Thanks to all of you for a wonderful first week of the season. Everyone picked up their share, which might be a first week record!
It is hard to believe, but the end of May/beginning of June is the frost-free date in Paulden, where Whipstone Farm is located. Despite all the warm weather we have had this winter and spring, Shanti and the rest of the Whipstone crew have to take extra care of their tender little plants so they don’t freeze. They start a lot of their plants in greenhouses, cover young plants with frost cloth, and grow some crops in greenhouses all season long. Because so many plants are still hiding in the comfort of the indoors, the next few weeks will be a huge planting push for their crew. It’s time to get all those plants outside where they can really bust a move!
At Willowbrook Farm, young plants are facing other dangers. Squirrels have discovered the squash plants and Hope and Hilary had to come up with a way to keep those plants safe. So they surrounded the squash with construction fence, put a radio in there, and turned on some tunes to keep the squirrels away. Last season javelinas decimated the squash crop right before harvest, so these plants aren’t in the clear yet. Good fencing, ingenuity, and luck are all needed to guarantee a successful harvest. Later this season Denise, Hope, and Hilary may be sleeping in the corn field to keep raiders at bay!
Farming is not easy work to be sure. The plants and growers are up against new challenges every day, which makes each harvest that much more incredible. Thanks to our farmers for all their hard work! This week we get to enjoy some pecans from Windmill Gardens, one of my favorite treats. Farmer Frank suggested I keep mine in the freezer when I first met him years ago and I can’t eat pecans any other way now! They are fabulous eaten cold. The premium greens mix includes mustard greens, arugula, broccoli leaves, and cabbage leaves, and can be eaten as a salad mix or stir fried. The recipe below would be a great way to use some of these greens or the tops from your salad turnips. One of our younger CSA members tipped me off last week to eating salad turnips fresh like a carrot. Now I’m eating them like candy. However you decide to consume this week’s share, we hope you love it!
And remember that extra items can be ordered from Verde Gardener and Willowbrook Farm here. Ordered items will be brought to CSA distributions for you to pick up. Contact Susan or Denise for more information.
Thanks and have a wonderful week!
Meghan
What’s in your basket – May 23rd
Dill – Whipstone Farm
Pecans – Windmill Gardens
Premium greens mix – Willowbrook Farm
Salad mix – Willowbrook Farm
Salad turnips – Whipstone Farm
Yummy chard!
The third tomato greenhouse has been planted at Whipstone Farm.
Shanti thinks it’s going to be a good tomato year.
Squirrels have been eating the young squash plants at Willowbrook Farm.
They have devised a squirrel-proof zone with construction fence and the radio playing.
These bouquets are too beautiful not to share! I am so excited for the flower share to begin in a few weeks!