July 3, 2019 – Verde Valley CSA

Planting, harvesting, weeding, and fighting with bugs, gophers, squirrels, and skunks continues this week, as always. One of the challenges of organic farming is how to keep all the pests and weeds at bay without the use of conventional chemicals. Willowbrook Farm released 3,000 ladybugs this week under the row cover on their kale crop to keep the aphid population down. Whipstone Farm also uses ladybugs to fight insects, but this is the first time Willowbrook has tried this technique. The winter squash that Hope and Hilary have been seeding in the field keeps getting dug up and if the seedlings do sprout, something eats them. They are going to use a game camera to try to catch the culprit red-handed so they can figure out how to get rid of it. In the meantime the ants are attacking the eggplant and the gophers are stealing tomato plants. Never a dull moment for our growers!

This week we’ve got you covered for Fourth of July picnics: potatoes and fresh dill for potato salad and cabbage and carrots for coleslaw. Speaking of July 4th, one of our growers, Bob Haskell, and his partner Jane Davies, who manages the Verde Valley Farmers’ Market, handle the pyrotechnics for Cottonwood’s July 4th fireworks show. So if you are looking for a great show go check out their fireworks display!

Marilyn and Steve Meyer at Marilyn’s Orchard in Camp Verde are keeping us to date on a bountiful summer for stone fruits, and we can look forward to plums, apricots, and peaches in the coming weeks to supplement all these delicious veggies. Later this week we will send those of you paying in two installments a payment reminder with your current balance. Second half payments are due on July 17th.

Have a great week!
Meghan

What’s in your basket – July 3rd

Cabbage – Whipstone Farm
Carrots – Whipstone Farm

Dill – Whipstone Farm
Head lettuce – Willowbrook Farm
Leeks – Fasteen Farms
Potatoes – Sanders’ Farm

Swiss chard – Willowbrook Farm

Cabbage in the field.

Beautiful chard at Willowbrook Farm.

Early morning lettuce harvest at Whipstone.