Summer CSA: Week 12

 The Trails and Stewardship Teams built a pergola
in the pollinator garden 

Howdy folks,

It has really felt like fall around the farm over the past week. This morning I chased a few Canada Geese out of the fields. They are migrating through and a sure sign that fall is on the way. I also spotted a young coyote trotting through the fields this morning. We made eye contact for a bit then he turned and trotted off. The fields are full of mice this time of year so the coyotes and hawks become quite active.
With the cool nights the summer crops are slowing down. The weather also brings a heavy morning dew which is great for keeping greens from drying out as we harvest them. I love these clear crisp days. They are great for harvesting winter squash, onions, and sweet potatoes. It is however pretty dry out there and we have been utilizing our newly upgraded irrigation system.

Our summer squash and cucumbers have succumbed to powdery mildew as well as downy mildew. Other summer crops are looking a little tired. We are however about to enter a time of year when greens like lettuce and mustards flourish once again.

Weirdo winter squash discovery

Over the last two weeks we have said goodbye to several summer crew members as they return to college. We are feeling the loss in the labor force as well as missing their stories and jokes. These last weeks of august can be hard. The crew is shrinking and those that remain are tired. The fall harvest will get heavier but soon we will have fewer chores pulling us in so many directions. We will be able to focus just on the task at hand; harvest.

The weeds are certainly slowing down and we will eventually manage to clean the fields up but it still feels like a jungle out there. I've been systematically mowing areas as we harvest the crops that have been growing there all summer. We will continue to mow, disk and cover crop as the fall progresses. By the beginning of November we will once again be putting the farm to rest for the winter.

Upcoming events:

The Fall Harvest Fest is fast approaching! The day will be filled with arts and crafts, food vendors, farm tours, and much more.
The day of the festival is Saturday, September 16th. This is a CSA distribution day. Pick Your Own will be closed on September 16th.
We will stay open until 6:30 on both Tuesday (9/12) and Thursday (9/14) to try and accommodate folks. I apologize ahead of time for any inconvenience this may cause folks. We are expecting a large turnout on Saturday.

Irrigating fall carrots

For more information on Harvest Fest please follow this link:
http://www.thetrustees.org/things-to-do/greater-boston/event-33152.html?srpage=2

In this weeks share:

Potatoes
Tomatoes
Onions
Garlic
Choice of cooking green
Lettuce
Fennel
Peppers
Eggplant

PYO:
Cherry Tomatoes
Husk cherries (ripe fruit tends to fall to the ground, don't  be afraid to harvest these as well)
Tomatillos (ripe fruit tends to fall to the ground, don't  be afraid to harvest these as well)
Hot peppers
Sample a few raspberries

These two have been awfully frisky on these cool mornings

New in the Farm Stand

We have some exciting new items on offer in the farm stand including:

Maple Brook Mozzarella - delicious with our tomatoes

Grey Barn Prufrock Cheese - this cheese is out of this world delicious

Sidehill yogurt - if you are looking for a slightly more nutritious snack than the outstanding Crescent Ridge ice cream that is also available in the farm stand

Your farmer,

Zannah