In your CSA bag
~ Potatoes baby reds (1 quart)
~ Cukes (4 pickling)
~ Kohlrabi (2) or cabbage (1)
~ Corn (4)
~ Bibb Lettuce "Nancy" (1)
~ Onions (1)
~ Peppers (1)
~ Chard (1 bunch)
~ Kale (1 bunch)
~ Tomatoes (1)
~ Flowers U-pick only shades of pink (3-6 stems)
Recipe of the Week
Grilled Chicken with Rice and Fruit in Lettuce Wraps
News from the Field
We are so happy to have lettuce back again. When it gets too hot, like it did 3 weeks ago, all the lettuce tastes bitter and begins to bolt. When it bolts it turns from a beautiful head of leaf lettuce into a pointed mini Christmas tree shape and the center core gets really large and it will rot very easily and it tries to make new seeds in an attempt to replace itself. That's when we plow it under and move to the next planting.
The Lettuce Story
We start lettuce from raw or pelleted seed. Raw seeds are extremely tiny about half the size of a sesame seed. This makes them very hard to only plant one seed per cell. It can be done with tweezers and a lot of patience. Pelleted seeds have organic clay around each individual seed and ends up being little round balls big enought to pick up one at a time and place in an individual cell. Jay pushes all the individual seeds into the soil plugs to get them started in the greenhouse. It only takes a week or two for the lettuce to begin to sprout. It needs to be in the brightest sun when this happens so it will not strecth for sunlight and get leggy. It gets watered daily or more if hot out and when the plugs are about 4 inches tall they are transplanted into the fields.
We like to try different varieties. This year you have had many different kinds of lettuce already. Several Green Leaf: Black Seeded Simpson and Tropicana. Red leaf: new Red Fire. Romaine: Pic 714 and Jericho. Boston is also known as butter head or Bibb: Nancy (XL) and deer tongue (pointed and smaller). Our personal favorites are in the category called Summer Crisp, a cross between leaf lettuce and romaine. We especially like "Nevada" that has a green whorled shape and "Magenta" with a red tinged edge. Jay just started a new planting of Magenta that will be transplanted into the greenhouses for fall and early winter. We will also plant more greens and spinach that will continue to grow inside the greenhouses and also under row covers, hopefully until February. It's time for salads again before the tomatoes go by.
Sign up for a fall share! 8-week Fall Memberships start Sept 27th.
Thanks!
Anne
Sep 5, 2011
Aug 29, 2011
Week 13, August 29-Sept 5, 2011
In your CSA bag
Regular may take all vegetables listed, Single size members may choose 6 items, and seniors choose 5 items.
~ Spaghetti Squash - 1
~ Potatoes – 1 quart
~ Cabbage – 1 head
~ Cukes - 4 pickling
~ Kohlrabi - 2
~ Zucchini – 3
~ Summer Squash – 2
~ Fennel – 1 head (taste like black licorice) or Parsley
~ Onions – 3
~ Peppers – 2
~ Tomatoes – 3
Recipe of the Week
Veggie Spaghetti Dinner
News from the Field
Well, it seems that saying “if you don’t prepare for the storm you’ll get hit and if you are all prepared for the storm it will pass you by”, came true. With “Irene” forecasted for last weekend, we began on Friday by taking down the plastic cover and the end walls on #6, our newest greenhouse. Then we scouted around the farm for anything that may become airborne. After two days of battering down the hatches, we felt we were more prepared for this storm, than any other. Luckily for us this storm only left us wet. Thank goodness we missed the high winds. We didn’t even lose power but we were ready with the generators all hooked up. The rain meter here at the farm had to be dumped out when it reached capacity at 5” around six pm on Sunday evening, then during the overnight hours it continued with just a few more inches. Out total rainfall for the storm was over 6 ½ inches. It is no wonder the rivers were all rising. Unfortunately, there are many farmers, even in our region, and along the Lamoille River, that lie in the flood plains and will lose much of their crops. Fortunately for us, we live 5 miles upstream from the Lamoille River. I know the river can help them, for example the movement and temperature of the river can warm the air and prevent them from getting an early or a late frost. But, the flip side of being along the river is when it floods. When we awoke on Monday, we rushed out to farmers market. Soon, the cool air and the gray sky made way for an afternoon of sunshine. It was a beautiful reminder of how Vermont’s weather can change so quickly. This time, for us, it was for the better.
Fall is approaching and today you will have your first winter squash. Spaghetti squash happens to be the first of the squashes ready this year. Maybe it was all the heat we had in August, but it feels like we are a little bit earlier than normal this year. It is always nice to be ahead of schedule. Speaking of being ahead of schedule, it is that time of year to sign-up for a fall share and to think about our winter shares. Info is available at the farm stand.
Thanks!
Anne Tisbert
Regular may take all vegetables listed, Single size members may choose 6 items, and seniors choose 5 items.
~ Spaghetti Squash - 1
~ Potatoes – 1 quart
~ Cabbage – 1 head
~ Cukes - 4 pickling
~ Kohlrabi - 2
~ Zucchini – 3
~ Summer Squash – 2
~ Fennel – 1 head (taste like black licorice) or Parsley
~ Onions – 3
~ Peppers – 2
~ Tomatoes – 3
Recipe of the Week
Veggie Spaghetti Dinner
News from the Field
Well, it seems that saying “if you don’t prepare for the storm you’ll get hit and if you are all prepared for the storm it will pass you by”, came true. With “Irene” forecasted for last weekend, we began on Friday by taking down the plastic cover and the end walls on #6, our newest greenhouse. Then we scouted around the farm for anything that may become airborne. After two days of battering down the hatches, we felt we were more prepared for this storm, than any other. Luckily for us this storm only left us wet. Thank goodness we missed the high winds. We didn’t even lose power but we were ready with the generators all hooked up. The rain meter here at the farm had to be dumped out when it reached capacity at 5” around six pm on Sunday evening, then during the overnight hours it continued with just a few more inches. Out total rainfall for the storm was over 6 ½ inches. It is no wonder the rivers were all rising. Unfortunately, there are many farmers, even in our region, and along the Lamoille River, that lie in the flood plains and will lose much of their crops. Fortunately for us, we live 5 miles upstream from the Lamoille River. I know the river can help them, for example the movement and temperature of the river can warm the air and prevent them from getting an early or a late frost. But, the flip side of being along the river is when it floods. When we awoke on Monday, we rushed out to farmers market. Soon, the cool air and the gray sky made way for an afternoon of sunshine. It was a beautiful reminder of how Vermont’s weather can change so quickly. This time, for us, it was for the better.
Fall is approaching and today you will have your first winter squash. Spaghetti squash happens to be the first of the squashes ready this year. Maybe it was all the heat we had in August, but it feels like we are a little bit earlier than normal this year. It is always nice to be ahead of schedule. Speaking of being ahead of schedule, it is that time of year to sign-up for a fall share and to think about our winter shares. Info is available at the farm stand.
Thanks!
Anne Tisbert
Aug 26, 2011
Week 12, August 22-29, 2011
In your CSA bag
Regular may take all vegetables listed, Single size members may choose 6 items, and seniors choose 5.
~ Potatoes – 1 quart
~ Carrots – 1 bunch
~ Cabbage, Green Kale or Collards – 1 choice
~ Cukes -2 field or 3 pickling
~ Kohlrabi - 3
~ Swiss Chard – 1 bunch
~ Onions – 3
~ Peppers – 2
~ Tomato – 3
~ Parsley – 1 bunch
Recipe of the Week
Smashed Potatoes with Garlic
Potatoes' reputation as a high-carb, white starch has removed them from the meals of many a weight-conscious eater, but this stereotype is due for a significant overhaul. A new analytical method developed by Agricultural Research Service plant geneticist Roy Navarre has identified 60 different kinds of phytochemicals and vitamins in the skins and flesh of 100 wild and commercially grown potatoes. Navarre's team also identified potatoes with high levels of vitamin C, folic acid, quercetin and kukoamines. These last compounds, which have blood pressure lowering potential, have only been found in one other plant, Lycium chinense (a.k.a., wolfberry/gogi berry). See article at www.ars.usda.gov.
Potatoes are a very good source of vitamin C, a good source of vitamin B6, copper, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber. So don’t cut out the potatoes just cut back on some of those less nutritious toppings. Roast them-up and leave the skins on for all the extra nutrients.
News from the Field
We are at half-way for 24 week members this week. If you are a 16 week member take a look at our 8 week fall membership, so you don’t miss a week. Fall memberships are available in our 3 size packages:
Late Blight Alert!!!
If you live in Cambridge you probably have read my recent articles, on front porch forum (our local community news letter shared thru the internet) regarding another outbreak of “Late Blight”. We never know when it will show-up as its mold spores travel on moisture (rain, dew, fog) and winds. This deadly fungal disease has reared its ugly head once again. All farmers and gardeners are on the lookout, with daily inspections, to protect their crops of tomatoes and potatoes. It can first appear as water soaked blotches and grayish mold on the underside of leaves and stems. It will quickly kill the plants. It tends to start further up the plant than most fungal diseases. If you have either of these plants be on the lookout for this disease. See the Cornell website for great photos to help you identify "late blight"
www.longislandhort.cornell.edu/vegpath/photos/lateblight_tomato.htm
To prevent it from spreading we recommend you cut your plants
down and bag them into trash bags and dispose of immediately.
Tomatoes: Remove any fruit, wash and eat it soon as possible or cook it in sauces and if canning follow all processing directions. Do not freeze without processing.
Potatoes: cut plants immediately at very first sign of disease, to prevent disease from traveling down the stems into the tubers (your taters). If plants are clean harvest potatoes, destroy all plants and dispose into trash bags. Plant in new location next year! Disease does not winter over on plant material, BUT Do NOT save seeds (young potatoes) for next year as they may be infected. Rotate plants to a new location and Destroy or till in any baby potatoes that pop up next year (a.k.a. volunteers), as they are also likely to be infected and spread the disease all over again next year.
Thanks!
Anne Tisbert
Regular may take all vegetables listed, Single size members may choose 6 items, and seniors choose 5.
~ Potatoes – 1 quart
~ Carrots – 1 bunch
~ Cabbage, Green Kale or Collards – 1 choice
~ Cukes -2 field or 3 pickling
~ Kohlrabi - 3
~ Swiss Chard – 1 bunch
~ Onions – 3
~ Peppers – 2
~ Tomato – 3
~ Parsley – 1 bunch
Recipe of the Week
Smashed Potatoes with Garlic
Potatoes' reputation as a high-carb, white starch has removed them from the meals of many a weight-conscious eater, but this stereotype is due for a significant overhaul. A new analytical method developed by Agricultural Research Service plant geneticist Roy Navarre has identified 60 different kinds of phytochemicals and vitamins in the skins and flesh of 100 wild and commercially grown potatoes. Navarre's team also identified potatoes with high levels of vitamin C, folic acid, quercetin and kukoamines. These last compounds, which have blood pressure lowering potential, have only been found in one other plant, Lycium chinense (a.k.a., wolfberry/gogi berry). See article at www.ars.usda.gov.
Potatoes are a very good source of vitamin C, a good source of vitamin B6, copper, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber. So don’t cut out the potatoes just cut back on some of those less nutritious toppings. Roast them-up and leave the skins on for all the extra nutrients.
News from the Field
We are at half-way for 24 week members this week. If you are a 16 week member take a look at our 8 week fall membership, so you don’t miss a week. Fall memberships are available in our 3 size packages:
| Regular (receives all items listed weekly) | $200.00 |
| Single (receives 6 items from list) | $136.00 |
| Senior (receives 5 items from list) | $112.00 |
Late Blight Alert!!!
If you live in Cambridge you probably have read my recent articles, on front porch forum (our local community news letter shared thru the internet) regarding another outbreak of “Late Blight”. We never know when it will show-up as its mold spores travel on moisture (rain, dew, fog) and winds. This deadly fungal disease has reared its ugly head once again. All farmers and gardeners are on the lookout, with daily inspections, to protect their crops of tomatoes and potatoes. It can first appear as water soaked blotches and grayish mold on the underside of leaves and stems. It will quickly kill the plants. It tends to start further up the plant than most fungal diseases. If you have either of these plants be on the lookout for this disease. See the Cornell website for great photos to help you identify "late blight"
www.longislandhort.cornell.edu/vegpath/photos/lateblight_tomato.htm
To prevent it from spreading we recommend you cut your plants
down and bag them into trash bags and dispose of immediately.
Tomatoes: Remove any fruit, wash and eat it soon as possible or cook it in sauces and if canning follow all processing directions. Do not freeze without processing.
Potatoes: cut plants immediately at very first sign of disease, to prevent disease from traveling down the stems into the tubers (your taters). If plants are clean harvest potatoes, destroy all plants and dispose into trash bags. Plant in new location next year! Disease does not winter over on plant material, BUT Do NOT save seeds (young potatoes) for next year as they may be infected. Rotate plants to a new location and Destroy or till in any baby potatoes that pop up next year (a.k.a. volunteers), as they are also likely to be infected and spread the disease all over again next year.
Thanks!
Anne Tisbert
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