Your shares - July 7 and June 30, 2011

With all the happy celebrating going on around here last weekend, I never posted anything about what was in the shares. I hope you figured it out and also found some tasty ways to use your food! For cooking ideas, don't forget to check out the recipe blog. It is now set up so you can search it by key word, such as pea shoots, or turnips, or garlic scapes. I find this to be very helpful.

Pick up went very smoothly this week. The only hitch was that I had put some turnip greens in a bucket of water and I am not sure if everyone saw them or not. If you wanted some but didn't see them, let me know and I'll pick you some extra greens next time. (Eliza?)

Pea shoots are much more tender now that I am only picking off the growing tips, about 2 -3 inches long. Enjoy!

For myself, I once again found myself just putting out the shares at 1:30, having worked since 6:30. Now it's the weekend and there are still some picking buckets to wash, cold paks to put in the freezer and some drying cloths to wash and dry for the next picking. It just seems to be very important for me to pick everything on Wednesday so there is time and energy to clean up and put away my equipment on Thursday afternoon. I will concentrate on that this week.



First, a brief report of the shares on June 30:
Half Shares:
Garlic scapes, head lettuce, dill, kolrabi, radishes, turnips, mesclun and flowers.
Full Share: The same but more of them and also kale and peas.
Mini Shares:
Everyone got mesclun and flowers and either garlic scapes or pea shoots.

Pick Your Own started up with snap peas for all who wanted them.







This week's shares, July 7, 2011:
Mini Shares:
Everyone got flowers and their choice of two things from this list:
kale
mesclun
mixed greens (kale, collards, mustard greens)
garlic scapes
snap peas
turnips

Half Shares:
mesclun 6 oz.
small cabbages 1
parsley 1 bunch
cilantro 1 bunch
tiny carrots 1 bunch
green garlic 2
turnips 1 6 oz bunch
turnip greens big bunch
pea shoots 1 1/2 oz
radish thinnings 1 box
flowers

Full Share:
The full share got twice as much on the above, except for greeen garlic. Plus they got 1 # peas, 8.5 oz chard, and 10 oz snap peas.





There were lots of snap peas ready to pick and many people chose to pick some to add to their share. Neat! Wednesday Nick cut some more poles and Thursday Sarah and I supported the snow peas and mulched the PYO area. Yesterday I finished putting signs in the pick-your-own area, so now it is easy to see where to walk and where are the snap peas, snow peas, flowers and cherry tomatoes. Most of the cherry tomatoes have variety labels as well so you can start imagining Matt's Wild Cherries, Sun Golds, Lemon Drop, Black Pear, Black Cherries and more!

FARM WEEK # 7 - July 7, 2011 - Minis - Week # 4

July 6, 2011
Greetings, patient farm members!

I am sorry to be slow late to send you your weekly farm news/what's coming in your share email. My only excuse is that I was goofing off. Seriously. There was lots of visiting, singing, pot luck meal sharing, baby chick showing, garden touring, more singing, laughing, and general carrying on all weekend with friends from far and wide. It was wonderful. I hope you had a happy holiday as well.

I just realized that I did not send an email or post at the blog about what was picked and shared last week. Oops. I guess I started to party early. Please feel free to call or email with questions about your share. I want to help you enjoy your food.

FARM NEWS:
While inspecting the garden on Tuesday morning in order to write this message, I found that the first bush beans were forming many little beans about 1 inch long. Later that afternoon, the little beans were about 1 1/2 inches long. Today (Wednesday) there are some 2 inch beans! They are growing so fast in this warm, summery weather! I think we will be eating fresh beans very soon. And these first beans are just the beginning. We have 4 kinds of bush beans - green, yellow and purple and about 10 kinds of pole beans. Then there will be edaname (fresh soybeans) and fava beans as well. Yum.



HIGHLIGHTS OF FARM NEWS:
Four baby chicks hatched on Sunday!



We ate the first tomato on Saturday, a delicious, orange Jaune Flamme!
All the tomatoes are supported and mulched!
Carrots are starting to size up. There are tiny green hazel nuts. The dahlias have buds.
The Swiss chard is still kind of small, due to weed overload. The crew is working on it!
Lots of SNAP PEAS ready in the Pick Your Own area. Please feel free to pick some for extra for your share.
Mesclun this week includes kale and radish thinnings for vitamins and spice!



More head lettuce coming soon.

THIS WEEK'S SHARES:

FULL & HALF SHARES:
mesclun
little cabbages - I had to pick these before they split. Tiny, but hopefully, tasty.
curly parsley
cilantro
green garlic
a few baby carrots
turnips
turnip greens
pea shoots
Sugar Snap peas - Full Share only, Half Shares are welcome to pick some.
Shell peas - Full and Working Shares only
Chard - for the Full Share only
flowers - rudbeckia, sweet peas? daisies, cosmos, calendula, yarrow, snapdragons, etc.

MINI SHARES:

Several of these items only have enough for 2 or 3 shares. There's plenty over all but it will be first come, first serve if you have a preference. Again, I apologize for the late email.

1 - Your Choice of TWO of these:
mesclun
greens - mustard, turnip, kale or a mix
Sugar Snap peas (picked by LT)
green garlic
garlic scapes
or
Farmer's Choice of any of the above or something else entirely that needs picking!

2 - flowers



I'll be finishing the picking on Thursday morning so let me know before that if you have a preference.

Have a great day and see you Thursday, 12:00 - 6:00.
Laura

Laura Timmerman
910 Greenfield Rd
Leyden, MA 01337
413-773-8325
laurat-at-crocker.com


2011 Farm Shares on facebook:

FARM WEEK # 6 - June 30, 2011 - Minis - Week # 3

June 27, 2011
Good evening, friends and farm members!

The sun has been a big tease lately but today was a treat!

FARM NEWS:
This week the focus has been on weeding, supporting with trellises and stakes, mulching and setting out the very last of the seedlings. We got the pumpkins in and transplanted a bunch of head lettuces for later on. Most of the flowers are in as well. Still looking for a spot to tuck some more fennel and kolrabi plants. Next up, re-planting some of our favorites like mesclun and white turnips.

In between chores we, (or is it just me?), have been distracted by the prettiness of the garden, especially the weeded and mulched areas and the tiny new crops coming in. Sarah taste tested the first of the Sugar Snap peas and I've been munching tiny turnips and carrots and sniffing the first blooms of the Sweet Peas. Lovely.




The new arbor is up and now we get to watch the hops and moonflower vines grow. So far the shade there is imaginary but I have high hopes for a cool spot to relax and watch the moonflowers open up in the evening. If you've never seen a moonflower, they are amazing. Like giant, fragrant full moons.




The Wicked Early Tomato patch is thriving. The plants are 5 feet tall and stocky AND there is a yellow tomato ripening! There are LOTS of raspberries forming. It looks like a good year for berries. Little orange, yellow and purple carrots are forming. The young pullets now have their own little house and yard so they get lots of outdoor time and the chance to study the big birds to see they can learn anything. Sadly for us, the woodchuck seems to be getting most of the second planting of kale. Hopefully, the third planting will be all ours.




The bantam hen is setting her four eggs with dedication. Her due date is Monday! The Dark Cornish hen's eleven eggs should hatch the following Saturday, July 9.

THIS WEEK'S SHARES:
Pea shoots - I have discovered that the very tips of the shoots are the most tender and for now will be adding them to the mesclun. Or you can request a bundle of just the shoots, if you like, and I will keep them on the short side. When the hot weather comes, these will probably get too tough. I should have more in the fall.

If you have the time when you pick up your share, take a walk through the Pick-Your-Own snap peas on Thursday. There are more ready every day! Eat them up or bring a container. Look for signs at the south end of the garden. (closest to the mail box)




FULL & HALF SHARES:
kolrabi - These are delicious. Just peel and eat the insides raw. Usually slice them and add to salads.
mesclun
head lettuce
dill
garlic scapes - the buds of garlic plants, use like scallions or garlic or make scape pesto
radishes? - They are almost done for now but I think there are still some. More just germinated.
turnips? - almost ready, but it may be next week, we'll just have to see.
Shell peas - Full and Working Shares only
Kale - for the Full Share only
flowers - rudbeckia? sweet peas? sweet william, daisies, cosmos, calendula, yarrow, etc.

MINI SHARES:

1 - mesclun

2 - Your Choice of one of these:
garlic scapes
mustard greens (only one portion, first to call it, gets it)
curly parsley
pea shoots
or
Farmer's Choice of any of the above or something else entirely that needs picking!

3 - flowers

Most likely I'll be picking on Wednesday late afternoon so let me know before that if you have a preference.

Have a great day and see you Thursday,
Laura

Laura Timmerman
910 Greenfield Rd
Leyden, MA 01337
413-773-8325
laurat-at-crocker.com
Farm Blog
2011 Farm Shares on facebook:

Share # 5 - 2011, Mini Share # 2 - 2011

Suddenly, the shares seem big! And there is enough growing in the garden that I didn't need to pick every last leaf that was ready for harvest.

Lots of Sweet William for the bouquets this week, and there are calendula, yarrow, canterbury bells and rudbeckia starting to bloom. Flowers for everyone.

The garlic scapes are in full swing. Expect more next week.

Check out the recipe blog for some ideas for using radish tops, kolrabi, garlic scapes, parsley and pea shoots.


TODAY'S SHARES

Full Share
mesclun 4 oz
kolrabi 4
parsley 4 oz
garlic scapes 6.5 oz
radishes 2 big bunches
scallions 3.5oz
pea shoots 3 oz
cilantro 1.3 oz
chard/beet thinnings 6 oz
mustard greens 1 #




Half Share
Half as much as the full share but no mustard greens and the same amount of mesclun




Mini Shares
Everyone gets 4 oz mesclun and a big bunch of radishes, except for the special requests who got parsley and turnip greens.







Enjoy your fresh food and flowers!
Laura

FARM WEEK # 5 - June 23, 2011

FUZZY YOUNG PEACHES

June 21, 2011
Good morning, farm members!

All is well here on this sunny Solstice morning. Last week's picking and delivery went well. Check the CSA blog for pictures and details.

YOUR SHARE - I keep forgetting a couple of things about the shares. One is that if you have particular likes or dislikes or allergies, please let me know. The other thing is that please remember that your vegetables are NOT ready to eat. They need washing!

FARM NEWS:
The farm crew has been working hard to get the last of the seedlings in and to plant for later crops, like carrots, beets and rutabagas. And to weed, mulch, water, support, fertilize, encourage, admire, and generally nurture all the growing things around here. This includes tiny pea pods, budding calendula, bees, borage seedlings, mock orange flowers, wild roses, baby chicks, setting hens, small green raspberries, huge (I mean really huge!) tomato plants, and more. The garden is alive, smelling sweetly of flowers and full of singing birds. Heavenly.




SCARLET RUNNER BEAN FLOWERS


One exciting item of farm news is that we have a new FARM HELPER, Nick of Leyden, a recent high school graduate and friend, looking for some time outdoors and a chance to build muscles. Well. The farm as an outdoor gym? We have lots of that kind of work around here! Thank you so much, Nick!

The woodchuck is still around. There has been some damage but mostly s/he is making me nervous. Next step is to clear the brush around the garden, especially near the den. I know that they do not like being exposed.

THIS WEEK'S SHARES:
The Italian parsley has decided to bolt. (That means go to seed, not run away.) So I will pick all of that this week and replant. We still have curly leaf parsley to eat. One item that needs picking is some Thick Stemmed Mustard greens. Unfortunately the leaves have lots of holes due to insect damage. It is still fine to eat but I won't put it in your share unless you request it. Garlic scapes are ready!

FULL & HALF SHARES:
kolrabi
mesclun
parsley
garlic scapes (the buds of garlic plants, use like scallions or garlic)
radishes
scallions
pea shoots (if you come up with a great way to prepare these, please let me know)
cilantro (can substitute dill)
thinnings of beets and chard (baby greens, use like spinach)
mustard greens (by request only)
flowers - still lots of Sweet William out there

MINI SHARES:
mesclun
Your Choice of one of these - parsley, garlic scapes, turnip green thinnings
or
Farmer's Choice of any of the above or something else entirely that needs picking!
flowers

Because of the coming rain, I'll be picking on Wednesday, so let me know soon if you have a preference.


Have a wonderful day and a peaceful, happy summer,
Laura

Laura Timmerman
910 Greenfield Rd
Leyden, MA 01337
413-773-8325
laurat-at-crocker.com
http://lasting-impressions-on-the-farm.blogspot.com/
2011 Farm Shares on facebook:



HOME

Share # 4 - 2011, Mini Share # 1 - 2011

Mini Share - 1 bunch radishes and 6 oz. mesclun

We did it! We picked and packed for all the shares this time and the Mini Share folks came and picked up their mesclun and radishes. It was great to have the farm going full swing and thank you, everyone for patiently waiting for your food to grow.

Some little Pick Up related items:
Please check off your NAME when you take your share, so I can tell who didn't get theirs if there is a problem.
Please do take your food in any bag or container it is packed in, if you wish. Please wash, dry and return freezer BAGS and CONTAINERS. This is a big help to me.
If I have extra EGGS, I will put them in the little refrigerator. Any that are reserved will be so marked but others are for sale. $4.00 a dozen. Leave the money in the basket.
FLOWERS - So far we are using no real system except trusting that each person will take flowers if they want and leave some for others. It's working fine, and later there will be even more flowers available so that should continue to be fine. If you don't want flowers for yourself, or even if you do but it looks like there are lots that day, please take flowers for someone who needs something beautiful and bright in their life.




TODAY'S SHARE

Approximate amounts for the Half Shares; Full Shares got twice as much.
1 bunch radishes
6 oz. mesclun
5 oz. turnip greens
3 oz. arugula
1/2 oz. cilantro
herb sampler: lemon thyme, parsley, peppermint




To see photos of all the 2011 shares click here.

YES!! The Mini Shares are starting tomorrow! 6/16/11

6/15/11

Hip hip hooray! We picked the mesclun and radishes this morning and there is enough for all the farm shares! I can't offer the minis any choice this week, but you can eat crunchy, juicy Radishes and Mesclun.

This week's mesclun includes baby chard, chicory, leaf lettuce, wild sorrel, chickweed, baby spinach, endive thinnings, mustard thinnings, Golden Frills mustard, Ruby Streaks mustard, Endive frisee, Johnny Jump Up flowers and calendula flower petals! Pretty and tasty.

For those new to picking up:

Pick up is 12:00 - 6:00, or let me know if you need to be late.

I live at 910 Greenfield Rd. Call me if you don't know where that is. 773-8325
I have a circular driveway. Come in at the end by the mailbox.

Bring a bag for your things, including a bag or container for your radishes, if you wish. The mesclun will be in bags. Mostly this year, I am hoping you will bring your own containers but I will be packing some items to protect them from drying or crushing, etc. Please return clean, dry containers the following week.

Bouquets are Make-Your-Own this year. There will be plenty of Sweet William for everyone tomorrow. Bring a jar, or a vase, or a vase. There will be scissors for trimming, water for containers and a few extra jars.

I will be here to guide you and in some cases, meet you! I am so glad to be starting up the Mini-Shares.
See you,
Laura


Laura Timmerman
910 Greenfield Rd
Leyden, MA 01337
413-773-8325
laurat-at-crocker.com
http://lasting-impressions-on-the-farm.blogspot.com/