2024 CSA Newsletter #14
Happy Harvest Moon! This is truly one of my favorite times of the year. We have beautiful days, with cool, clear nights. It's been almost perfect conditions. I'm not complaining, but I wouldn't mind a light rain here and there.
Last week, we continued with fall projects in addition to our weekly harvest. We planted a bed of kale where the first cucumbers were planted. This is called double cropping, meaning using the same bed twice for different crops in a season. Since the greenhouse is a valuable space on a farm, we use a more intensive planting method. As the summer crops that are currently in there dwindle, we will replace them with cool-weather crops for the winter. We are also trying to get the last cultivation done for the season. We managed to get the lettuce completed last week. Since we harvest each planting multiple times, having a weed-free area is important for efficiency. It feels good to start the various tasks that need to be done before the season ends. Additionally, the farm had a class visit for the first time this semester, and it happened to be a class that I co-teach. My colleague Amanda and I have a Freshman Seminar: Exploration of a Local Food System which is a now required course for first-semester Culinary Arts and Sustainable Farming and Food Systems students. The students in both these programs have shared courses, so we are using this course, in part to create community between the two programs. Another aspect of the course is to familiarize and connect our students to the robust food system that surrounds us. We are accomplishing this through guest speakers and field trips, and our first trip of the semester was to the farm and Coltivare. It was great to show these students, many of whom will be starting on the farm next semester, a tangible aspect of our farm-to-table curriculum. I look forward to working with students in both programs over the next few semesters!
As we approach the fall equinox, we still have tastes of summer in the CSA share this week. The cherry tomatoes continue to produce at a phenomenal rate. The beefsteaks and heirlooms are slowing down but are still a part of the share. The sauce tomatoes, on the other hand, took off last week and will be their own item this week. The snacking, poblano, and shishito peppers also had an uptick in production, but are still grouped together. Eggplant will be absent this week. Even though it is planted in our greenhouse, its production hasn't been great this season. Hopefully, there will be one or two more harvests. Our first planting of cucumbers is officially done, but there will still be plenty to choose from. There will also be bell and frying peppers, garlic, hot peppers, lettuce mix, kale, and jalapeno salt. This week will also be the return of herb bunches. There will be rosemary, thyme, and lemon balm to choose from. I also wanted to include this easy hot sauce recipe from Getty Stewart, if folks are starting to accumulate hot peppers.
Have a great week.
-Farmer Todd