CSA Week 6: Pictorial Farm Tour

We have heat! A week of hot days in July is always a good sign for the farming season as it ensures that all heat loving crops (such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and cucumbers) and long-season crops (winter squash, sweet potatoes, and onions) get the boost they need to be productive.  One of the major tasks we will be completing this week is the garlic harvest! We will dig all the mature garlic bulbs and hang to dry for several weeks. By the end of August we will all be enjoying our cured garlic!  

Since many of you will not be able to visit our farm during this growing season, I thought I would use this post to show you some features around our farm and the methods we use for growing your vegetables. These pictures will focus on the market garden itself - in a later post I will give you a tour of the animal and tree nursery components of the farm.  

Our market garden covers approximately 1.5 acres of our 10 acres property and is divided into 4 roughly equal section. Each section contains approximately 30 raised beds and each bed is 30 inches wide by 100 feet long. We groups all vegetables based on their family and each family gets planted in one section. In one section we have the nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and potatoes). Another section will have all the curcubits (melons, squash, cucumbers). In the third section we have both the brassica family (cabbage, kale, broccoli, kohlrabi, cauliflower, and many more) and the allium family (onions and garlic). The final section has root crops (carrots, beets, parsnips) and the spring peas. Each year, we rotate the location of each family, so that they are not back in the same spot until year 5. The two primary reasons for crop rotation are to rest and rebuild the soil between demanding crops and to prevent pest and disease buildup of specific crops in one area. Any crop that we grow for it's fruit is a heavy-feeder which will quickly deplete the soil if grown in the same area. Crops that are grown for their leaves or roots are lighter feeders so they require less from the soil.The only crop we don't rotate is our lettuces. One section of our field is partly shady so the lettuces stay in this area. We grow a few crops that don't fit into these family groups and we squeeze them in where there is space. These include: herbs, artichokes, okra, sweet potatoes, and beans.

If you are interested in learning more about how I decided which crops to grow, when to plant them, in what quantities, and what to include in each weekly share, then check out my post from last year that has all the details!

Just click on the pictures in the gallery to read the detailed description.

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Weekly Share Contents:

Carrots
Baby Potatoes
Zucchini
Green Beans
Chard or Collards
Basil
Green Onions

Bonus: Radish Shoots, Dill

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Recipe Ideas:

Ah, zucchini! One of my favourite summer vegetables and that is a good thing since it is SO prolific! Zucchinis are extremely versatile: eat them raw or cooked, savory or sweet.  To be technical, all zucchini are summer squash but not all summer squash are zucchini. I tend to use the terms interchangeably but the standard green or yellow straight summer squash are zucchini. If they have a different shape or colour pattern, they are probably summer squash. Regardless, they are used the same! We are trying a two new varieties of summer squash this year, in addition to the standard green. One is called Costata Romanesco and is an heirloom Italian variety with prominent ribs and green and white speckled skin. These flavourful squash are best eaten on the small side. The other new variety is a yellow, bell shaped summer squash called Success. It is a few days behind the other varieties in maturity, so you may not see it in the shares until next week. 

Try this delicious sounding recipe for carrot and zucchini fries! http://voraciousvander.com/2011/12/05/the-best-way-to-cook-zucchini-and-carrots/

Storage Tips:

Each week, we are going to start giving a few tips on how to store one or two items in your share. We want these delicious veggies to last as long as possible for you!

Basil: Basil is difficult to store and is best used as soon as possible. We harvest right before delivering and chill only slightly. If you can't use immediately, either place the basil stems in a shallow dish filled with water on your counter top. Or, place in a airtight container in the warmest part of your fridge. Basil leaves will start to brown within 1 - 2 days of refrigeration. 

Zucchini: No need to refrigerate! In fact, chilling will reduce zucchini's life span. Simply place on the counter top away from direct sunlight for 5 - 7 days. If you can't use right away, grate and freeze in airtight freezer bags. Great for baking!

Green Beans: Do not wash until ready to use! We do not wash your beans, because wet beans that are then stored will get pitted and slimy. Instead, store them on the counter for 1 day or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. These also freeze beautifully if blanched first. We freeze lots of beans for use in minestrone soup and vegetable pot pie in the winter months.