12th CSA Week

 Well, the weather has changed and in my mind fall has set in.  I am hopeful for some really nice fall weather like we've had the past few years but those chilly mornings and brisk winds have cause the shorts to be put away and the long warm pants to be pulled out of storage.  Warm long sleeve shirts and hoodies are a must as well as overhauls and I think the touque will be pulled out of storage in the next day or two as well.  With this fallish weather I've got hankerings for soups, stews and all things "comfort food".

The colder weather has also had an impact on the vegetables as well.  The zucchini plants took a real beating over the weekend with the high winds and I"m pretty sure this will be our last week with any amount.  The cucumbers are pretty well done and this will be the last week picking beans.  There comes a time when you spend way to much time picking for the amount you actually get so I think we would be better off spending our time on other crops.

This week marked the first harvest of winter squash.  I'm a little disappointed in the Delicata variety as there are not as many as I expected.  Must make a note of that to plant more for next season.  The pie pumpkins look amazing and the spaghetti squash should be ready for harvest next week.  It'll be time very soon to harvest the squash and get them into the greenhouse to cure for winter storage.  Well, in reality almost all of ours gets taken through the CSA but I still like to cure it properly so our members can store it for awhile.

Burgess buttercup

Red kuri

Delicata

Butternut - my favourite!!

This weeks large share has lettuce mix, spinach, beans, hakurei turnips, carrots, red and yellow onions, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, garlic, parsley root and a winter squash.  The grab boxes have broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, green onions, dill, cilantro, swiss chard, basil, parsley, hot peppers, leeks, beets, cucumbers, celery and fennel.  So much selection!!!

Hakurei turnips

Parsnips you say????  Nope, parsley root

Just a few freshly washed items.

We had so much rain over the last week, in face I'm pretty sure its safe to say we got more rain in the last week than we got in total over the whole summer.  It would be great to get a nice warm, calm dry spell to help the fall planted crops to grow.  Never happy us farmers, too dry and then too wet. 

 

Derek spent some time Saturday before the rain on Sunday to harrow up empty beds and plant a cover crop of buckwheat.  I'm really hoping we are not too late to get a cover crop established before the end of the growing season. 

This is one of the most twisted bunch of carrots I have ever seen!!!!

Silly carrots, always make me smile