Feels like Fall

School has started again, and the temps. the next few nights will give things that "fall feeling". I think I'll need to get out some moth balls as extra insurance against all of the moths that have been sneaking into my house. Every time someone comes to the door, we all rush to turn out the lights to try to keep them from coming in again. John has been seeding cover crop on newly tilled areas as things dry out. Tomorrow afternoon the tunnel will be ready for seeding some fall crops. John and the girls pulled shade cloth over the tunnel last week to bring down the soil temperature enough to allow seeds to germinate. After things germinate and are up and growing, the shade cloth will come off again to allow maximum light in for growth.

I have been spending some time indoors canning spaghetti sauce. Last year we managed to empty the pantry of everything tomato so it is time to replenish the stock. If you are thinking of doing some canning and would like some "seconds", just let us know and we would be happy to fill your order for a good price.

As you will notice from your share, the leek did manage to survive the floods of late July/early August. We are still holding our breath about the brussels sprouts though. While some of the seeds we planted before the really big rains did survive, many washed away or did not survive the muddy conditions. Waiting for things to dry up has created a rather large gap in our succession planting schedule.

This week in your share.....

Leek - remember to cut it up in little "circles" and then throw it in the sink for a good rinse. Then enjoy sauteed in your favorite dishes...eggs, stir-fry, soups...

Lettuce - sweet summer crisp

Celery - there is no match for the flavor of home-grown celery. It is not the prettiest, but the flavor is intense and is great in soups and other dishes. Store it wrapped in a bag in the fridge OR wash, chop, bag and toss it in the freezer for convenient use anytime.

Tomatoes - cherry and regular

Peppers - green and some jalapenos - try these stuffed with cheese and baked or grilled for a zesty treat.

Potatoes -

Squash - acorn or carnival(looks like acorn but more colorful)

Parsnips - in the whole shares - these are a great addition to soups and stews, and are also wonderful fried in some butter.

Have a great week!

August 18 already!

The college students left for vacation before school starts up again several weeks ago and now our high school students are talking about being in school next week! Time flies.

This week we have been able to roto-till some ground, burying some rotted plants and weeds. We are incorporating some manure/compost and we will seed some cover crops for green manure.

In the boxes/bags this morning we had;

Filet beans

onion

garlic

potatoes, red thumb fingerlings for full shares, pink pearls for half shares

peppers

tomatoes

cherry tomatoes

beets

basil (full shares)

squash either an acorn, delicata (bright, colorful shaped like acorn squash) or spagghetti (oblong pale yellow)

carrots

eggplant

Pull Those Weeds!!!

It has been a busy week. We were able to spend the weekend with John's parents and celebrate Dad's 83rd birthday. Crossing the state Monday, we saw lots of flooding and areas of standing water and just today viewed pictures of the flooding in the Ames area.

As usual, the work doesn't disappear when you leave for a few days and since the ground hasn't dried up enough yet to hoe, the crew spent the day pulling weeds in the beet rows keeping them from being overcome and digging carrots. Does anyone have any creative ideas for dealing with mosquitoes? I am not a fan of bug spray and would love to hear your ideas.

Pesto - last week you had basil in your share. If anyone is interested in doing some pesto for the freezer, we have lots of basil ready right now - let us know if you'd like a larger quantity. Freeze it in ice-cube trays and then you have an easy way to add a burst of flavor to your favorite dishes this winter. right now we love pesto with pasta served with chopped fresh tomatoes on top.

We keep trying to do our best to bring you variety in your share despite being unable to do any planting due to weather conditions.

This week in your share....

Peppers

Tomatoes

Carrots

Parsley - keep it wrapped up in the fridge. Saute some in a little butter or olive oil and toss with your potatoes.

Potatoes - Austrian Crescent Fingerlings - these are a great roasting and salad potato - also nice for slicing in thin rounds and frying.

Green Beans

Garlic

Onion

Lettuce - a little dirty from mud splash up, be sure to double rinse it. Then how about some BLT?

Pickling Cucumbers - peel, slice, chop - great flavor for salads or just eat them plain

Whole shares also have a few ears of sweet corn - the last of the crop.

Yellow crookneck squash is definitely having a struggle - and seems to be losing the battle - hopefully we'll have some zucchini and patti-pan again later.

Have a great week.

Rain or shine? not this time:'(

Hi folks, here's the evidence.

There was a waterfall from the brussel sprouts over to the beans (in the bottom of the picture).

The unfortunate celery and fennel are standing in a few inches of running water.

The leek rows make for nice creek beds don't you think?

There was about three inches of water standing in the tomatoes.

You can see the dismal sky and the water in the air, also, the puddles gathering in the garden.