CSA Week Eight
The weather seems to be normalizing a little bit these days, although we are still getting way more rain than we are used to. When I say normalizing I'm referring mostly to the cooler temperatures. We keep trying to remind ourselves that rain is a good thing; rain does a much better job of getting seeds to germinate and it brings nutrients into the soil from the atmosphere. Until this season there was no doubt in our minds that rain was a positive thing for our crops, but lately every time it rains we cringe.
We've put together a nice share this week. Large shares are getting carrots for the third week in a row which might feel overwhelming, but since carrots store for a really long time in the fridge we figured it'd be best to stock up while they are available locally!
We're also going to try for strawberries again. The rains have made predicting harvests really tough for strawberry farmers. On a Monday their fields might look promising, full of almost ripe fruit, but if it pours on a Thursday or Friday (like it has almost every week this season) most of the ripe fruit will be damaged and they wont get the yields they hoped for. If we get strawberries they'll be an extra treat!
Also of importance this week, we're getting eggs from a really cool ranch in North Florida. Coward Ranch in Sumterville raises cows and poultry on pasture in a very natural and sustainable system. Check out their website for more info and pictures. We'll be selling their eggs at the Upper East Side Farmers Market for the rest of the season!
Small Shares:
Eros endive from our fields
Radishes from our fields
Scallions from Verde Farm
Cilantro from Verde Farm
Kale from Verde Farm
Beets from Worden Farm
Broccoli from Lady Moon Farms
Tangelos from central Florida
Large Shares:
Eros endive from our fields
Radishes from our fields
Scallions from Verde Farm
Cilantro from Verde Farm
Kale from Verde Farm
Beets from Worden Farm
Broccoli from Lady Moon Farms
Tangelos from central Florida
Arugula from our fields
Carrots from French Farms
A bit about Tangelos; they are a pretty interesting citrus for us Floridians. The origin of the tangelo is an accidental or sometimes deliberate hybrid of different mandarin varieties and the grapefruit. They are produced almost sorely in Florida, both commercially and in backyard gardens because they are more suited for growing in limestone than other citrus. They are so unlike other citrus that they have been put into a category of their own. You can read more about them in this little paper from Purdue University.