CSA Week 3, June 18-22

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June 17, 2018

This week: CSA Week 3 – June 18, 20, 22

CSA Week 4- June 25, 27, 29

CSA Week 5 – July 2, 3 and 6 – note that the July 4 CSA will be moved to Tuesday the 3rd

Dear 2018 CSA Members,

We had a very productive week this week and got lots of things planted – squash, celery, hoop houses with cukes, tomatoes and melons. For long term management we turned over the chive and rhubarb beds, and weeded and deeply mulched them with wood chips. We also were able to weed and mulch two kale beds. As usual, we started 10 boxes of lettuce, and we picked away at our onion weeding. We were delightfully surprised that our silage tarp worked its magic on a large section of the south field, and we will be able to plant right into this area that was tough grass and perennial weeds. The tarp has moved on to another rough section. Last week end I tied the peas, and they will need one more tying this week. Soon you will be receiving succulent peas to eat.

Slugs are the pest of choice right now. Apologies for any that ended up in your lettuce. This week we will be able to get at least the west field sprinkled with ashes to help deter them. Besides hopefully planting more beans, carrots, lettuce, the parsley, basil, ground cherries, peppers, broccoli and fill in our chard “holes”, we will keep working on those onions and getting them mulched, and our other things like Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, squash and cukes. I hope to get our black raspberries weeded and mulched again, as our perennial project for the week. The Bishop’s weed, a nasty invasive, is threatening them.

Brent will make as much hay as we have time for, and we will try to figure our cow pasture needs into that equation to make sure they have enough to eat. They are grass eating machines! Also, the little meat birds go out on range on Tuesday (available for sale on August 26 – https://mhof.net/organic-meat/) and the pigs will find a new place to live this week, further down the west field edge.

Mario, Luke and Ben come back this week – done with school for the summer. Brent, Clare, Josh and I look very much forward to all the brawn and brains soon arriving – not a day too soon.

Enjoy the heat this week!

Food this week – as we are in the crossover time between the hoophouses and a variety of field crops, your bags might be a little light the next week or two. Next week I am hoping to add in chard and kohlrabi to the mix. We are hoping for the promised thunderstorm this week as the crops are conserving their growth as they wait for rain.

  • 6/3 lettuce
  • Garlic scapes – we harvest these now for the next two weeks in order to allow the garlic bulbs to grow bigger – use them chopped in anything you eat
  • Green onions – one or maybe two more weeks
  • Kale – I think we are good to go for kale pretty much every week; some will get Siberian kale that has a nice purple stem
  • Oregano – I have been using this in salads, stir fries and soups. I hope you are enjoying it
  • Left over beets and chard, harvested from the hoop houses – supplies will be on the light side
  • Chinese cabbage – smaller this week, but you may get two or more
  • Rhubarb – out of stock for the year
  • Chives – they will be back in about a month
  • Chard – coming up – hopefully next week
  • Kohlrabi – coming up – hopefully next week

 

Would you like a dozen eggs in your share each week? They cost $7/dozen – are certified organic, free range and the very best. Right now they are getting their organic grain soaked in whey. Let me know and we will set you up with weekly eggs. The price for getting eggs starting this week is $140.

We can use your recycled plastic grocer y size bags

Yes, just leave them in your share bag – don’t forget to return it this week, and we will use them for packing vegetables. We can reuse the rubber bands too!

 Still taking members

Every week the price will go down each week (by $30 for larges and $20 for mediums), and it will be updated on the website – https://mhof.net/2018-csa-share-options/.

Comments from you

Send me your thoughts, observations, questions. I will publish them here.

Check out our Facebook at this address https://www.facebook.com/manyhandsorganicfarm… You can like us, refer us and also write a review if you enjoy what you are receiving. That all helps get the word out for our farm. Thanks for what many of you have already done to help us get the word out.

We are also on Instagram at Many Hands Organic Farm. Clare and Lisa post pictures there all of the time.

NOFA Summer Conference

Check out this wonderful weekend for those who love to eat, grow, or advocate around organic food and farming, and environmental health Check it out here – http://nofasummerconference.org/. Jack and I organized this conference for 24 years and raised our kids on it. You will meet like minded and truly positive spirited change-makers and practical people at this event.

Julie Rawson

For The Many Hands Organic Farm staff