This Week’s Harvest
Tomatoes (Beefsteak and Heirlooms)
Sunorange Cherry and/or Juliet Grape Tomatoes
Garlic
Sweet Italian Peppers and/or Red Bell Peppers
Salad Mix
Cucumbers
Sweet Corn
Green Beans
Jalapeno or Cayenne Peppers
Summer Squash
Candy Onion
Announcements
We have set the date for the first CSA member event at farm! We hope that you can join us for a tour of the farm on Wednesday evening August 16 from 6:30 to 8:30. We will have light refreshments and walk the fields. It’s a great way to see where and how your food is grown and get a sneak peak for all the veggies to come! Family and friends are welcome! We recommend sturdy walking shoes and while strollers work around the barn and house area, they are hard to navigate in the fields. Please feel free to come for all or part of the 2 hour time frame. Hope to see you there! If this date and time doesn’t work we’ll have another member event in the fall.
We are also hosting a farm tour in conjunction with Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) on Sunday August 13 from 4 to 6. While this tour is geared towards those looking to get into farming, it is a great way to see the farm as well and is open to the general public. From OEFFA’s webpage: This beginning farmer focused tour will walk you through the process of equipment systems and the role that machinery can play in making established systems on the farm more efficient. Organic farmer Ben Jackle will provide an overview of the process and equipment used in their greenhouse, field (with a focus on seed bed preparation and cultivation), and packing shed. Learn about how equipment can facilitate effective flow on a mixed vegetable operation and how these systems fit together.
Farm News
Last week was the first tomatillo harvest. I posted a picture on Facebook and Instagram and the response to it was huge. This was unexpected– I had no idea tomatillos would be so exciting to anyone but me. I loved seeing all the salsa verde posts on the Facebook member page throughout the week. Growing delicious and interesting food gives me joy and one of the many reasons I got into farming is my love of food.
This has been a life long love. My most vivid childhood memories involve food. At dinner my poor dad would relinquish seconds of something so that I could have it instead. At lunch in elementary school I would often trade my boring turkey sandwich for homemade Chinese duck leftovers from my friend. And potlucks have always been my favorite thing ever. Farming has allowed me to explore my love of food in new ways like discovering vegetables I didn’t realize I liked (brusselsprouts, beets, okra) and finding favorite varieties that bring vegetables to a whole new level. We enjoy distributing all this wonderful food and getting CSA members hooked on veggies too!
Today was a long tiring harvest. At 5, when the crew left, it still wasn’t done and I knew I had about 3 more hours solo to put in to get it all done. Before I headed over to the tomato beds my eye caught a tan melon in the cantaloupe row. Cantaloupes start out green and turn color when they are ripe. I ran over and gently tugged at the melon and it slipped right off the vine. It was ripe! I cut into it right then and there and had the most delicious and refreshing snack. Tasting the first melon of the season was all I needed to get me through the second shift.
Even with the long hours of laborious work, we love farming. The melon was a perfect reminder of why we do this work and I can’t wait to share our cantaloupes with you all in the coming weeks!
Recipes
Traditional Greek Green Beans and Tomatoes
Roasted Tomatillo and Garlic Salsa