- Salad mix
- Arugula sprouts
- Leeks
- Spinach
- Kale or chard
- Watercress, parsley or thyme
- Raab (purple sprouting broccoli, flowering kale or collard sprouts) or cabbagelettes (small savoy cabbage)
This week has been rough. Frankly, farming is rough. We had 4.5 inches of rain in three days on the back of temperatures in the teens. We had to cover and then uncover our plants out in the field. I searched for days to figure out why I had no water coming to the greenhouses in the field. I face timed Juve 4 times and walked the perimeter of the farm trying to find the broken pipe that was leading to low pressure. Finally, with the help of James (Polly’s husband and co-owner of Pumpkin Ridge Gardens) we figured out that the filter (that Jacob and I had already “cleaned”) earlier in the week was a problem. Once that filter was replaced water flowed with real force and then the leak showed up. It was a geyser in greenhouse #2. Fortunately Victor was at the farm putting finishing touches on the fence and he helped me fix the pipes.
So instead of harvesting your veggies I was digging out pipes and trying to get the water system up and running. This week we face more devastatingly low temps to the low 20s which will likely freeze the pipes again. I am racing today to get things watered before the freeze tonight and figuring ways to drain those pipes before it freezes. Simply writing this is giving me tachycardia. I need to move on to the work of the farm and leave you to figure out your recipes.
Somehow our little lamb – Representative Sosa, named for our CSA member who was appointed to finish out the term of the former representative Sollman has survived. He is about 3 weeks old and was in the basement being fed every 4 hours for over 10 days. He moved out to the barn on Friday and got to mingle with his siblings yesterday. He is waiting for his morning bottle as I write. Too many chores waiting on me, so off I go.
One last plug for getting in your payment for the 2022 season. Subscriptions are down, we are counting on you – please do sign up for 2022 regular season. We are putting in the work, farming is for the long haul. We count on you, even if you will not be here for some weeks during the summer, we keep on farming. Talk to your neighbors and friends and send them our way, share your vacation week’s share with them. Be generous – show your commitment to local food systems.
Recipe for the raab
https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/broccoli-rabe-sausage
Idea for dinner this week with spinach
https://dinnerthendessert.com/spinach-quiche-quiche-florentine/