Notes From The Field | September 10, 2023 Heat, Begone by Farmer Derek
Farmer Dana's sheep, fields of flowering buckwheat, and a nice sky.
I think I underestimated, undervalued, underprepared for this past week's heat wave, the longest and hottest of the summer. Perhaps because it was on the heels of a relatively cool and kind August, I forgot what it's like to work through terribly hot and humid days. Every task feels a bit harder, unexpected challenges cause a bit more stress, worry about crop tolerance and water needs increases, weather forecast and radar watching becomes constant, work clothes quickly become disgusting. Thankfully, the heat has broken and rainfall was received. Thursday's rounds missed us and Friday's were threatening to also, but we lucked out and received .4", enough to sate my stress and provide a drink to the newly transplanted, most sensitive crops, as well as the additional acre or two of cover crop seed sown where beans, edamame, early summer lettuce and herbs, and potatoes called home.
Now that it's cooling off and with fall officially commencing in ten days, the race to get the last few rounds of crops in the ground and other crops out of the ground begins, before the threat of frost actually becomes real, normally in mid-October. The final round of crops were seeded this past week, including arugula, mustard, radish, chard, and bok choy, and the first round of crops were transplanted into tunnels, including lettuce mix and spinach. Probably in about three weeks time we'll be finished transplanting for the season. Crops with a retrieval deadline include the remainder of the potatoes (about 25% left, maybe 2500lbs), sweet potatoes (hopefully 4000-6000lbs), and butternut squash. Summer crops are really starting to wane but tasty fall crops will be slowly replacing them in the pick up room, including leeks, potatoes, winter squash and pumpkins, kale, beets (maybe with their greens), and romaine.
Farmer Dana's sheep, fields of flowering buckwheat, and a nice sky.
I think I underestimated, undervalued, underprepared for this past week's heat wave, the longest and hottest of the summer. Perhaps because it was on the heels of a relatively cool and kind August, I forgot what it's like to work through terribly hot and humid days. Every task feels a bit harder, unexpected challenges cause a bit more stress, worry about crop tolerance and water needs increases, weather forecast and radar watching becomes constant, work clothes quickly become disgusting. Thankfully, the heat has broken and rainfall was received. Thursday's rounds missed us and Friday's were threatening to also, but we lucked out and received .4", enough to sate my stress and provide a drink to the newly transplanted, most sensitive crops, as well as the additional acre or two of cover crop seed sown where beans, edamame, early summer lettuce and herbs, and potatoes called home.
Now that it's cooling off and with fall officially commencing in ten days, the race to get the last few rounds of crops in the ground and other crops out of the ground begins, before the threat of frost actually becomes real, normally in mid-October. The final round of crops were seeded this past week, including arugula, mustard, radish, chard, and bok choy, and the first round of crops were transplanted into tunnels, including lettuce mix and spinach. Probably in about three weeks time we'll be finished transplanting for the season. Crops with a retrieval deadline include the remainder of the potatoes (about 25% left, maybe 2500lbs), sweet potatoes (hopefully 4000-6000lbs), and butternut squash. Summer crops are really starting to wane but tasty fall crops will be slowly replacing them in the pick up room, including leeks, potatoes, winter squash and pumpkins, kale, beets (maybe with their greens), and romaine.
How I Enjoyed My Harvest | September 10, 2023
How I Enjoyed My Harvest | September 10, 2023 Fall is (sort of) Here by Linda Dansbury
Heavy with seed and no longer facing the sun.
This time of year is often strange - both in weather and the mix of veggies. We had a delightful couple of weeks with cooler nights, which makes one begin to think of more warming dishes, and then the abrupt and long switch to the longest, hottest streak of the summer, which makes you want to go back to simple, cooling meals. As is true with the veggie mix. We still have beautiful summer veggies, but now several fall ones, plus greens.
Here are a few things I have made recently:
Kale, garlic, cilantro, basil, onion, sweet and hot pepper - made the Kale Rice Bowl from this site. This has been a go to for my family as an easy meal. I have learned to change it up a bit based on what is available. One great addition is sweet peppers. Add them in the beginning with the ground pork. An onion doesn't hurt either - I had one left from grilling and it was great in this dish. Normally I top my bowl with a bit of Sriracha but this time I added a hot pepper when cooking the dish and it was great.
Pumpkin, peppers, garlic, onions- made the Roasted Butternut and Red Pepper Soup that I posted a couple of weeks ago. I tasted it and it was delicious, but I froze it for enjoyment later.
Tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, carrot, basil - prepared the Gazpacho Soup recipe from this site. Over the years, I have found this one to be my favorite. I have made it for friends and family and everyone really loves it. I think the addition of carrot and celery give it a really nice rounded flavor - not too tomatoey, if that makes sense.
Arugula, cherry tomatoes- I sometimes add arugula to lettuce for a mixed green salad, but other times I just like to keep it as mainly arugula. I simply put arugula and cherry tomatoes in a bowl, add some salt and pepper, squeeze lemon juice and a nice drizzle of good olive oil. Yum!
With the weather forecasted to turn cooler by the end of the week, I am looking to cook some "fallish" meals. Send how you are enjoying your harvest to me at lindadansbury@comcast.net and I will share with the rest of membership.
This time of year is often strange - both in weather and the mix of veggies. We had a delightful couple of weeks with cooler nights, which makes one begin to think of more warming dishes, and then the abrupt and long switch to the longest, hottest streak of the summer, which makes you want to go back to simple, cooling meals. As is true with the veggie mix. We still have beautiful summer veggies, but now several fall ones, plus greens.
Here are a few things I have made recently:
Kale, garlic, cilantro, basil, onion, sweet and hot pepper - made the Kale Rice Bowl from this site. This has been a go to for my family as an easy meal. I have learned to change it up a bit based on what is available. One great addition is sweet peppers. Add them in the beginning with the ground pork. An onion doesn't hurt either - I had one left from grilling and it was great in this dish. Normally I top my bowl with a bit of Sriracha but this time I added a hot pepper when cooking the dish and it was great.
Pumpkin, peppers, garlic, onions- made the Roasted Butternut and Red Pepper Soup that I posted a couple of weeks ago. I tasted it and it was delicious, but I froze it for enjoyment later.
Tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, carrot, basil - prepared the Gazpacho Soup recipe from this site. Over the years, I have found this one to be my favorite. I have made it for friends and family and everyone really loves it. I think the addition of carrot and celery give it a really nice rounded flavor - not too tomatoey, if that makes sense.
Arugula, cherry tomatoes- I sometimes add arugula to lettuce for a mixed green salad, but other times I just like to keep it as mainly arugula. I simply put arugula and cherry tomatoes in a bowl, add some salt and pepper, squeeze lemon juice and a nice drizzle of good olive oil. Yum!
With the weather forecasted to turn cooler by the end of the week, I am looking to cook some "fallish" meals. Send how you are enjoying your harvest to me at lindadansbury@comcast.net and I will share with the rest of membership.
September 10, 2023
September 10, 2023 Closer to Fall by Linda Dansbury
It is almost fall, and the change in veggies is showing this! Greens are back in full force plus some other delicious things.
Leeks - Leeks are alliums, so they’re related to garlic, chives, shallots, and onions. Tasting them, you can tell. They have a sweet, oniony flavor that adds depth to soups, stews, pastas, and more! Use them as you do onions and shallots, to build flavor at the start of a recipe. However, because they’re milder than most other alliums, you can also enjoy them on their own. Grilled or roasted, they make a surprising, delicious side dish. Leeks store fairly well in plastic in the fridge. Try the Braised Salmon with Leeksearly this week, and by the weekend, you can go for the Potato Leek Chowder recipe on this site.
It is almost fall, and the change in veggies is showing this! Greens are back in full force plus some other delicious things.
Leeks - Leeks are alliums, so they’re related to garlic, chives, shallots, and onions. Tasting them, you can tell. They have a sweet, oniony flavor that adds depth to soups, stews, pastas, and more! Use them as you do onions and shallots, to build flavor at the start of a recipe. However, because they’re milder than most other alliums, you can also enjoy them on their own. Grilled or roasted, they make a surprising, delicious side dish. Leeks store fairly well in plastic in the fridge. Try the Braised Salmon with Leeksearly this week, and by the weekend, you can go for the Potato Leek Chowder recipe on this site.
September 10, 2023
September 10, 2023 Final Potluck - Sunday, September 17th, 5-7 pm
See you at the farm this Sunday, September 17th from 5-7 pm!
Join us for the final potluck of the season! We'll enjoy, debatably, the best weather of the year outside under the pavilion eating and chatting. Bring a dish to share, drinks, and place settings. Hope to see you there!
See you at the farm this Sunday, September 17th from 5-7 pm!
Join us for the final potluck of the season! We'll enjoy, debatably, the best weather of the year outside under the pavilion eating and chatting. Bring a dish to share, drinks, and place settings. Hope to see you there!
Expected Harvest | September 3, 2023
Expected Harvest | September 3, 2023 Peaking Peppers, Dwindling U-pick by Farmer Derek
Saturday morning pick up.
Harvest #18 (Week B) should include pie pumpkins/winter squash, potatoes, carrots, Italian dandelion, arugula, Swiss chard, lettuce, basil, eggplant, garlic, tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, shishito peppers, and onions. Some items may be a choice. U-pick should include herbs, cherry tomatoes, tomatillos, and flowers.
Harvest #18 (Week B) should include pie pumpkins/winter squash, potatoes, carrots, Italian dandelion, arugula, Swiss chard, lettuce, basil, eggplant, garlic, tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, shishito peppers, and onions. Some items may be a choice. U-pick should include herbs, cherry tomatoes, tomatillos, and flowers.
September 3, 2023
September 3, 2023 Workshifts for the Week of September 4th by Farmer Derek
Eastern tiger swallowtail in all its glory.
This week's workshift schedule:
Monday 9/4 10am-12pm
Wednesday 9/6 9-11am
Sunday 9/10 8-10am
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 | September 3, 2023 September Heat Wave by Farmer Derek
Pollinator habitat and Farmer Dana's sheep.
What will hopefully be the final heat wave of 2023 descends upon the farm this week. I'm not too worried because days are shorter and the sun appears to be a bit lower in the sky, at least to start and end the day, than peak summer. Nights will hopefully satisfyingly cool off. Humidity is fortunately forecast to be moderate. On the bright side, the heat loving summer staples should enjoy this 4-day blast before beginning their slow then fast autumn decline. I'm guessing peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes have already peaked but will remain plentiful (except for cherry tomatoes, grown outside, which have really slowed down). Cucurbit family members zucchini, cucumbers, watermelon, and cantaloupe are in the rearview mirror but now we welcome their crunchier cousins the traditional butternut, the strange butternut, and the pie pumpkin for the foreseeable future. For some unknown reason the pumpkins didn't perform great this year but hopefully the others picked up their slack.
This coming week we're hoping to make a serious push to retrieve another 25% of the potato planting which will leave us with just one more variety to retrieve a week or two later. We'll also prioritize cleaning up fields, mowing, removing crop growing helpers like landscape fabric, plastic mulch, and drip tape, and then prepare those spaces for cover crops. Some areas will receive compost if they didn't earlier this year. Our deadline is the cold front inducing rainfall event forecast for Thursday and/or Friday.
We're slowly getting caught up on our battle with late summer weeds and after this weekend the fall carrots and fall brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli) should be tidy. Weekly hoeing of successional bare ground transplants continues (lettuce, arugula, bok choy, mustard, kale, radishes, turnips, etc). This week we begin planting inside for late fall harvesting. Up first is lettuce mix (3 successions), followed by spinach (also 3 successions). Spinach seems to be extra sensitive to too much moisture so growing it under cover where we can control water is helpful. Unfortunately this doesn't always guarantee a quality harvest since spinach is also very susceptible to powdery mildew. To combat this we grow strains that have been bred to be resistant while ensuring tunnels are well vented with good air flow.
What will hopefully be the final heat wave of 2023 descends upon the farm this week. I'm not too worried because days are shorter and the sun appears to be a bit lower in the sky, at least to start and end the day, than peak summer. Nights will hopefully satisfyingly cool off. Humidity is fortunately forecast to be moderate. On the bright side, the heat loving summer staples should enjoy this 4-day blast before beginning their slow then fast autumn decline. I'm guessing peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes have already peaked but will remain plentiful (except for cherry tomatoes, grown outside, which have really slowed down). Cucurbit family members zucchini, cucumbers, watermelon, and cantaloupe are in the rearview mirror but now we welcome their crunchier cousins the traditional butternut, the strange butternut, and the pie pumpkin for the foreseeable future. For some unknown reason the pumpkins didn't perform great this year but hopefully the others picked up their slack.
This coming week we're hoping to make a serious push to retrieve another 25% of the potato planting which will leave us with just one more variety to retrieve a week or two later. We'll also prioritize cleaning up fields, mowing, removing crop growing helpers like landscape fabric, plastic mulch, and drip tape, and then prepare those spaces for cover crops. Some areas will receive compost if they didn't earlier this year. Our deadline is the cold front inducing rainfall event forecast for Thursday and/or Friday.
We're slowly getting caught up on our battle with late summer weeds and after this weekend the fall carrots and fall brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli) should be tidy. Weekly hoeing of successional bare ground transplants continues (lettuce, arugula, bok choy, mustard, kale, radishes, turnips, etc). This week we begin planting inside for late fall harvesting. Up first is lettuce mix (3 successions), followed by spinach (also 3 successions). Spinach seems to be extra sensitive to too much moisture so growing it under cover where we can control water is helpful. Unfortunately this doesn't always guarantee a quality harvest since spinach is also very susceptible to powdery mildew. To combat this we grow strains that have been bred to be resistant while ensuring tunnels are well vented with good air flow.
Expected Harvest | August 27, 2023
Expected Harvest | August 27, 2023 Sweet Pepper Passion by Farmer Derek
Over a thousand pounds of sweet peppers are now being harvested weekly!
Harvest #17 (Week A) should include small pie/edible pumpkins, potatoes, cantaloupe, carrots, Italian dandelion, arugula, Swiss chard, lettuce, basil, eggplant, garlic, tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, shishito peppers, and onions. Some items may be a choice. U-pick should include herbs, edamame, cherry tomatoes, tomatillos, and flowers.
Over a thousand pounds of sweet peppers are now being harvested weekly!
Harvest #17 (Week A) should include small pie/edible pumpkins, potatoes, cantaloupe, carrots, Italian dandelion, arugula, Swiss chard, lettuce, basil, eggplant, garlic, tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, shishito peppers, and onions. Some items may be a choice. U-pick should include herbs, edamame, cherry tomatoes, tomatillos, and flowers.
August 27, 2023
August 27, 2023 Workshifts for the Week of August 28th by Farmer Derek
Raptor friend patrolling.
This week's workshift schedule:
Wednesday 8/30 10am-12pm
Wednesday 8/30 6-8pm
Sunday 9/3 8-10am
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.
August 27, 2023 Maple Syrup and Honey - Preorder by 8/27/23 by Farmer Dana
Susan and Todd Klikus of Augusta Acres Farm will be at Anchor Run CSA on Tuesday, August 29th, 1:00-6:00pm to distribute their maple syrup and honey. Preorders are encouraged again this time. There will be a small amount available to purchase the day of.
To order, follow this link. Products, payment options, and pricing are shown on the order form. Orders are due by Sunday, August 27th.
Augusta Acres is located in Beach Lake, PA and is a family-run operation. They farm using only organic methods and are members of Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Maple Producers Association.
Sap from trees located strictly on the farm is boiled down in small batches on their wood fired arch to produce a maple syrup that is dark and robust. Their honey is extracted from on-farm apiaries and is an "all season", raw honey which is dark and very sweet.
Pints are $15 (honey, maple syrup); Quarts are $25 (maple syrup only).
If you can't make it to the farm during those hours and you would still like to participate in this opportunity your order will be left here in a labeled box/bag which you can pick up during another pick up day. You must prepay for this option.
Susan and Todd Klikus of Augusta Acres Farm will be at Anchor Run CSA on Tuesday, August 29th, 1:00-6:00pm to distribute their maple syrup and honey. Preorders are encouraged again this time. There will be a small amount available to purchase the day of.
To order, follow this link. Products, payment options, and pricing are shown on the order form. Orders are due by Sunday, August 27th.
Augusta Acres is located in Beach Lake, PA and is a family-run operation. They farm using only organic methods and are members of Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Maple Producers Association.
Sap from trees located strictly on the farm is boiled down in small batches on their wood fired arch to produce a maple syrup that is dark and robust. Their honey is extracted from on-farm apiaries and is an "all season", raw honey which is dark and very sweet.
Pints are $15 (honey, maple syrup); Quarts are $25 (maple syrup only).
If you can't make it to the farm during those hours and you would still like to participate in this opportunity your order will be left here in a labeled box/bag which you can pick up during another pick up day. You must prepay for this option.
