Full Shares: Carrots, Broccolini, Head Lettuce, Garlic Scapes, Spring Onions, Sugar Snap Peas, Basil, Zucchini, Green Cabbage
Partial Shares: Salad Mix, Carrots, Broccolini, Zucchini, Parsley, Spring Onions, and Garlic Scapes
Hello CSA Members!
It’s hard to believe we are at the halfway mark of the CSA season! And what a beautiful time of year it is.
This period from mid-July to mid-August is the peak season that farmer’s think about all the rest of the year. The main season crops are starting to mature, the farm looks beautiful, and the nights are warm (well, except for last night). Rather than rush through these next few weeks, as farmers, it’s important to relish them while they last. That said, I did find myself in a bit of an existential quandary when on Sunday I found myself turning down a trip into Glacier National Park so that I could stay on the farm and cultivate weeds wth the tractor. As I was trying to precisely maneuver the tractor back and forth over the vegetable beds, I wondered a bit about what my life had become. Hmmm, when exactly did I become my father? Perhaps, without recognizing it, I have been groomed my entire life to reach this exact moment. Don’t get me wrong, there were clues. Sure, I learned to operate a tractor when I was 8 years old. And yes, most of my childhood summer vacations were spent driving around Pennsylvania in the back of my parents Oldsmobile stopping in at every tractor dealership imaginable. And there was that time, when we needed a break from tractor dealerships in Pennsylvania, that we drove to upstate New York for Empire Farm Days and looked at tractors there. And instead of buying matchbox race cars, I bought the tractor equivalent (Case Agri King was my favorite). And I would spend hours pushing that little tractor around the braided Amish rug we picked up in Pennsylvania because the pattern looked exactly like the furrows and headlands of an agricultural field. Was it destiny?
Perhaps. Or, maybe I just don’t like crowds.
Did I mention it’s high Summer? The warm season crops are really cranking, and the tomatoes, cucumbers, and cauliflower are just starting to come in. Because we don’t have enough of each for everyone all at once, we will start phasing them into shares based on delivery location, and we will alternate the items until we are producing enough to give them to every all at once. So, you may find some surprise tomatoes or cukes your share this week. It’s also worth noting that with all this hot weather, the corn is huge! If you remember back two weeks ago, there was a picture of the corn on the 4th of July that was just up above Rebecca’s knee. Well, it’s currently head-high and tassling, no joke.
Head high by the 20th of July??
This will likely be the last week of garlic scapes, in case they are taking over your crisper drawer in the fridge, and the sugar snap peas are also slowing down, so enjoy the last of those. And since it’s the beginning of summer squash season, here’s a great recipe to help you out!
See you at CSA Distribution!
Todd and the Two Bear Farm Team
