It was nice to have a few volunteers come out to help weed this past week. We appreciate their effort! If you are looking for a reason to enjoy the lovely weather we get here every once in a while think about coming out to the farm. There is always plenty to do. Contact me before heading out here.
This is the last newsletter from this year’s preseason (the time before we start the harvesting season). As we’ve done every year since the beginning of this century we’ve again gone undefeated. Quite the accomplishment year-after-year! Let’s hope we maintain a similar level of success during the regular season!
A couple announcements
A la carte fruit pricing is available. If you would like to order blueberries please do so as soon as possible. You can send me an email with quantity desired then follow-up with payment; no need to fill out an order form. Other fruit later in the season include cherries, Colorado peaches, mixed stone fruit, mixed local apples and mixed pears. All fruit are certified organic.
If you plan to add FruitShare, SalmonShare, CheeseShare, CoffeeShare, EggShare or MeatShare (we will prorate the price for the remainder of the season for MeatShare) please do so as soon as possible. We need to place our order with our suppliers a week or more prior to delivery to the farm so timely ordering is helpful. To order simply send me an email and follow-up with payment. No need to fill out an order form.
We are about 9 pounds short for our salmon order. Anyone want to add SalmonShare or upgrade to the larger 5 pound/month option? It comes frozen and will store into the winter months. But then again, you may like it so much you’ll be grilling salmon every week this summer! Anyway, let me know if you’d like to add salmon, otherwise it looks like I will be set for salmon this winter and part of next.
The Calendar has been updated with all known dates including SalmonShare delivery dates.
Pick-up instructions have been sent via email (except for River Market in Stillwater and Great Harvest in Woodbury. We are waiting for final sign-off from these two locations). If you haven’t received them check your spam filter then contact me if you can’t resolve the problem. Please read them and please forward them to anyone else who may pick-up. I realize they are somewhat long but it will make pick-ups a lot less troublesome if people follow directions.
Please send in any past due payments.
Don’t forget about the First Annual Fresh Earth Farms Fall Film Fest on Saturday September 7th. We are looking for more film submissions. The criteria are: six minutes or less in length, must be suitable for viewing by children, does not have to be original — films gleaned from the net are acceptable. This day also features a potato harvesting activity and a potluck dinner. Mark your calendars. You won’t want to miss it!
Farm Update
Surprisingly the farm is going quite well considering the weather we’ve been having. We have everything we expected to have transplanted in the ground already (except for the fall crops that were just greenhouse seeded this week). Everything we wanted direct seeded by this date has been direct seeded. The plants are enjoying all the rain but are demanding more sun. The lack of sun is noticeably slowing their growth. On the few sunny days we’ve had we’ve seen the plants double or triple in size. If we can get more sun and less rain things would be right on schedule.
With the late spring, long-term members will notice that early shares will be smaller than in past seasons. As mentioned in previous newsletters we missed out on the first plantings of lettuce, broccoli, snap peas and other early spring crops; there just wasn’t an opportunity to plant them with 8 inches of snow in May! Things will pick up after the first box or two though so not to worry.
The snap peas have finally started flowering. It usually takes two weeks from flower to pod. I’m hopeful for some snap peas by the second week.
The carrot patch is looking great. We should have an abundance of carrots this season. Since we figured out a way to reduce the weed pressure on the carrots we have increased our production significantly. And, since we feel we are doing reasonably well growing carrots we decided to plant even more. Compared to last season we planted more than twice as many carrots. Maybe we went a little overboard. But carrots are so tasty and versatile not to mention great for snacking. Plus this year we planted not only the standard orange colored carrots and the purple carrots from last season but also added in red carrots. Now we just need to keep the deer and gophers away from them.
The tomatoes in the hoop house are flowering and fruiting. Could we have tomatoes in June? Doubtful but it is likely we will have them by mid-July.
Just about everything has been cultivated and hoed at least once. We have a reasonable handle on the weeds but of course that can change quickly, especially if we get a prolonged rainy period.
We are seeing more bugs on our plants. Cucumber beetles have arrived. The flea beetles are quickly reproducing. I have only seen one potato beetle but I’m sure there are more out there. I haven’t seen any squash bugs but I have to believe they are out there somewhere as well. No leaf hoppers either as of yet though they are easy to overlook. Unfortunately with the constant forecast of rain we haven’t had the chance to use approved organic pesticides. Doesn’t do much good if the bugs shower right away after being exposed to the pesticide. We are hoping being cold and wet from the rain makes them feel less amorous.
My best guess on what we will have the first week is green garlic, bok choi, radishes, Swiss chard, maybe lettuce and maybe green onions. That isn’t all that small of a first box if we get the lettuce to grow!
As always, let me know if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, jokes or puzzlers.