Each Sunday I take a walk through our fields, trying to estimate what we can offer up in our bags each week. When I went looked closer at this celebratory moment in our celery patch (it's our first year growing celery) I couldn't help but notice the flowering broccoli in the background (which we won't get to eat). I'm sure many other professions encounter similar situations, but it feels like farming is particularly bad at often presenting celebratory moments coupled with sad ones. I try to not open my door when the drama queen of farming knocks, although it takes conscious effort! My good down to earth farmer sense after today's field walk: I'm happy with all the delicious food we're able to move these days, and there's lots more to come. Some of this year's "trial" crops are doing great, others we may not do again, and it's all part of the process. I like to focus on enjoying what's available in the gardens week to week, and try not to dwell on the things that don't work out ;)
Here's a quick recap of my field walk today to give you a sense of where the gardens are at, and where we're headed if any of you are curious! Basil plantings are now the "mildew resistant" varieties, but are starting to succumb to the effects of morning dews (we won't have it for too much longer). Awesome harvest of fresh Beans! Beet leaves just seem to be sad this summer, but the latest planting is beautiful ;) Gorgeous caraflex (conehead) cabbages coming your way this week, as well as a full round of Celery. Don't forget to enjoy the leaves for a broth, and the smaller stems chopped into dishes for flavour. Chard is doing great these days, our Kale plantings aren't as happy at the moment, but the next round should be better once the bugs back off in late summer. Cilantro will be coming into it's own soon, it's a fall loving crop and this summer has been stressing it out one way or another, we've had three plantings go to flower before sizing up. Eggplants are starting, but zucchini and pattypans are not happy so we'll have to wait for our next planting to start producing before filling your bags again. Corn is, as we expected, ravaged by raccoons so we won't be enjoying that :( Cucumbers are slowing down, I wish I knew why? If you want some pickles it's this week or next I'm guessing. Edamame are just around the corner, I can't wait! Jalepenos are starting, and Poblano's will follow although most of our peppers have to wait till fall before producing at their peak. I thought I'd throw in some leeks this week just for fun, they're mulched and weeded and growing so beautifully this year I just had to share some. We're in a little lull in between both romaine and cut lettuce patches, but there's lost more to come and in the meantime we've got radicchio. While it's classically mixed in with salad, why not try some cooked up with your cabbage this week? Our tiny experimental patch of Okra is doing well, we can offer up all of five pints to whoever is eager enough to find it on the long list of produce ;) Our winter squashes are sizing up well for fall, and our melons are oh so close to being ready although there won't be many to go around this year - mice ate the seeds out of a batch of trays we had briefly placed on the ground in the greenhouse... and our re-planted seeds haven't caught up to grow melons. Tomatillos are inexplicably less abundant all of a sudden, but I'm hoping they'll be back in business after a brief break. Finally, Tomatoes are the best! We've got bumper crops of salad tomatoes in the greenhouse, and there's also lots of sauce tomatoes starting to come in from the fields. Keep your eye out for when we have Tomato Sauce packs (probably back next week) for anyone who likes canning.We've got a full round of super sweet delicious and beautiful cherry tomatoes this week. After hearing that so many of you loved them... we thought we'd give it a try and they're doing great I can't wait to tuck them in all your bags this week!
