¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ

We made it to week 2 folks. After last week's inferno and the insane rain, wind, and hail we experienced over the weekend, I wasn't sure we were going to make it. If you've been with us for a while, you know I end up talking about the weather and farming a bunch, but this may be the earliest heat has impacted our ability to work and be outdoors. Last year it was air quality from Canadian wildfires and this year it looks like heat and humidity are vying for the "weather trophy". Most of what we accomplished last week was done in the mornings and even then, the greenhouse was over 100 degrees before noon most days. We irrigated constantly throughout the week, and I was thankful for the intermittent rain we got. And then there was the Saturday storm. That was wild. I got caught driving in it over in Freeville and let me tell you, I thought I was Bill Pullman in the 1996 classic, Twister. That's a story for another day and I hope folks didn't suffer too much damage. I was nervous about our hoophouses, but they made it. We did suffer some minor hail damage that I did not notice until we started harvesting greens yesterday. The kale and chard are under a row cover and when we went to uncover the beds, there were tiny tears throughout the cover. In turn, there was some damage to the greens, but if the cover was not there, the greens would have been shredded. If you're unfamiliar with what a row cover is, it is sort of a giant cloth blanket that can be used for both pest and frost protection. Last week was a great lesson in self-care and plant care for the students. When planning for the season, we spend a lot of time discussing the unpredictability of farming. The heatwave was an eye-opening experience. Despite the challenges of last week, the big thing that got the students going was the start of the CSA. They were very excited to start harvesting crops that we were talking about back in February. For all the interns, this is their first farm experience, and most have limited gardening experience. But to see the joy and pride they took in harvesting crops that they seeded and tended up until this point was a great thing to witness. I am looking forward to continuing to share these "firsts" with my students. 

Let's get to this week's CSA share. Even though it was incredibly hot last week, it was so nice to have multiple meals centered around fresh local produce. The choice will be much of the same as last week, with the addition of a new item. This week there will also be fresh garlic in the share. This garlic isn't cured like the garlic you see in the fall. It's the precursor. We start harvesting garlic a couple of weeks after harvesting the scapes for an early crop and to lighten the load when all the garlic needs to be pulled by early August. You are more than welcome to start curing it yourself or can use it fresh. If using it fresh, I usually clip the stalk leaving a few inches and sticking it in the fridge. There will also be garlic scapes, which were amazing on the grill last week. I think I might some this week. Additionally, there will be lettuce mix, rainbow chard, kale, carrots, hakurei turnips, and herb bunches. I forgot that the secret weapon to get my daughter to eat more veggies was making fresh kale chips. It is super simple to do if you've never done so before. I preheat the oven to 250 and then tear the kale into 2–3-inch pieces, place them in a bowl, and massage them with olive oil until completely covered. After that add your favorite seasonings. The go-to in our house is nutritional yeast and Old Bay, but just about anything works. When the seasoning is done, I place them on a baking sheet just barely touching but not overcrowded. They are done after 17 minutes in my oven, but I start to check them around 14 minutes. There will also be extra seedlings that aren't part of the share but are available, if interested. I also have a handful of extra black currants that are two years old. 

Have a great week!

-Farmer Todd