We finally got rain! Thank goodness! Things were getting pretty crispy around here…
This past weekend Megan and I (Joel) were able to step away from the farm for a bit. It was a much needed rest and refresh for us after months of pushing. We‘re super thankful to have a team that can hold things down while we’re away. I am really glad to say that I was actually able to let go for the weekend. In past years, (if we took a vacation) it was difficult or impossible to actually let go of things and come down to rest. But this year, with a good team, I was totally able to hand things over to them and release it all for the weekend. And since we didn’t take the kids, I didn’t need to stay in “dad mode” either. I haven’t been able to come all the way down to that level of rest for many years. Maybe since starting the farm.
Being able to step away like that at the top of the season is pretty special. Afterall, we’ve only just hit the solstice! There are still many weeks to go!
The garden is still mostly full of greens. Considering the long dry spell I think we’ve been doing pretty well.
However, you will start to see some of the fruit type vegetables coming into the share. This week you will get the first of the zucchini or summer squash. Last week you got the first little flush of cucumbers.
In the pastures, the grass has mostly been at a standstill. That's pretty worrisome to me. Pretty soon we'll have grazed everything once and will be heading back to areas that were grazed much earlier in the spring. If the grass doesn’t jump up quickly after this rain we may be in trouble. We rely on that second (and third) regrowth for grazing later in the summer. If grass regrowth is too slow and we have to buy in hay it could be a difficult extra expense to swallow. Buying hay in the winter is a given. But being forced to buy hay in the summer when things should be growing and lush is bad news for a farmer.
As far as our meat chickens go, they're sizing up nicely and will be going into the butcher in a few weeks. We are excited to have chickens in the freezer again and can’t wait to get some on the grill!
Here's what's in your share this week:
Romaine Lettuce
Arugula-Many arugula recipes!
Kale
Turnip-Have you ever made a turnip gratin?
Radish-Try roasting radishes for a new dish.
Zucchini-they’re coming….more to follow
Pac Choi
Lettuce Mix
Swiss Chard (this variety is called “Bright Lights”. We love it for its vibrant rainbow coloring!) Chard is a mild-tasting green that acts more like a spinach than a heartier kale. Here is a yummy looking green curry that’s loaded with herbs and chard. Here is another simple pasta with chard that will be well-loved by all. Chard works well as a salad green too. And then there’s always the frittata..
Let us know what you've been doing with your vegetables!
Joel