Summer CSA: Week 8

Howdy folks,

Wrapping up another epic garlic harvest

In addition to transplanting, weeding, and harvesting we spent the past week bringing in our garlic crop and hanging it in the rafters of the hay loft. Over the next few weeks the garlic will cure. The skins will lose excess moisture and the flavor will become much more potent. We will grade the garlic and hold onto the largest heads for seed garlic to plant in November for next year's crop.

Today our new well pump was installed. We are upgrading from a 1hp pump to a 5hp pump. This upgrade should greatly improve the volume of water we are able to pump and our ability to irrigate the vegetable fields. In addition to the new pump, we are also having a new waterline dug from the well head (located across from the workshop at the front of the farm) to the green house. Previously, the irrigation water traveled through the barn plumbing and out to the fields. By removing this step, we should see less loss in water pressure from the well to the fields. The waterline is going to be installed on Wednesday and Friday. The line will be buried below the driveway and parking areas. If everything goes according to plan, parking will not be disrupted on CSA days. If there is a need to change the parking for CSA pickup, I will send out a special blog post in order to relay that information.

Last week I had a few CSA members ask me for recipes to help use up their zucchini and summer squash, so I am including a few links below to recipes:

Sunshine winter squash looking good.
Winter share sign-up coming soon

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013043-greek-zucchini-fritters
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/3660-zucchini-salad
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/17643/chocolate-zucchini-cake-iii/
http://www.marthastewart.com/1014060/sausage-stuffed-zucchini

This week's share:
- green peppers
- head cabbage
- onions
- lettuce (just one head this week)
- carrots
- summer squash and zucchini
- cucumbers
- choice of cooking greens
- garlic

Tomatoes are just starting to ripen. We won't have enough for the CSA this week but watch out, they will be rolling in soon!

Your farmer,

Zannah