Hello Farm Friends!
We are in the full swing of Spring. There are lettuces and hardy greens galore. The first carrots and beets are popping, as well as a flush of flowers on the peas. We seeded melons last week, and winter squash this week. The early zucchini are showing and the basil needs its first pinching. Tomatoes are in the ground in F block, outside, loving these warm days, still feeling a little chilly in the evenings.
Now is the time to make cilantro pesto! - easy to make, easy to freeze (in ice-cub trays), easy to use(in everything). The boc choy is abundant and oh so sweet. But really the star of the show is the lettuce. So. Much. Lettuce. The fields are quilted with perfect blocks of luscious butterhead bouquets, and the first of our favorite Romaine-esque little red leaf (called Eruption) is beginning to...well, erupt! Salads are a must for every meal. We are indulging in big salads and it feels so good.
I've said it a few times this Spring already, but I'll say it again - this is the absolute driest April/May we've experienced, which comes with some benefits (early field work, early plantings), but the fear of depleted aquifers and cracked earth is real. And so, with some increasing urgency and purpose, we are continuing to prioritize native tree and shrub plantings throughout our fields and along the creek, as well as seeking ways to mitigate the opportunistic advance of thistle, tansy and black berry. This dry weather means early blooms on many of our most persistent biennial weeds, and so we are making plans to fit this important land management piece into a richly textured and very busy spring work puzzle.
When the kill-deer begin their shrill skittering through the fields, we know that the pinnacle of growth is not far off. This means fresh onions, fruits, peppers, tomatoes, beans, fennel, cabbage, broccoli, potatoes, cucumbers, along with all the greens and roots and peas - the confounding, climactic confluence of Spring and Summer. We are preparing for the ride, tending what's been planted, prepping more beds for the near future, staying attuned to the weeds and the water, trying to remain present in the midst of this Spring veggie avalanche. It's a blast, and we couldn't survive without the best crew: Dan, Poz, Kristen, and Adam. They are positive, energetic, capable, thoughtful, humorous. I love my job, and I love that I get to share it with such kind, dedicated humans.
Appreciatively,
Conner (+Sarah)
