CSA Week 12

Brrrrrr! It seems it became fall over night! Although I think there are still some warm summery days in store for us. With the cool, damp weather the tomatoes and peppers are slowing down although we will still have both for a week or two. The fall greens, though, are thriving with the cooler temperatures and moisture. It won't be too long and we will be enjoying some arugula, spinach, baby kale, and more. I find all of these greens are at their finest in the fall and love to eat my fill before the cold days of winter make green salads a scarcity. 

We had our 2018 organic inspection this past week and all went well. During the inspection, the inspector walks throughout the farm and verifies that the information we submitted in our annual application matches what they see on the farm. They also sit down with me and look our record keeping and paperwork. The records required for an organic grower are time-consuming but they make me a better farmer. I know, down to the kilogram, what I harvested from each bed and of each crop for every year. This information makes future decisions regarding planting to be based on facts rather than guesses. It's also pretty fulfilling to see the entire weight of all the vegetables we harvest in a given season - it's a lot!

I am super excited to be including cantaloupe or watermelons in your share this week! Melons are a tricky crop for us as they like lots of heat units and we don't always get enough. Some seasons I haven't even bothered to plant any because they aren't a guaranteed harvest. I decided to give them a try again this year and we lucked out with the weather. They are sweet and delicious and the cantaloupes in particular are plentiful. We lost many of the watermelon plants early in the season when we had a strong wind storm shortly after transplanting. The wind broke the tender stems of many of the plants but those that survived have produced some lovely watermelon.

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As usual, our potatoes are plentiful and beautiful. Our soils seem to grow potatoes really well and we managed to avoid the major pests that can decimate a potato crop. Most people know what to do with potatoes but in case you are looking for some inspiration, check out these recipes:

Creamy Herb Potato Salad
​Garlic Smashed Potatoes
Creamy Potato Soup