a vinaigrette preserves the veggie, and in this case the beans are even better the second day. I often incorporate chick peas and/or feta cheese to make it more of a meal.
Eggplant, garlic, herbs- I was using the grill anyway, so grilled eggplants up until really soft and almost black on the outside. When cool enough to handle I removed the skins, and chopped the flesh up really well - it was soft so it came out like a chunky dip. Added a bit of grated garlic, lots of chopped herbs and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Served it on grilled bread - yum!
How did you enjoy your harvest? Please email me at lindadansbury@comcast.net and I will share with the rest of membership.
We have A LOT of recipes on this site, all geared to help with enjoying the harvest. Many of the recipes include multiple veggies that are available at the same time. Even though there are already tons of them, I am always seeking out new ways to prepare the veggies. This past week I did 2 new things:
Cucumbers, snap beans, zucchini, carrots - I pickled a pile of veggies Italian style or Giardiniera. It called for making a flavored vinegar and then boiling each veggie separately until bright colored and barely soft. You can eat them at that point or conserve them; i.e. place in mason jars, covered with olive oil and then process the jars. I chose to eat them fresh - when I tasted them, they were a bit too vinegary for my taste, so I drizzled good quality olive oil on them - that did the trick. I still have some experimenting to do, but it was a fun and tasty try!
Zucchini, garlic, basil - I found a recipe for turning zucchini into an actual pasta sauce. It incorporates anchovies and onions that you saute up with the zucchini until all are soft but not brown. Blend or use immersion blender and finish with lemon juice. Toss with pasta and add chopped basil, toasted hazelnuts and parm cheese. We ended up not being home for dinner for a few nights, so I ended up freezing it for enjoyment later - if as good as I think it will be, I will post the recipe.
Snap Beans, cherry tomatoes, mixed herbs, scallions - I make salads with a lot of the veggies we receive - they are great for summer and using a vinaigrette preserves the veggie, and in this case the beans are even better the second day. I often incorporate chick peas and/or feta cheese to make it more of a meal.
Eggplant, garlic, herbs- I was using the grill anyway, so grilled eggplants up until really soft and almost black on the outside. When cool enough to handle I removed the skins, and chopped the flesh up really well - it was soft so it came out like a chunky dip. Added a bit of grated garlic, lots of chopped herbs and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Served it on grilled bread - yum!
How did you enjoy your harvest? Please email me at lindadansbury@comcast.net and I will share with the rest of membership.
Member Ideas and Suggestions | July 16, 2023
Member Ideas and Suggestions | July 16, 2023 Farmer Dana's Harvest Enjoyment by Linda Dansbury
Blackberries are ripening and will be included in u-pick starting this week!
This past week Farmer Dana sent me a couple of recipes they are enjoying right now. Dana writes:
"I just made this recipe from Smitten Kitchen and it was a winner (and totally applicable to the current harvests) Fried Rice with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Parmesan. The only change I made was omitting the eggs and replacing them with two chicken breasts that I cubed, seasoned, and cooked separately and then added just before the parm and parsley."
I can't wait to try both of these - thank you Dana! One of the best things with both of these recipes is that they come together in under 30 minutes! All you cooks out there, please share your ideas by emailing me at lindadansbury@comcast.net.
Blackberries are ripening and will be included in u-pick starting this week!
This past week Farmer Dana sent me a couple of recipes they are enjoying right now. Dana writes:
"I just made this recipe from Smitten Kitchen and it was a winner (and totally applicable to the current harvests) Fried Rice with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Parmesan. The only change I made was omitting the eggs and replacing them with two chicken breasts that I cubed, seasoned, and cooked separately and then added just before the parm and parsley."
I can't wait to try both of these - thank you Dana! One of the best things with both of these recipes is that they come together in under 30 minutes! All you cooks out there, please share your ideas by emailing me at lindadansbury@comcast.net.
July 9, 2023
July 9, 2023 Loving the Variety! by Linda Dansbury
A few red orbs can be seen in one of the caterpillar tunnels. Like a lot of big summer crops, tomatoes will trickle then flood the pick up room.
Wow! The variety is amazing, with every week now bringing a new surprise or two in the pick up room - this past week we were surprised with eggplant and celery.
Celery - hopefully you don't need a long term storage plan for celery, since farm grown celery is so delicious! Most sources say to wrap it tightly in aluminum foil, but I don't really like that approach. I typically wrap it in a paper towel and then in a tightly sealed plastic bag - that seems to work well. After it is cut, it is best stored submerged in water. Celery is a veggie that everyone is familiar with as part of the start of a stew or soup when combined with carrots and onion, or as a snack eaten with a dip or stuffed with peanut butter. There are other delicious ways to enjoy it, including a few recipes on this site. A couple of my favorites are Italian Celery and Mushroom Salad and Braised Celery.
Eggplant - this veggie offers some great health benefits: eggplant contains antioxidants like vitamins A and C, which help protect your cells against damage. It's also high in natural plant chemicals called polyphenols, which may help cells do a better job of processing sugar if you have diabetes. Eggplant does not store for long periods of time. The best temp to store eggplant is about 50 degrees - cooler than your home but warmer than the fridge. The best way we can store it is to wrap in a paper towel and place in a bag with the top left open. Place in fridge in crisper if it fits. Use within a few days. Eggplant can be enjoyed in many ways, from Eggplant Parmagiana (check out the lighter version on this site - no breading and frying) to Eggplant and Green Beans in a Spicy Garlic Sauce, to EggplantSpread and so many more! I love grilling eggplant - the smokiness you get is so nice.
A few red orbs can be seen in one of the caterpillar tunnels. Like a lot of big summer crops, tomatoes will trickle then flood the pick up room.
Wow! The variety is amazing, with every week now bringing a new surprise or two in the pick up room - this past week we were surprised with eggplant and celery.
Celery - hopefully you don't need a long term storage plan for celery, since farm grown celery is so delicious! Most sources say to wrap it tightly in aluminum foil, but I don't really like that approach. I typically wrap it in a paper towel and then in a tightly sealed plastic bag - that seems to work well. After it is cut, it is best stored submerged in water. Celery is a veggie that everyone is familiar with as part of the start of a stew or soup when combined with carrots and onion, or as a snack eaten with a dip or stuffed with peanut butter. There are other delicious ways to enjoy it, including a few recipes on this site. A couple of my favorites are Italian Celery and Mushroom Salad and Braised Celery.
Eggplant - this veggie offers some great health benefits: eggplant contains antioxidants like vitamins A and C, which help protect your cells against damage. It's also high in natural plant chemicals called polyphenols, which may help cells do a better job of processing sugar if you have diabetes. Eggplant does not store for long periods of time. The best temp to store eggplant is about 50 degrees - cooler than your home but warmer than the fridge. The best way we can store it is to wrap in a paper towel and place in a bag with the top left open. Place in fridge in crisper if it fits. Use within a few days. Eggplant can be enjoyed in many ways, from Eggplant Parmagiana (check out the lighter version on this site - no breading and frying) to Eggplant and Green Beans in a Spicy Garlic Sauce, to EggplantSpread and so many more! I love grilling eggplant - the smokiness you get is so nice.
How I Enjoyed My Harvest | July 9, 2023
How I Enjoyed My Harvest | July 9, 2023 Cook Once, Eat Multiple Times by Linda Dansbury
Be sure to take some time to pick a flower bouquet! Remember to BYO scissors for flowers and herbs.
Grilling season can make dinners easier with some planning. Grill more than what you need for one meal and you can do countless things with the leftovers - that goes with both veggies and meats. I didn't make a lot of different things this past week, but the rainy day today provides a good opportunity to be creative with all the veggies! Please share how you enjoy your harvest by emailing me at lindadansbury@comcast.net and please include Anchor Run in the Subject line so that I can find your email. Here are a couple of things we enjoyed this week.
Zucchini, eggplant, scallions, fresh herbs- grilled them up until nice and charred and cooked through (the scallions take only a couple of minutes). When finished, drizzled with some good olive oil, salt and pepper and some chopped fresh herbs.
Zucchini, eggplant, garlic scapes, a few peas I still had left - used the leftover grilled veggies and uncooked peas and cooked up some pasta. I had pesto in the freezer so I made a delicious pasta salad which was one night's side dish and a couple of lunches after that.
Lettuce, cucumber, scallion, kohlrabi- made a nice hardy salad and served it with leftover grilled chicken cut up and placed on top.
Beets - made a delicious beet salad - I like to use a basic Dijon vinaigrette with some chopped up tarragon. Serve with a bed of greens, a bit of goat or feta cheese and some chopped nuts, and it is delicious!
Be sure to take some time to pick a flower bouquet! Remember to BYO scissors for flowers and herbs.
Grilling season can make dinners easier with some planning. Grill more than what you need for one meal and you can do countless things with the leftovers - that goes with both veggies and meats. I didn't make a lot of different things this past week, but the rainy day today provides a good opportunity to be creative with all the veggies! Please share how you enjoy your harvest by emailing me at lindadansbury@comcast.net and please include Anchor Run in the Subject line so that I can find your email. Here are a couple of things we enjoyed this week.
Zucchini, eggplant, scallions, fresh herbs- grilled them up until nice and charred and cooked through (the scallions take only a couple of minutes). When finished, drizzled with some good olive oil, salt and pepper and some chopped fresh herbs.
Zucchini, eggplant, garlic scapes, a few peas I still had left - used the leftover grilled veggies and uncooked peas and cooked up some pasta. I had pesto in the freezer so I made a delicious pasta salad which was one night's side dish and a couple of lunches after that.
Lettuce, cucumber, scallion, kohlrabi- made a nice hardy salad and served it with leftover grilled chicken cut up and placed on top.
Beets - made a delicious beet salad - I like to use a basic Dijon vinaigrette with some chopped up tarragon. Serve with a bed of greens, a bit of goat or feta cheese and some chopped nuts, and it is delicious!
Expected Harvest | July 9, 2023
Expected Harvest | July 9, 2023 Early Summer Bounty by Farmer Derek
Here they come! Cherry tomatoes, a very close second behind strawberries for most desired u-pick crop.
Harvest #10 (Week B) should include carrots, celery, cabbage, beets, Italian dandelion, fennel, hakurei turnips, head lettuce, cilantro, dill, basil, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant, fresh bulb garlic, and scallions. Some items may be a choice. U-pick* should include herbs, snap/string/green beans, cherry tomatoes, and flowers.
Here they come! Cherry tomatoes, a very close second behind strawberries for most desired u-pick crop.
Harvest #10 (Week B) should include carrots, celery, cabbage, beets, Italian dandelion, fennel, hakurei turnips, head lettuce, cilantro, dill, basil, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant, fresh bulb garlic, and scallions. Some items may be a choice. U-pick* should include herbs, snap/string/green beans, cherry tomatoes, and flowers.
July 9, 2023
July 9, 2023 Workshifts for the Week of July 10th by Farmer Derek
Farmer Connor in the barn managing CSA distribution.
This week's workshift schedule:
Wednesday 7/12 9-11am, 6-8pm (hopefully wrap up the carrot harvest)
Friday 7/14 8-10am
The Great Garlic Harvest (take 2), Sunday, July 16th
Three shifts, 8-10am, 9-11am, 10am-12pm
If you were signed up for this past Sunday you'll need to sign up again.
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.
Notes From The Field | July 9, 2023 Coulda, Shoulda by Farmer Derek
Farm dog Finch, a nice sky, and the third and final round of zucchini and cucumbers.
Well, the fancy weather forecasting computers misinterpreted the rain gods' vibrations (data) and we could probably have hosted The Great Garlic Harvest this morning. Sometimes it's all a guessing game for us, a gambling game, picking the probabilities and possibilities. Wouldn't it be super nice to be sitting here knowing that 15,000 garlic bulbs are hanging in the barn, curing? Unfortunately we have to wait one more week to harvest and hang those goodies, but they should bide their time in the soil just fine. Also, it did give me the opportunity to disappear from the farm with the kiddos and spend some quality time playing in the ocean for half the day.
There's also another two beds of carrots to retrieve, approximately 500 feet, from the fields. Last week, with the help of many members, we cleared four beds of direct seeded, mostly straight, carrots, and one bed of transplanted, mostly interwoven and oddly shaped, carrots. Overall the yield, size, and quality of spring sown summer carrots looks great and we'll all be a little orange in a month or so.
Additional traditional summer crops are starting to grace us with their soon-to-be-plentiful presence. Cherry tomatoes are ripening, eggplant are fattening, and basil plants are bushing. Cucumbers and zucchini seem to be peaking (at least I hope anyway, so much weight...a big thanks to Farmers Gabby, Connor, and Adeline...they hauled in over a ton last week). Peppers should be picked soon and even tunnel slicing tomatoes are turning red. Heavy hauls from the pick up room indeed.
Farm dog Finch, a nice sky, and the third and final round of zucchini and cucumbers.
Well, the fancy weather forecasting computers misinterpreted the rain gods' vibrations (data) and we could probably have hosted The Great Garlic Harvest this morning. Sometimes it's all a guessing game for us, a gambling game, picking the probabilities and possibilities. Wouldn't it be super nice to be sitting here knowing that 15,000 garlic bulbs are hanging in the barn, curing? Unfortunately we have to wait one more week to harvest and hang those goodies, but they should bide their time in the soil just fine. Also, it did give me the opportunity to disappear from the farm with the kiddos and spend some quality time playing in the ocean for half the day.
There's also another two beds of carrots to retrieve, approximately 500 feet, from the fields. Last week, with the help of many members, we cleared four beds of direct seeded, mostly straight, carrots, and one bed of transplanted, mostly interwoven and oddly shaped, carrots. Overall the yield, size, and quality of spring sown summer carrots looks great and we'll all be a little orange in a month or so.
Additional traditional summer crops are starting to grace us with their soon-to-be-plentiful presence. Cherry tomatoes are ripening, eggplant are fattening, and basil plants are bushing. Cucumbers and zucchini seem to be peaking (at least I hope anyway, so much weight...a big thanks to Farmers Gabby, Connor, and Adeline...they hauled in over a ton last week). Peppers should be picked soon and even tunnel slicing tomatoes are turning red. Heavy hauls from the pick up room indeed.
How I Enjoyed My Harvest | July 2, 2023
How I Enjoyed My Harvest | July 2, 2023 Summer Veggies for Summer Weather by Linda Dansbury
Eastern Painted Turtle found on the farm last week. The week prior we spotted an Eastern Box Turtle.
I hope everyone is enjoying the fresh, wonderful veggies as much as I am. Please send me how you are preparing your harvest by emailing me at lindadansbury@comcast.net so I can share with the rest of membership - and please include Anchor Run in the Subject line so I can find your message. Here are a few ways we enjoyed our harvest this week:
Zucchini, garlic scapes, lettuce - if there is a perfect weeknight summer meal for when you don't feel like grilling, here it is: Warm Summer Squash and Sausage Salad. You only need one pan and a large bowl. It is simple to make and delicious. We enjoy this dish at least every couple of weeks during the summer months - once the cherry tomatoes come in it is even better!
Beets, turnips, herbs, garlic scapes - roasted a panful of veggies to snack on and add to salads during the week. Simple and delicious.
Snow and snap peas, scapes, kohlrabi, cilantro - made a batch of cole slaw to enjoy with grilled chicken.
Kale, garlic scapes - I was perusing the recipe site and came upon a recipe that has been around for awhile, but I hadn't made it in a long time: Wilted Kale Salad with Miso Vinaigrette - I didn't follow exactly, but used it as a base.
Cucumbers - so far, I have been just eating them as is or slicing into salads, but will start making salads featuring cucs soon. One thing I like to do for a quick, light lunch is take a slice of bread and spread with hummus. Top with sliced cucumber and enjoy. I really like the crunch of the cucumber.
Eastern Painted Turtle found on the farm last week. The week prior we spotted an Eastern Box Turtle.
I hope everyone is enjoying the fresh, wonderful veggies as much as I am. Please send me how you are preparing your harvest by emailing me at lindadansbury@comcast.net so I can share with the rest of membership - and please include Anchor Run in the Subject line so I can find your message. Here are a few ways we enjoyed our harvest this week:
Zucchini, garlic scapes, lettuce - if there is a perfect weeknight summer meal for when you don't feel like grilling, here it is: Warm Summer Squash and Sausage Salad. You only need one pan and a large bowl. It is simple to make and delicious. We enjoy this dish at least every couple of weeks during the summer months - once the cherry tomatoes come in it is even better!
Beets, turnips, herbs, garlic scapes - roasted a panful of veggies to snack on and add to salads during the week. Simple and delicious.
Snow and snap peas, scapes, kohlrabi, cilantro - made a batch of cole slaw to enjoy with grilled chicken.
Kale, garlic scapes - I was perusing the recipe site and came upon a recipe that has been around for awhile, but I hadn't made it in a long time: Wilted Kale Salad with Miso Vinaigrette - I didn't follow exactly, but used it as a base.
Cucumbers - so far, I have been just eating them as is or slicing into salads, but will start making salads featuring cucs soon. One thing I like to do for a quick, light lunch is take a slice of bread and spread with hummus. Top with sliced cucumber and enjoy. I really like the crunch of the cucumber.
