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This week has brought some warm weather, which we have been grateful for. This late summer heat will kick the winter squash and pumpkins into ripening mode and help the fall vegetables grow before the first frost. We've been pleased to host a WWOOFer, Lauren, on our farm this past week. WWOOF stands for Willing Workers on Organic Farms, and is a world wide initiative that connects interested volunteers with farmers. In exchange for room and board, wwoofers will help with farm tasks and learn more about the farming lifestyle. Thanks for the help, Lauren! I thought I'd share some pictures this week, rather than write too much. Enjoy! 
Thelma the goat invades the compost pile. Silly goat! Did I mention that the compost pile is on the opposite side of the 4' anti-climb fence that she is supposed to be on?!
Three cheers for ripening tomatoes! The tomatoes pictured here are a greenhouse variety, hence the blemish free look.
The prolific Hubbard squash are dotting the garden with orange.
Can you see them? Baby brussel sprouts are forming! I'm very excited for this new addition this year.
Teenage kale is busy growing under the row cover. Another 2-3 weeks and we'll have lots to enjoy!
Zinnias, chives, anise hyssop, bee balm, and sunflowers...one benefit of having a cool and moist summer is the bounty of flowers.
Now, I'm sure you are all wondering how any of these pictures relate to the blog title! Well, they don't. But they do relate to our tomatoes in general. It looks like we should be able to enjoy both large and cherry tomatoes in the shares this week. Our large tomatoes can be divided into two categories: heirloom varieties and hybrid and/or greenhouse varieties. Heirloom varieties tend to come in unusual shapes or colours and often will have some marking on the shoulders. They don't ship well, which is one of the reasons they are rarely seen in the grocery store. But heirloom tomatoes win any taste test, hands down. And, I believe growing heirloom varieties of vegetables is an important part of maintaining diversity in the food system. Much of the produce we see in the grocery store comes from one or two main varieties, and we miss out on the beauty and taste of the hundreds of other varieties. Hybrid greenhouse tomatoes, on the other hand, have the classic round, red, blemish free tomato look. They are a much firmer tomato that can be shipped and handled with less care. But, while still tasty, they lack depth of flavour. I find people will choose the hybrid tomatoes first, and leave the heirloom behind. I encourage share members to try an heirloom variety at least once! If you're not sure what to choose, I can help you out. And please also remember that there are 45 share member families that would like an opportunity to try both kinds, so please don't stock up on only the hybrid red tomatoes. Thanks! We are getting near the end of our summer lettuce supply and the swiss chard is regrowing more slowly. As a result, for the next 2-3 weeks we will see fewer greens. We will have more lettuce, spinach, kale, and cabbage to finish out the season shortly. While I prefer to provide greens in every weekly share, I've noticed more lettuce and chard being traded in lately, so I think the break in production is timely. Weekly Share Contents
Beets Zucchini Cucumber Potatoes Peppers Tomatoes Lettuce OR Swiss Chard Green Onions OR Celery Parsley Comments are closed.
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