News and Blog
Corn! Organic Corn! How often have you seen organic corn in the grocery? Even the specialty stores like Whole Foods rarely have it. The reason for this is that is really hard to grow. We grow it but you need to be aware that you might find a worm or two in the ears. They will not harm you and all you need to do is cut off the part that the worm has inhabited and everything will be fine. If you happen to eat the worm then count it as extra protein!
French Fingerling Potatoes. These wonderful, small potatoes are best roasted in the oven or on the grill. Some of ours were extra vigorous -- I guess French Fists. These were just harvested and we didn't have time to wash them so you will need to wash or at least brush the dirt off. Remember, they grow in organic soil.
Lettuce. Alpha and Omega. What we began with in the spring also closes out the fall. You may chose one bag of either Black Seeded Simpson or the Gourmet Mix.
Collards and Kale. A staple of Southern cooking. I know these are good because the grasshoppers have really enjoyed them. So....there are a few holes in the leaves but it won't matter after they are cooked.
Also, you will get green Provider beans and yellow Italian Wax beans. Please feel free to fill you bean bags to overflowing if they aren't already. Okra and peppers and tomatoes will fill out the rest of your bag. Remember to bring your bag and it might be a good idea to bring an extra.
We are very excited about the CSA Festival here at the farm on Oct. 3. Please let us know if you are coming or not. This will be your pick-up for that week. If you were planning on sending a substitute that week, then please tell them they are more than welcome to come and share in the fun.
We are anticipating going through October 17 and will have to have an alternate pick-up spot for the 10th and 17th since the St. Matthew's Market ends on Sept. 26. Stay tune for an update on time and location for Oct. 10 and 17.
As always, it is a pleasure bringing you the bounty of local, fresh organic food.
Larry
I continue to be amazed at the weather we have been having. Usually September is just a continuation of the heat and humidity of August. Oops, we didn't have much heat and humidity in August. In fact, you have to go back to June if you really wanted to sweat!
We will be shorthanded at the market this week so we are going to ask you to serve yourself under the Mulberry tree. We will have a sign designating what each half share will get. If you have a full share, then double the amounts.
You will have a choice of Red Caribe or White Elba potatoes. The Elbas were just dug this week. We will also have cucumber, bell and other assorted peppers. (You may take 5-6 jalepenos this week but be warned that they are hot. Peppers grown in humid climates are hotter as they produce more heat to ward off pests and diseases that are not present in dryer climates.) Also we will have more heirloom and cherry tomatoes, three varieties of beans and four varieties of okra.
SAVE THE DATE. We are planning a CSA Festival here at the farm on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 4:00 p.m. You will pick up your share here at the farm that day and we are asking everyone to prepare a dish to share. We will provide meat, drinks and entertainment. Beth is also going to let everyone cut their own flower bouquet. We are excited about having everyone here where you can experience the place where YOUR food is grown. If, for some sad reason, you can't come, please let us know.
Thank you for supporting local, organic food. Thank you for supporting us and our great crew in our small attempt to make our world a better place.
Larry
The bounty continues this week with the first of our Provider green beans. These are green beans that are actually GREEN! Plus, you will get some yellow wax beans in the bag with the Providers. We are so happy that our large heirloom tomatoes are now producing. You will really enjoy these. Also, more potatoes, eggplant, a variety of peppers, cucumbers, other assorted varieties of heirloom tomatoes (Red Zebra, Green Zebra, Cream Sausage, etc.) and our wonderful assortment of cherry tomatoes.
It should not be long before the corn is ready. At least the deer have been enjoying it. Okra is coming along slowly but each week we have a few more. Not enough yet for everyone in the CSA but hopefully within the next week or two. If you really, really like Okra , let us know. If you really, really DON'T like Okra, let us know.
The melons have been very challenged by this cool weather. They are a desert plant and like it hot, but we see progress each week.
The fall planted varieties are doing well. Sugar Snap Peas are a couple inches high and Kale and Collards are doing well. Broccoli, Cabbage and Cauliflower transplants have spent the week being hardened off in preparation to go into the ground next week.
Looking forward to seeing everyone at St. Matthew's tomorrow, and remember, BRING YOUR BAG!!
Larry
Hope everyone was able to ride out the storm safely this week. As usual, it took out our internet and it just came back on line today. Sorry for the lateness of this email but we are at the mercy of the tower over on the Jeptha Knobs and they didn't get it repaired till today.
Things are growing well but we still need a couple of weeks of 90's without any rain. What really slows things down are the cool night temperatures. This morning it was 57 when we got up and this is too cool for tomatoes, peppers, melons and eggplant. They cherry tomatoes are doing well and we also have some others that have come in this week that you will get. All half shares will get two pints of cherry tomatoes this week as well as Yukon Gold potatoes, Basil, Squash, pint of larger tomatoes, Green (purple) beans and cucumbers. Some of the cucumbers are Bothby Blonde which is a yellow cucumber which is absolutely wonderful! We do try to grow things that you will never see in a grocery store. Only with locally grown food can you get the variety that we can provide for you. Beth will have all your goodies at St.Matthew's and if for some reason you can't come, let us know via email or you can call Beth on her cell at 640-0042. Remember your bags!!
Larry
Sorry for the late email but our service has been down all week due to the weather. The one nice thing about all the rain is that it gave us a chance to go see the movie, FOOD, INC. It is showing at the Village Eight off Dutchman's Lane and YOU MUST SEE THIS if you care about food, which of course you do, or you wouldn't be in a CSA. I wish every person in the world could see this.
The crew is out harvesting your food right now and the beans have really come on this week. The beans you will be getting this week are called Royal Burgundy and they are a purple bush bean that turns green when you cook it. They are also delicious eaten raw. The squash is also doing well and we will have combination of yellow, zucchini and patty pan for you to choose from. The patty pan is extra good on the grill with a little olive oil. WIll also have the first of the green peppers and cherry tomatoes as well as onions and basil. If you saw the article in the Courier-Journal this week about this month being the coldest on record, then you also read that this is having a real impact on vegetables, especially tomatoes. But, we feel really fortunate that we have these wonderful cherry tomatoes for you this week. Often they are eaten before you even get back to your car!
I am still not able to be out in the field or at the markets but Beth will have everyones share at St. Matthew's tomorrow. I am going to try to come up to St. Matthew's for a little while tomorrow after the nurse comes in the morning to change my bandages.
Even though it has been a challenging growing season, things are looking up and we are excited about all the good produce that is coming in now. We are also planning for fall crops and have started broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage as transplants that will go out soon. These tend to do better in the fall for us than in the spring.
Again, thank you for supporting locally grown food. It is your commitment to this that will enable us to make the world a better place. Let me know what you think about FOOD, INC.
Larry
Friends,
If I didn't know better I would think that it was August! This has been a very unusual spring. We have had over 8 inches of rain in June when we normally have 2.5. The number of days in the 90's is much more like August than it should be in June.
Farmers never complain about too much rain because we know that drought could be just around the corner. However, the rain this year has been very disruptive for us. We have not had enough dry days that allow us to work the ground and plant. We are at least a month behind on several of our crops that should be coming in about now.
The reality of the CSA concept is that you get to experience the real world of farming. When you go to the grocery to buy food you have no idea where it came from, how it was raised, or the joys and frustrations of the farmer. The partnership you have with us gives you the opportunity to be tuned into things like the weather and how it effects your food.
So, we are going to take a break to allow things to catch up. Everything that is planted is growing very well. In fact the weeds are excelling this year! They love this moisture and the high temperatures.
We will do our normal delivery this week and will have Onions, Basil, the last of the Lavender and a cell of Oregeno.
I don't know how long the break will last but we will make up for it by extending the season on the backside. The break will also give us the chance to catch up on our weeding (a MAJOR challenge for organic production -- and, if you want to give up that gym membership for a month, come out and we will provide a customized exercise program) and to construct a High Tunnel. The High Tunnel will allow us to grow beyond the last frost date as it is a large un-heated greenhouse that is used to grow crops in the ground.
We love having the opportunity to grow food for each of you and we take our responsibility for your health and well-being very seriously. We will not compromise our organic philosophy in order to yield to market pressure, nor will we be poor stewards of the
earth's resources.
Beth will continue to be at the St. Matthew's Market each week with her flowers but I will not be at Norton Commons.
Hopefully this break will be short and please pray for moderation in the weather. We could all benefit from that.
Larry
The last several weeks here in the Bluegrass have been quite challenging. It began with straight line winds followed by snow, ice and freezing temperatures followed by tornadoes followed be more snow, ice and freezing temperatures. We fluctuate weekly between the teens and sixties on the mercury.
People have not only been inconvenienced, but lives have been lost and Mother Earth has seen much of her life compromised. We are in an age of climate change. Even if we can't all agree on WHY we are experiencing this, we can all agree that things are really crazy.
There are many reasons to choose to farm according to organic/sustainable principles, but one of the best is that it truly is "in tune with nature." Rather than releasing carbon to the air we are trying to keep it in the gound where it benefits a healthy planet. Rather than spray chemical poisons, we nurture the earth and the plants so that they provide natural resistance to pests and disease.
Will the weather keep acting crazy? Probably only as long as we keep acting crazy.