Lurching into High Season

This is always a gear-changing time of the produce season.  We're really done with the early season stuff, but the high season crops like tomatoes, melons, and sweet corn haven't come in yet.  That's why this week's produce box is a bit tough to fill.  I found myself scrounging around for the last of the broccoli and when I went out to pull in the Japanese eggplant, I only found 10 on the plants...bummer.

Still, it's also an good housecleaning moment on the farm.  I'm going to take out the flail mower this weekend and mow all those areas where the early crops grew.  The stawberry patch looks like a small jungle and the spinach area is a solid mass of pigweed...things are ugly and need to go.  They also allow us the room to squeeze in some fall crops like fall cabbage and broccoli.  Also another set of greens and spinach and a big area for fall carrots (I've been talking about planting this for the last 2 weeks, but, like raising the debt ceiling, I NEED to get it done) :)

In the box:
Sweet Onions
Grenoble Green beans
Fresh basil
Red Potatoes
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Red Kale or Swiss Chard
Broccoli
Cilantro

Garden Explosion

Wow...the weather over the last couple of weeks has been crazy.  I remember saying to myself about three weeks ago, "Hey, things are looking pretty good and the weeds are pretty much under control."  But that was before we hit this stretch of heat, rain, and evening temperatures in the 80's.  This cocktail of elements made for a garden explosion where small weeds turned into small trees and produce popped up over night.

This sounds like I good thing.  I would agree it's great for those heat-loving plants like melons, tomatoes, and corn.  However, it does throw off the plan for the season.  I've had the second planting of beans I put in three weeks after the first catch up and start putting on beans at the same time.  That wasn't supposed to happen.  We had our second planting of lettuce go from beautiful to all bitter and bolting over the course of three days.  Lastly, I'm used to spacing out pickings of zucchini and cucumbers every 3-4 days, but when I tried this last week, little zucchini turned into baseball bats in about 36 hours.  Yikes.

Still lots to do.  We're trying to get the tomato trellis up, get fall cole crops, carrots, and other greens planted, all the while rescuing plants that currently buried under 2 foot-high pigweed or lamb's quarters.  Overwhelming, yes, but a situation we've found ourselves in the past.  We always seem to pull out of it.

In the box:
Fennel: The bulb with the frilly frawns on top which smells like licorice.
Dill: Exhibit one of a crop which got overwhelmed by the fast growing weeds.  It isn't as pretty as it should be, but it should work.  I planned it to be delivered with the first potatoes.
Flat-leaf parsley
Norland Potatoes: I like this fresh potatoes, which you can tell are fresh by their tender skins which rubs off easily.
Broccoli
Cabbage: Mostly standard green Stonehead, but some of you received Alcosa, a wrinkly Savoy cabbage variety.
Green Onions
Fresh Garlic: Uncured garlic which is a bit stronger than cured garlic, but also with a fresh, bright flavor.  Use as you would any garlic.
Cukes
Summer Squash
Green Beans

Hot, Hot, Hot

This morning I was out picking peas as a front came in.  The bright sunny morning turned into night-time just before the clouds unloaded on me.  It made me think about how much we're "locked in" this time of year...all year 'round really.  Although picking peas in the rain isn't ideal...the boxes need to go out by the afternoon no matter what.  Looking to next week, it seems like we're in for a hot one.  NOAA weather even has this new picture I've never seen before of this blazing sun (left). It'll be interesting.

In the box:
Deep Purple Scallions: A different color from your typical green onions, but the same flavor.
Gonzales Green Cabbage
A mix of Cucumbers: They are first starting to come in, so there's a motley mix.  Some are squat pickling cucumbers, some are the first regular slicing cucumbers, and the smooth-skinned ones are a Middle-Eastern variety called Socrates.
Zucchini: Everyone has a standard zuke called Cashflow, and most should also have a round zuke called 8-Ball.  Otherwise you got a yellow straightneck.
Salad Mix: Sorry for the over abundance of lettuce, but this stuff needed to be cut or it would all go bad.
Red Oakleaf Lettuce
Romaine Lettuce
Frisee: The really frilly green which is typically found in a salad mix.
Snap Peas: These are edible pods peas, so don't shell them...just eat them.
Red Rubin Basil: Use the same as you would regular green basil.
"Green" Garlic: This is fresh garlic so it's not dried down or cured yet.  You use the same way as any garlic....it's just a bit stronger flavor.

Disaster Strikes Again!

July 4th typically brings some fanfare...fireworks, that kind of stuff. This year I thought I would just get an interesting show of lightning as I
watched the bolts scrawl across the night sky on my driveway. But when I was sleepily moping my way down to feed the chickens just like I do every morning, I had a quite a surprise when I looked past the barn to our high tunnel all torn apart by high winds. This was soon followed by me kicking a couple feed buckets and words I won't repeat here.

Although not the best development of the season, after I cool down, I always find the positive side.
1. The frame of the high tunnel didn't get blown away or damaged.
2. No hail. Maree and I thought hail would be a real possibility when the front hit.
3. Generally the crops are looking good this year-that's what matters. Even the plants in the high tunnel weren't damaged.

I fully expect I can repair the plastic with greenhouse tape, a strong and clear tape used in situations just like these.

Otherwise the rest of the week was fairly normal. I did spend last night haying our few fields with my neighbors even though I really should have rather been picking peas for the box.  But when bales need to come in, they need to come in.  It's all ok with me, regardless, since it's a job I always love doing.  It's one of the toughest jobs on a farm physically, but a person just feels good getting the bales stacked in the barn and nice and dry.  A person also sleeps really well too.  I told my neighbor Marv that I think anybody who currently needs sleeping pills for a good night's rest find some baling party they could help out with.

In the box:
Mammoth Melting Snow Peas
Strawberries
Basil
Arugula: The ones that look like little oak leaves.
Packman Broccoli
Napa Cabbage aka Chinese Cabbage: I thought I'd throw in a recipe video (below)...you really can't go wrong with this by sauteing it.  I like a basic recipe which is only cabbage, sugar, rice vinegar, and cayenne or red pepper flakes.
Green Onions
Red Sails Lettuce
Green Lettuce
Kohlrabi
Zucchini: Hey, first of the year.
Braising Mix (colorful bunch of greens): Some last week, but this stuff is "ready" and wouldn't last another week.

Chinese/Napa Cabbage Video Recipe:

How Organic is Organic?

At least once a season I like to take a little time to explain our growing practices.  I'm always asked if we're organic, and I have to explain that the term has become pretty confusing since the national organic standards were put in place by USDA.  Since I'm not certified by an official third-party, I cannot use the term "organic" without being subject to a fine, so I just explain a bunch of details about our practices.  I've found eaters are most concerned about individual practices anyway and are not too concerned that I don't have the official USDA organic logo.

First and foremost we NEVER use any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers.  The only bug we do control is the Colorado Potato Beetle with a natural spray with an active ingredient called Spinosad, which is a bacteria which affects the bug's nervous system.  This spray is approved under organic certification, which, I know sounds kind of confusing, but there is a family of natural organic pesticides.  Since we don't have much recourse for bugs, sometimes we will use a physical barriers.  We will put a row cover (kind of like a big dryer sheet) over some greens, for example, that are really susceptible to flea beetles, so the bugs just can't get at the plants.


For fertility we use good old fashioned manure we procure from our neighbors and manure from our chickens and sheep.  Last year we had nearly 20 loads spread from my neighbor's dairy herd besides the bedding from last year's broilers and a good fall cleaning of the barn where the egg layers and sheep hang out.  Corn is a heavy feeder, so we sidedress the young plants with a composed chicken manure in pelletized form.  Also this year we are experimenting with using worm castings on our celery and lettuce, which are both heavy feeders but need a fertilizer which is gentle and safe.  We actually get this from one of our CSA members, Betty and Leroy Fiedler, who just started their worm composting business last year called Genesis on Lake Franklin.

For weeds, it's a 3 stage process.  We do our best to take out as many as possible by mechanical cultivation with the tractor, next we hoe, and, we always end up pulling weeds by hand.  If a person is really good at timing stage 1 and 2, you never need to get to stage 3, but that hasn't been the case with us so far.

Bottom line, we raise our stuff as best we can to make sure  the farm and plants are healthy which produces good food which makes your family and our own family healthy.  Let me know if there's anything you want to know more about.

Important Note: We will have to deliver on Saturday, July 23 instead of Friday, July 22 since I have to be out of town for my other job.  Let me know if this is an issue and we'll try to work something out.

In the box:
Strawberries: the heavy rains last week did splash dirt a bit on them, so I advise washing.
Kohlrabi
Salad Mix (see recipe below)
Swiss Chard
French Breakfast Radishes
Braising Mix (colorful greens) or Green Lance (small broccoli plants): Either are good for adding to a stir fry right at the end.
Spinach
Garlic scapes (funny curly onions): these are shoots that garlic put up this time of year.  Think of them as a garlic-y green onion and use where you would garlic.

Recipe
If you haven't read Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, you may just want to check it out during this CSA season.  It's a good read with recipes included that may help you out when stumped on how to use something in the box.  Here's a recipe for this week on using greens: http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/EGGS%20IN%20A%20NEST.pdf
This recipe also uses eggs...you are able to add on Lida Farm eggs through Local Dirt as they are available throughout the season!

Start of the Produce Season

I was thinking out in the field this morning that today I'm kind of like a baseball player on the first day of spring training.  I'm excited to start another produce season, but, after a winter without the constant game schedule,  I find I'm a bit out of shape and just not into the swing of it.  I remember harvesting, washing, and packing spinach much quicker than I was able to today.  The hands just didn't work as quickly as before.  Oh well, after 7 CSA seasons, I don't panic since I know that it's a matter of adjustment and the season will get into full swing.

The produce is much the same way.  Since it's out of practice, the ground can only produce funky cool-season greens this time of year (Mizuna, anyone?).  This makes for the kind of CSA box which could really freak somebody out.  But, I assure you, the garden will get into the swing of the season too and start kicking out a whole mix of veggies without effort.  I know this is true because I've seen the signs of summer out on the farm like the first strawberries and blossoms on squash.  A rock-solid season may take some cooperation from the weather, but I'm optimistic.

In the box:
Mizuna - A Japanese green which looks like a bunch of Dandelions.  This is commonly used in a salad mix with lettuce or in a stir fry at the end (see recipe)
Bok Choy - a few received a purple bok choy
French Breakfast Radishes
Spinach
Bunch of Red Russian or Lacinato Kale - You have Lacinato or Dino kale if the leaves of your bunch are dark green.  You have Red Russian kale if your bunch is purple and the leaves are big and jaded.
Mint - small bunch of 4-6 sprigs.  I got into Mojitos this year using fresh mint.  Give it a whirl.
Strawberries (some members) - sorry, I know it's completely unfair, but we had just a small portion of the strawberry patch ripening, so I had to "play god" with who did and who did not get a pint.

Bok Choy and Mizuna stir fry 
Ryan's version based on a recipe from Epicurious 
1 bunch mizuna
1-2 bok choy, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 T soy sauce
2 t sesame
2 t peanut oil
1 t rice vinegar

Mix the sauce (2 T soy sauce, 1 t rice vinegar, 2 t sesame oil) and set aside.  Add 2 t peanut oil to pan over medium high heat.  Add the bok choy stalks and saute until crisp tender.  Add bok choy leaves and garlic and saute a minute before adding the sauce.  Once the bok choy leaves start to wilt, add the mizuna for 1-2 minutes.  You can serve over rice or rice noodles.  I broiled some teriyaki-merinated pork which I tossed in at the end.

Dead Chickens and a Half Completed Greenhouse

Well, a typical spring season so far. I wish the produce were growing better and further along-another cool spring isn't helping matters. I'm behind on most things that need to get done and if it's not one challenge it's another.

Today's Challenge

This morning as I sleepily went out to feed the laying hens like normal I noticed big piles of feathers all about the coop. Being the sleuth that I am, I followed the trail out into the pasture where I found not one, not two, but four dead chickens. Argghhh! Whatever came in last night wasn't even courteous enough to kill off the old laying hens, but went for the young ones now just begging to produce eggs. Don't these predators

know I've got better things to do this time of year than to play security guard to some laying hens?

Typical Incomplete Spring Project

Like most people who farm, I dream up how the spring season will unfold every winter from the warm confines of my home. This winter I was thinking that I would leisurely put up a new 26 by 96 foot high tunnels and have it planted with tomatoes, cucumbers, and pepper by early May.

Hah...three weeks ago we finally finished the frame and it still sits there without any plastic covering (a greenhouse is pretty useless without a covering).

Winter plans never foresee the crazy planting schedule that explodes in my face every spring. It's a lot of waiting and waiting because of cold, rain, and high winds before trying to plug in as many seeds and plants as possible in a whatever window of time nature gives me. I also have to juggle this with the beginning battle with weeds which erupts in June as well as the first forays of insect mercenaries who try begin their invasion on all fronts. Typical...

Dad and I working on high tunnel in April (note snow on ground!):

Still, it always turns around. The plants will grow. I'll fight the weeds and bugs. Produce will be harvested and delivered. It's only a matter of time, but I know we'll get there.

What Keeps us Busy in the Spring?

Before we start planting outside and really firing up the greenhouse, we try to take care of some items we won't have time to do when the vegetable season starts in earnest. We take care of jobs related to the sheep like trimming hooves and shearing (I thankfully hired this out this year).

For the last three years we've been out sugaring in April, tapping trees and waiting, waiting, waiting for sap to boil down in to syrup. Here's a picture of Maree and Graham finishing off syrup at the end of the process:

The finished product:

Ever wonder what happens to old laying hens? It's called canned chicken and broth. The chickens are cut up, put into mason jars, and processed in a pressure canner. The final product is kind of gross looking, but the flavor is great. It's pretty convenient when you're making a pot pie or chicken soup and you have pre-cooked chicken on hand. The backs and necks get boiled for broth and then processed in the pressure canner. 4 chickens yielded 14 quarts of broth and 7 quarts of canned chicken:

Turbine up and running

I've written before about the turbine we're having put up at our place. There were some challenges along the way, but it's been up and running now for nearly a month!

It took two cranes to pull up the 110-foot tower. One of our big setbacks was the cold in January since cranes and hydraulics don't work so well in below-zero temperatures.

Almost there:

Complete:

It's an exciting thing putting up a turbine. For the first couple weeks I think we checked how many kilowatt hours were produced about every hour. Ours is a grid-tied system, so we don't have any batteries or whatever and are still attached to the grid just like anybody's house. If it's windy and we're producing power, we use the electricity from the turbine instead of the electrical system. If we're producing more than we need, Lake Region buys back the power through "net metering" if you've heard of that.

A small wind system isn't cheap and the payback takes a long time. So why did we do it? We were motivated some by being self-sufficient. But our main driver was the need to take responsibility for our own contributions to climate change and the negatives that come with energy production. Did you know that it takes a lump of coal the size of your fist to produce a kilowatt hour? Image throwing 1,000 down in your basement each month...does that give you a better sense of how your electrical needs effect the planet? A portion of North Dakota is being strip mined right now so I can flip on a light switch; in other parts of the US, a mountaintop in West Virginia is literally being blown right off. We were entrusted to steward Creation not simply consume it.

Consider joining Lida Farm CSA

Looking for fresh produce delivered to your door throughout the upcoming growing season? Well become a member of Lida Farm's CSA program.

If CSA is new to you, check out this neat video a couple members from a different CSA in the cities made last year, explaining CSA and what to expect:

We offer an every week CSA share for between $400-$450, where you will receive a delivery of what's in season each week for 16 weeks. We also offer an "every-other-week" CSA share for $200-250. We deliver to Pelican Rapids, Detroit Lakes, Vergas, and a lot of the lakes in between. Besides the produce we also will be raising whole chickens again this year for $2.85/lb. You have the option of reserving how every many you'd like.

This will be our 9th season operating a CSA in Otter Tail County, so we like to think we know what we're doing at this point. All our crops are grown without any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. We have a number of new crops we're planning as well as a new high tunnel going up this spring to help us get some peppers and tomatoes to you earlier in the season. We concentrate on the staples like lettuce, tomatoes, and sweet corn, but we also make sure to mix it up with some interesting crops too.

So, if you are interested in becoming a member of Lida Farm, please get in contact with us. Our e-mail is lidafarmer@gmail.com and our phone is 218-342-2619. Call with questions...you won't be bugging us. Our brochure about our CSA program and the order form are linked below. But please make sure we are not filled up for the season and you're in our delivery area before sending in the order form.

Click here for our brochure

Click here for the 2013 order form

Small Wind Project Almost Done

The small wind project is almost complete. We've had a big tower sitting on our hill for the last month first waiting for the turbine itself to come, and now we've been waiting for the go ahead from our electric cooperative, Lake Region Electric. We're still looking to finalize our interconnection agreement and also have the electrical work inspected for the final ok. The last thing after that is to get a crane here to tilt the tower up and hopefully the wind still blows.

Last month RWP put together the tower and affixed the turbine. The tower came in a bunch of pieces and needed to be assembled in the snow:A completed 110-foot tower:
A close up of the turbine hub without the blades attached yet:

Small Wind Turbine Construction In Process

Well, the small wind turbine construction project continues. Dan and Bill from Residential Wind Power are looking to complete the project before Christmas. The tower from Rohn tower is now manufactured and on its way and RWP has the turbine from Ventera Energy on hand, ready for final connection to the tower.

First Dan dug a really deep hole, about 14 feet across and 10 feet deep for the foundation. This step is obviously important, considering the foundation not only needs to hold up a 110-foot tower with a 500 lb turbine on top, but also keep that tower up nice and straight in some major winds.

After some serious digging, Dan and Bill poured the foundation. Since this is a tripod tower with three legs, three pylons were put in place with mounts on top to attach to the tower. After putting in the foundation, Dan and Bill ran the wire about 300 feet down to our woodshed where the inverter will be placed. Power will run down the line to the inverter, become transformed into usable energy and then run the short distance to our main junction box. This was done just in time before freeze up. Once the ground froze, this would have been impossible.

Small Wind Turbine Construction

After figuring that if the organic vegetable growers weren't willing to buy into wind energy in this environment, then nobody would, we decided to take the plunge and purchase a small wind system. Our system is a 10 kW Ventera made in Duluth, MN and our installers are Residential Wind Power from New York Mills, MN. They started construction this October and I'll be sharing some pictures from start to finish.

This is our pre-turbine picture. The tower will stand behind the barn at 110 feet, so should clear these trees pretty easily.

Right now this area is home to our sheep pasture. The orange flag marks the spot the tower will go. It probably won't be till the first of the year that the tower and turbine are in place since it takes 12 weeks or so to construct the tower...they only start manufacturing the tower when they get the order.

The excavator is in place...Dan and Bill figure it will just take a few days to excavate for the foundation, trench the wire a few hundred yards to the electrical box, and pour the foundation.

The End of the Line

Well today is the final CSA delivery of the season (although we will continue Sunday deliveries every other week of dairy and fall crops in the off season).

This is always a bittersweet moment for me. I'm typically worn out enough to be happy that the last CSA box is going out the door, but I'm a bit sad that the season's over too. These times often make me reflect on how we did. Although we had some nice warm weather this year, I was not terribly impressed with the way things grew. At the end of the day, the weeds loved the weather, which made them terrible to keep up with, and the serious rains we had all summer really stunted the growth of the plants. If I were grading the season, I would give it a C+.

Now I'm looking forward to next year, shooting for a B+ or A- at the least. We have a lot of time now to prepare the field for next season, spreading manure and disking in this years crops so they begin to break down. This should make the fields have better soil texture and greater fertility. I will also be ordering a big high tunnel (hoop-shaped greenhouse) in the next couple of days, which will allow us to grow early greens, tomatoes, and peppers. I'm sure I'll also dream up a few more projects to make 2011 great!

Lastly, I would like to thank all of you for being members this year. Maree and I could not do what we do without your commitment. All members will be receiving a survey by e-mail; please let us know how it worked from your end.

In the box:

A couple peppers

Celeriac (the ugly bulb which has a celery top): you can use this in place of celery in any recipe.

Red Kuri or Blue Bonnet winter squash

Spaghetti Squash: Oblong Yellow Squash

Two Pie Pumpkins: Yes, these work well for pies! Typically you cut in half, bake on a cookie sheet upside down, and scoop out after it's soft.

Red Potatoes

Bunch of Carrots

Parsnips: the ones which look like white carrots

Friday Harvests

I've noticed this season that it takes me longer and longer to harvest the produce for the box on Fridays. I typically wake up early, get out harvesting, and wrap up the boxes by noon. Sometimes when there are a lot of time-intensive crops like peas or beans, it may take a while longer or we get going on Thursday night. That's why it's been so frustrating this season to be finishing up at 2 or even 3 pm and dashing off to get deliveries done before 4.

Each week I think I'm just getting old and slow, but, reflecting back over the season, I think this weather is what has been killing me. Today, like a lot of Fridays, I'm going to have to harvest in mud and puddles of water. Getting stuff out of the ground, however, is only part of the problem. In order to get produce clean, I spend lots of time spraying, soaking, and scrubbing produce so it doesn't look like a mudcake. I bet 75% of Friday harvests have been in the mud after a recent rain and about 25% of the time have been done in the rain. No wonder I'm getting slow...maybe it's not aging (although we all know there's no gettin

g around it)?Reminder: We're having our Lida Farm get together this Saturday evening, starting at 6:30. It's a casual event with snacks, drinks, and a bonfire. If so inclined, bring something, but just bring yourself. Meet other members and check out the farm. Hope you can make it.

BTW we also had the Pelican Rapids Early Childhood class out this Monday (see picture):

In the box:

Norvalley White Potatoes

Rutebega(s): root with greens on top.

Butternut Squash: all winter squash should be stored in dry, sunny location (don't refrigerate)...winter squash actually will get sweeter with time.

Acorn Squash

Garlic

Harelred Apples

Collard Greens

Eggplant

Summer Squash

CSA get together September 25th

Every year we have a little get together at Lida Farm for the year's CSA members, so you can check out the farm and meet all those other people who have also been receiving a waxed box periodically in their garage or porch. For the last few years we've been having a potluck thing for Sunday dinner, but we thought we'd change it up this year. So we're going for an after dinner snacks, drinks, and bonfire affair. Casual, no need to make a hotdish or anything, stick around as long as you'd like.

So, this is the lowdown:

• Time: 6:30
• Place: Lida Farm (44593 275th Ave. - corner of Otter Tail County Highway 4 and East Lake Lida Road-there is a map on the website to the right)
• Activities: Ryan gives his typical farm tour, drinks, bonfire
• What to bring: mainly just bring yourself, but, if so inclined, bring something to drink or some kind of snack/appetizer (your homemade salsa, etc.) We will be providing a mix of drinks and snacks ourselves.

Late Season Slump

Well, it's terrible out there. I just came in for some coffee to get a little boost to harvest and just plain warm up. I hope this monsoon slump we've been in will finally turn around!

I always find this a pretty tough time of year to carry on. There are only three more weeks of the CSA after this week and we're realistically about a week from a first frost. Lots of stuff still needs to be harvested, but, having been at it for quite a while, I'm down right tired. I don't think I could pull it off without the caffeine. Still, I'm always a bit sad when that first frost comes.

In the box:

Celery

Cantaloupe

Buttercup winter squash

Yellow onion/red onion

Garlic

Juliet tomatoes

A mix of peppers

Cucumbers

Green zebra tomatoes: these are ripe now....don't wait for them to change color just because they are green.

Fall Weather

This weather has been a nice change from dewpoints in the 60s and temperatures in the 90s. The change has made me appreciate the oncoming of fall, which is just around the corner. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but summer is almost over.

How does this affect growing at the farm? What I find fascinating is the effect fall weather has on growing time. In the summer, something like salad mix can go from seed to full-sized mix in 3 weeks, whereas it will take twice as long in fall weather. It seems like its still somewhat warm and sunny, but we just don't have the full strength of the sun and length of day to move things along. This all reminds me to get that fall salad mix planted. Gotta go!

In the box:

Green Zebra Tomatoes

Red Celebrity Tomatoes

San Marzano Roma Tomatoes

Watermelon

Cantaloupe

Sweet White Onions

Green Peppers

Little Red Cabbage

Kale or Collards

Thai Basil: pretty nice variety with a hint of licorice

Parsley

Summer Squash

Today made me think about how busy you get when you begin to combine activities. We all have those things we do, have experience doing, and, consequently, are good at. For me, this is growing produce. We've been doing this a while-9 seasons-and, granted, we get a lot of things wrong every season, but we got it down for the most part.

This season, of course, we just had to challenge ourselves (as if having a third child wasn't enough) by branching out into raising chickens. Today was one of those days when I had to layer this new enterprise on top of my usual routine, which makes for a busy day.

Usually I can get outside and start harvesting produce on Fridays before 7 am, but, today, I didn't get out into the field until nearly 9 am because the chickens had a date at the processors in Ashby at 7 am (this is one of the few USDA-inspected poultry processors people like I can bring poultry to in the nation--even growers from central WI cart birds up there). So, instead of hunting for melons this morning, I was on the road at 5:30 with a 20-foot trailer and 90 chickens in the back, cruising down the interstate. This is actually a really nice way to start the day, having that first cup of coffee with the rest of the world asleep. Once at the processors, it's time to catch and move birds two by two into crates to go into the plant. This isn't as pleasant an activity, but it needs to get done. They cooperated for the most part and I only had one escape and hide under the trailer on me. I kept thinking the people of Ashby must come down to watch some of this entertainment of people unloading and chasing chickens around.

Anyway, we have another load going down to the processors in two weeks and can start making arrangements to deliver the broilers people ordered in the spring. Although this morning chore set us back a bit today, that's just what's needed sometimes as we juggle all the different chores that comes with being a diversified farm (livestock, crops, pasture, garden).

In the box:

Melons: everyone got a cantaloupe and either a watermelon or yellow Spanish melon

Red Tomatoes: standard Celebrity variety

Juliet Roma tomatoes

Eggplant

Beets: These are pretty small and pathetic, I know, but I figured some beets are better than no beets at all

Leeks

Arugula: oakleaf-shaped greens in a bunch

Daikon Radish: Don't be afraid of this one, check out the recipe below.

A few peppers: Red ones are Italia Peppers and green are Biscayne

Yukon Gold Potatoes

Garlic

Daikon Radish and Carrot Salad

From The St. Paul Farmers Market Cookbook

1 4-inch piece of daikon radish, peeled

2 tsp. salt

2 med. carrots, peeled

2 c. ice water

3 T. dressing

Dressing:

1 T. soy sauce

1 T. sesame oil

Use a vegetable peeler to peel down the radish lengthwise, making long thin shreds. Put shreds in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Cut carrots in half lengthwise. Use a vegetable peeler to peel down the carrot half, lengthwise, making long thin shreds. In a large bowl, combine ice water, remaining 1 tsp.. salt and the carrot and radish shreds. Wix well, cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Rinse radish and carrot to remove salt. Drain. Toss with dressing and chill.

CSA Week 10: High Season Harvest

Well, we're over halfway through the season. High season is coming in and those tomatoes are ripening up big time. It's that time of year when it's tough to keep up on all the harvesting that needs to take place. In some respects this is a tough time of year, but it's also really exciting...really what we've been waiting for for the last 3-4 months. Nothing get me going like going out and finding ripened melons, jumping around from one to another, knocking them, lifting them, checking out the tendrils to make sure they are ripe (even after all that, they can still be a dud).

Enjoy the heat.

In the box:

Bi-color Seneca Dancer corn

or some Silver Queen white corn

Japanese Eggplant or Some Calliope Eggplant

Cherry Tomato mix

Beans (tri-color mix)

Syrian Pink Tomatoes (Yes, they are ripe when pink)

Cherokee Purple Tomatoes

A Red Tomato

Specialty Carrot Mix (purple haze, atomic red, satin white)

Kale or Collard Greens

Fresh Thyme

A melon or two (some got a canteloupe, others watermelon)