Well we’ve gotten all the kinks out of our record keeping and now everyone should be on the email list. The past week has been a productive one as well as frustrating. This was a week that a few important pieces of machinery either didn’t want to work or simply broke. All had been put to rights or at least the right parts are on their way. We had our daughter, Ada’s preschool/kindergarden class out to the farm on Monday. This yearly event is always a joy to see little ones exploring the farming world: tractors, a big field of tall grass, mud, fresh picked vegetables, and of course strawberries. One quick reminder to everyone out there, which I forgot to mention in last week’s email, please bring back your box! We purchase three boxes per CSA member which can get us through the season if you remember to return them. Thanks. A little piece of advise about storing your produce in the Frig., we often place some items in plastic bags, but not all. All the vegetables will store much longer if placed in a plastic bag while in your frig. Our intern, Nick Basinger has written a little something for this week’s newsletter…
The season is fully and officially underway. The frost date has passed, and the careful placement of protective covering to shield the plants from cold icy nights have come to a halt. With much excitement plants have begun to grow with vigor, that could only be matched by Jacks famous beanstalk. The warm days followed by wonderful spring showers have contributed not only to the growth of our vegetable friends, but also to our sworn enemies: weeds. They are sneaky, one day the lettuce mix looks wonderful and then you come back two days later and they have moved in with a vengeance like an unwanted tenant unwilling to pay rent, quite the party. The battle has just begun, but we will prevail.
Major transformation has begun in both our high house and greenhouse. Just a couple short weeks ago we planted tomatoes and there are now baby tomatoes growing. All of the tomatoes have been strung so that we will be able to keep them lean and productive. Walking through the middle of the high house gives the impression of a tomato army reporting for duty, each placed at a careful distance as a well regimented squad would stand ready to spring into action at a moments notice. Squash has also taken root and it looks as if there might be some squash and zucchini soon, so keep an eye out for some yummy goodness in the weeks to come.
A rescue was executed this week on the farm. One of our residents (Barney the cat) somehow tracked and captured a small rabbit. (This rabbit didn’t get the interdepartmental memo about our cat from his boss Peter) Alarmed by what Barney had brought back to the house, Ada and Belle rescued the small rabbit from the jaws of their feline friend. The palm sized rabbit is now in the close and watchful eye of Ada and Belle where they are feeding the rabbit with their fingers and a dropper.
We send well wishes your way and hope that you enjoy the items included and the recipes that accompany them. Thank you for supporting us here at Full Sun Farm. Until next week, we hope our food keeps you healthy, happy and well.