Dryer than you think!
It is actually dryer that you think at the farm, at least dryer than Farmer Rich thought. We did have about ¾" of rain last week, which was very welcome. We do continue to have to irrigate the fields and are trying to catch up to keep everything watered.
The week seemed to go quickly as every day was filled with projects (as usual) and not too much turmoil! Monday is a pick & pack day to have all the delivery sites harvest ready to load on the van and then head south to deliver to Mahwah late Monday afternoon. Tuesday is delivery day to Hoboken & Jersey City. Wednesday we have a full-crew and replanting (see crop reports below) of areas that were harvested as well as weeding and veggie maintenance are the prime directives of the day. Thursday, Farmer Rich is by himself and he makes the rounds to assess what will be ready to harvest for the next delivery and to line up projects for the crew for Friday. More field maintenance is done as well such as tilling up beds to get them ready for planting. On Friday our full crew is back and we continue to plant in the fields, weed, mulching and trellis the tomatoes & cucumbers and anything else that may present itself. On Saturdays & Sundays, we start to harvest the delivery at 5:00 am (thank goodness we have a good crew who doesn't mind starting super early) to get it in the cooler before the hot sun of the day. This is all done prior to 9:00 am. The rest of a Saturday & Sunday is spent sorting, bunching, bagging and getting the delivery ready. In between all of this we have to get to our Franklin greenhouse where a lot of the first few weeks of deliveries have been harvested.
Crop Report - we like to keep you posted on the variety of crops that are either already growing or have been planted or seeded.
Planted, transplanted or seeded this week:
|
Arugula Sunflower sprouts Squash both Winter & Summer varieties |
Lettuce Replanted salad mix Hot Peppers Tomatoes |
Eggplant Cherry Tomatoes Basil Cucumbers |
What's Up & Growing:
The newly seeded arugula, lettuce & salad mixes are doing well. The beets and sweet basil are up as well and the Brussels sprouts have "popped". This is when they are almost doubled in size within the week. This is true of many other crops as well, such as the tomatoes, broccoli, eggplant, squash, kohlrabi and herbs. The fava beans look like they may be ready early this year.
Crop losses this week included the cauliflower. They "buttoned up" too early, so they are size of about a ½ Dollar. These plants will be removed this week and the bed replanted with celery & squash. The sorrel is not doing as well as years past, but there are some of the better leaves in the salad mix being delivered this week. We lost some Walla Walla onion and radishes.
Weather Report: Thunderstorms are on the horizon for the early part of the week. Since we need the rain we'll probably not get it, while a neighboring farmer that just cut his hay and doesn't need it probably will get it!
Animal report : No break-ins and the fences are doing their job. Farmer Rich thinks he has seen an Eastern Meadowlark just outside the new greenhouse. By the time he gets the camera it is gone. We hope to catch it during the week.
Summer Arrives: Summer arrives onJune 21, 2010 at 7:28 am EDT (the summer solstice) The term "solstice" comes from the Latin words "sol" (sun) and "sistere" (to stand still). At the solstice, the angle between the Sun's rays and the plane of the Earth's equator (called declination) appears to stand still. This phenomenon is most noticeable at the Arctic Circle where the Sun hugs the horizon for a continuous 24 hours, thus the term "Land of the Midnight Sun."- The Farmers' Almanac
Radishes this week: 
Most of the 'hot' taste is in the skin. Peel them for a milder flavor.
Radish Cooking Tips The process of cooking radishes tames the harshness. To enhance the red coloring of a radish while cooking, add a bit of lemon juice to the cooking liquid.
Boil: Bring water to a boil, carefully drop in whole or sliced radishes. Simmer radishes until they become just tender, from 10 to 30 minutes depending on the type of radish.
Steam: Steam whole radishes in steamer for 5 to 15 minutes, depending on desired tenderness.
Roast: Preheat oven to 425º F. Toss sliced radishes with olive oil, and favorite seasonings. Spread radishes onto baking sheet or roasting pan.Roast for 30-45 minutes, until tender and browning. http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--827/all-about-radishes.asp
Week of June 21st - Pick of the Week: click on the links below or to the right to bring you to the delivery specific to your pick-up location. Deliveries will be of similar variety & poundage, but may contain different items at anytime during the season. Occasionally, some crops are ready to harvest but not enough to deliver to all our drop-off locations. What we do is start to filter them in each week to a different drop-off until there is enough to delivery to everyone.
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