Greetings Farm Friends,
**If this is your first week joining ‘the farm stand’ please make sure to read all the way to the bottom for detailed instructions.**
Welcome summer! This warm weather and sunshine is lifting our spirits. We hope you are feeling the same. We’ve been taking full advantage, eagerly sending the rest of the peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant into the ground and hustling to finish melon, squash, bean and corn plantings before the next rain. Just last night we half reveled, half lamented the ephemeral nature of farming. There was a comparison made to the work that goes into producing a theatrical production- the planning, rehearsals, costume design, etc. and then, in a matter of nights, it is over.
That is how a season on the farm feels as well. One minute we’re ordering seeds and then all of a sudden harvests begin. Next thing we know, the season is waning into fall drizzles and cool nights. Curtain! It’s crazy even during a ‘normal’ year but this spring has been especially fuzzy. Farming has never felt so critical or useful or rewarding and yet, just like many of you, we’re juggling it all with our kids home, no family help, off-farm jobs, mental health needs, etc. My memory is shot and we spend sooooo much time talking about if and how and when to safely expand our quarantine bubble. This is hard stuff. The best medicine I’ve found is connecting with the earth and the non-human life that continues to buzz, sign, and unfold around us. Savouring our food. Mmmm.
We hope that this food contributes to your wellness both physically and emotionally. Please let us know if you need a field to throw a blanket out on and enjoy a picnic. We’d be happy to accommodate you- assuming the pasture is dry enough for parking. This is a sincere offer! There is plenty of room to spread out and wander the fields. Please reach out if you'd like a farm field trip. :)
Our CSA starts in 3 weeks! We’re looking forward to getting into a new routine and we are nervously watching the zucchini and broccoli as they begin to ramp up. (We’re also keeping an eye on the flea beetles, leaf miner, and rodents who seem equally jazzed about this spring’s nice weather and vigorous crops.) We’ve got some nice goodies for ordering this week. We harvested a new planting of Marvel of Four Seasons lettuce and they are PERFECT. I love them for wrapping tuna or grain salads or with a light lemony dressing. We received feedback that a few of the heads from last week had suffered a little steam/heat damage in the center (from that last 80+ degree stretch). That’s impossible for us to tell without picking them apart, and often it’s just the very center of the head that has turned, while all of the outer leaves are still perfectly good. This week, as a sort of recall remedy, we’re offering the Marvel Butterhead at a discounted price. I sampled the hearts of at least 10 of these beauties, and they were all pristine. Please let us know if you were unhappy with last week’s lettuce and we’d be happy to bring you a replacement at market. We love hearing feedback (good and constructive)- thank you for sharing!
We’re also excited to be offering scallions, fennel, and escarole this week, a few more new(ish) additions to the Spring line-up. A note on escarole, which won't make an appearance again until the Fall: This is an amazing, and very nutritious, hardy cool weather heading green. It has the most silky texture when sautéed, or added to soup. We love it sautéed with some garlic/onion and bacon and tossed with our favorite quinoa pasta. Yum!
There’s been a lot of interest in Portland Creamery cheeses. This week we're offering plain chèvre, and goat cheddar curds (we finished ours in 24hrs)!
Silver Falls Bread will also be on order for the remainder of the market season. If you like the idea of a one stop shop, this is a great way to get a loaf of this awesome sourdough. Dan is also selling (and taking pre-orders) for bread from his bakery on Saturdays, where you can get it for a dollar less per loaf.
Thank you again for your continued support.
For the Love of Food,
Sarah + Conner
