Catalpa Ridge News–Volume 21 No 19–October 18, 2016

Frost at the Farm !

News from the Fields & Farm:  We had a low of 29 degrees at the farm and two of the fields were covered with a heavy frost. Fortunately most of the tomatoes were already harvested and the peppers were covered in the field.

 

Most of next week’s delivery will come out of the Franklin Greenhouse and any of the cold-hardy crops still in the field. We plan on also delivering butternut squash. We should also have some green onions and baby leeks. We hope to also be able to harvest the beet greens.

 

The crew cleared out the back field and harvested the sunchokes. That area was noticeably dry as most of the season has been in drought mode.

 

Weather report: The frost did come over the weekend. This week they are predicting 80 degree weather! Interestingly, in looking at the weather history in Sussex, the record high was 84-degreens in 1963 and the record low of 20-degrees in 1978 on the 18^th of October. We had a trace of rain during the week.

 

Retro Picture! Michael & his brother Kevin in 2002:

It was taken after garlic planting at the farm and It was snowing that day.

 

Jersalem Artichoke (Sunhoke) Wikipedia notes: The Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), also called sunroot, sunchoke, earth apple or topinambour, is a species of sunflower native to eastern North America. Jerusalem artichokes were first cultivated by the Native Americans long before the arrival of the Europeans; this extensive cultivation obscures the exact native range of the species.[2] The French explorer Samuel de Champlain found domestically grown plants at Cape Cod in 1605.

The tubers are sometimes used as a substitute for potatoes:[13] they have a similar consistency, and in their raw form have a similar texture, but a sweeter, nuttier flavor; raw and sliced thinly, they are fit for a salad. Their inulin form of carbohydrates give the tubers a tendency to become soft and mushy if boiled, but they retain their texture better when steamed.

Storage tips for your Sunchokes: Best stored in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from light. We prefer to store them in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator; wrapped in paper towels and sealed in a plastic bag.

 

Last Delivery of the Season Next Week October 25^th.