CSA Week 12 - This Just In: Delicata Squash!!

Flame weeding fall carrots

CSA Distribution/Farm Stand Hours

Tuesdays 2:30pm-6:30pm

Thursdays 10:30am-6:30pm

Saturdays 10:00am-4:00pm

Powisset Café Hours

Saturdays 10:00am-2:00pm

Barnyard Hours ($5/person)

Wednesdays 1:00pm-3:00pm

Saturdays 10:00am-2:00pm

In this week's post

• This week's share
• Squashes
• Fork Factory Brook
• Fresh chickens!!
• Friday Farm Dinner/Notch Brewing

Important things first, we will talk about this week’s share. Pick your own will only be open when we are open for CSA distribution. If special arrangements are needed, please contact our manager, Andrew Kelly at akelly@thetrustees.org. I would like to tell everyone that you did such a great job picking cherry tomatoes this week! It was great to see everyone enjoying the fruit, and the tomato plants are glad to have lost some of that burdensome summer tomato weight.

In this week’s share

• Tomatoes
• Carrots
• Summer Squash/Zucchini/Cucumbers
• Delicata/Spaghetti Squash
• Chard
• Scallions
• Basil

Pick your own

• Cherry Tomatoes
• Hot Peppers
• Raspberries
• Herbs

The week ahead looks like it is going to be a scorcher, but last week had a focus on fall crops at Powisset Farm. We enjoyed the cooler weather while harvesting the remainder of the spaghetti squash and moving into the delicata squash. Because these cucurbits are so large and heavy, it does not make sense to harvest into buckets while walking up and down the beds. Instead, squashes are harvested by piling them into one or two rows, and then tossing them to another person who catches them and places them into a bulk bin being carried on a truck or tractor. This method is great for bloopers at first, but quickly becomes faster and more amusing than traditional harvest methods.

Corduroy soil after cultivating fall brassicas

Delicata are certainly my favorite squash, if not my favorite vegetable that we produce at the farm. They are extremely tender and flavorful, as well as easy to prepare. The thin skin is also edible, adding a different texture to the dish. While they can be prepared in many ways, my favorite is yet another simple recipe. After slicing the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out and discard the innards. Then slice the halves into half moons about ½ inch thick. Coat in olive oil and roast.

After reaping the squashes, attention was turned to our fall brassicas. Broccoli and cauliflower were cultivated after nutrients were added to the soil. Plants from the brassica family are often targets for insects looking for a healthy meal. We hope that they have enough strength to continue growing and bring their bounty back into the farm stand this fall.

Beautiful mix of cover crop seeds

Away from Powisset Farm base camp, some work has begun at Fork Factory Brook. You may have noticed that the fields across from Rocky Woods have looked different this week. After much work plowing to break up unwanted growth and prepare for cover crop, we were finally able to put down some seed that will hopefully replenish nutrients back into the soil. Other local farmers had used these fields in past years, but they have come back to Powisset this year. Before we can use the area to produce crops for consumption, we will make sure that the environment is healthy for growing sustainably. If you are stuck in a long line of cars on Hartford or Walpole Streets, we apologize if it is our fault. Tractors can only drive so fast.

If you are one of the many who love fresh local meats as well as veggies, we have some excellent chickens for sale in our farm stand. Produced by our friend at Tree House Farms in Millis, MA, these chickens are raised on a grass and foraging diet. I would definitely recommend picking up one of these birds to accompany your veggie share before we sell out.

The short, slow journey to Fork Factory

Looking ahead to next week, we have one of the final Friday Farm Dinners taking place on September 7. If you have been thinking about attending one of these dinners, please register now. There are only a couple more opportunities left, and it is a long winter before they return. If you are looking to enjoy a great beverage without the dining experience, Notch Brewing is returning to Powisset on Saturday and Sunday, September 8-9. Notch brings a really cool concept to the farm, as well as some excellent beer. This will be the last time that they come to Powisset this season, so don’t miss out!

I would like to say again how thankful we are for the members, customers, and friends that make Powisset Farm possible. We love the work that we do, and we are proud to bring these experiences to the community. It has been a great season so far, and we are only about half way done!

Hope to see you soon,

Jeff Hoodlet

Farm Apprentice