2023 CSA Newsletter #17

I am not sure that the weather could have been any more beautiful last week. It is really a magnificent way to start a new season. I know it is not going to last but I will take it! When the weather is like this, it makes the end of the season tasks a bit more enjoyable. There will be the days of misery in the cold and wet in the near future, but we are definitely trying to prioritize outside jobs when we can.

Last week, we continued to prepare some crops for next season by potting on some perennial herbs into larger pots and planting them in raised beds. The rhubarb that we seeded has germinated. So, be on the lookout next season for the availability of rhubarb for your gardens. We will also take some cuttings of our black currants, jostaberries and elderberries to stick in the greenhouse to be available two years from now, once the plants go dormant in the coming weeks. I'll talk more about that process once it happens. Summer crop cleanup also continued. We moved on to the tomatoes in the greenhouse and started topping the plants. Even though we can provide supplemental heat to the greenhouse and push the tomatoes later into the fall, the decreasing day length impacts the ripening process. To maximize ripening on the vine, we top the plants too. Eventually, we will harvest as much of the fruit as possible, regardless of the ripening stage, and clear out all of the plants. The end of the tomato crop is almost cathartic. We spend so much time with these plants throughout the season, starting with variety selection in January to the final harvest and everything in between. 

The tomatoes aren't done yet! Slowing down significantly, yes, but they continue to be in this week's CSA share. Eggplant is making a triumphant return this week and I am not sure what there will be for the remainder of the season. The stir-fry mix of Tatsoi and Bok choy also returns. There will be sweet peppers, scallions, kale, garlic, and hot peppers, as well. The lettuce is taking a break for regrowth and in the coming weeks, there will be collards and napa cabbage.

Have a great week!

-Farmer Todd