The kids celebrating the beginning of the apple harvest!
I’ve had this experience several times this summer, when I consider the abundant display of produce at our CSA pick-up and then I consider the relatively small acreage we have planted to vegetables this year, and I wonder: where does it all come from? Really, there seems to be some disconnect between what I see in the fields and what I see at pick-up. How does that magic happen?
It is magic (really, it is!), but perhaps not as mysterious as it seems to me at moments. The answer to this conundrum is that a big chunk of the produce on display doesn’t come from our fields … it is coming from our orchards.
There’s a Chinese proverb: “The best time to plant a tree was ten years ago. The second best time is now.” Amen.
We planted our first orchard seven and a half years ago, and the next one the following year. Each year, we’ve watched the trees grow and tended them and pruned them and mowed around them and watered them. Trees grow, which is a kind of magic, but it’s something we’ve observed and helped along with our farmer ways.
And, now, we’re rejoicing in the big returns on that earlier investment. Even though we have been present for all the work of helping these trees grow, it still feels miraculous to drive our gator out to the fields full of empty bins and then fill those bins with fruit from the trees. Really, it’s just amazing. Food grows on trees. Why does that feel more magical than planting a lettuce seed and cutting salad four weeks later? I’m not sure, but perhaps it’s because of the lapses in our attention on the fruit trees. Since they don’t need to be planted every year, nor watered as regularly, their harvests feel like gifts and less obviously the product of any of our work. And, well, fruit is really delicious (hey, so is salad, but we’re less likely to just pick lettuce to eat in the field, whereas an apple straight from the tree is a great treat).
Oh, I shouldn’t compare. It all feels magical really: apples, salads, all of it. Plants are amazing. We’re over a decade into this farming gig, and it still feels profound every day. I don’t think I will ever tire of the miracle of putting a tiny seed into soil and watching it grow into a large, nutritious and beautiful plant (say a giant Marina di Chioggia winter squash or a plentiful tomato vine).
Summer really is starting to wind down. We’re facing a late summer heat wave this weekend, but it feels less daunting knowing that the days are shorter than in June, and it’s likely the nights will cool off. Folks will be heading back to school shortly. We start our own homeschool routine the last week in August, and we are excited to open all our new books and learn new things together. We’re also keeping our fall schedule relatively wide open so as to allow plenty of time for all the fall harvests coming up. Much food will go into our coolers and storage room between now and the end of the CSA season — most of it to share with you in the next CSA season!
To help us celebrate the abundance of summer, we invite CSA members and friends to join us on the farm at 6 pm next Friday, August 26 for our Ratatouille Rendezvous. We will make a big pot of ratatouille (summer stew with tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, onions, and garlic). You bring a big bowl, spoons (and fork), and a side dish to share (salad, bread, side dish, dessert). Nothing tastes better in late August than ratatouille, and we’re sure you’ll agree.
Since we’ll be cooking food, we ask that you let us know if you plan to join us. We’ll have an RSVP clipboard out at pick-up, or you can email us to let us know how many people to expect. Directions to the farm are below.
In the meantime, we’ll keep bringing in more of the year’s abundant fruits and vegetables at an astonishing rate. This season is such a full on experience of nature’s plenty. It is a joy to be living so immersed in the August experience!
Enjoy this week’s vegetables!
Your farmers, Katie & Casey Kulla
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Ratatouille Rendezvous ~ 6 pm, Friday, August 26 ~ Please RSVP if you plan to join us! Bring a big bowl & spoons/forks for your family, along with a side dish to share (salad, side dish, bread, dessert, etc.).
Directions to the farm: Take HWY-18 to Dayton. Drive south through Dayton and stay on Wallace Rd/HWY-221 for about seven miles. Turn LEFT onto Grand Island Rd. After the bridge, turn RIGHT onto SE Upper Island Rd. Our driveway is the first on your left. Our house is the 2-story brown one toward the back right. If you have questions, you can call: 503-474-7661
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Meet this week’s vegetables:
- Grapes — These grapes are one to two months early, depending on what you consider “normal” (it’s honestly hard to remember “normal” or “average” seasons anymore!). These are Concord grapes, which have the ultimate grape flavor. They are also from very old vines. Old timers on the island told us that the original cuttings came across the country on the Oregon trail. Because they are an old type, they contain seeds. Which we don’t mind at all, seeing as how delicious the grapes are. But children should be warned. You can just chew or swallow the seeds if you like, or spit them out!
- Plums — Lots of kinds to choose from this week: Italian, Brooks, and Imperial Epineuse!
- Chehalis apples
- Asian pears
- Tomatoes
- Green peppers
- Kale
- Chard
- Purple potatoes! — The hardest thing about harvesting purple potatoes is that they look a lot like … rocks. When in the soil anyway. When prepped in the kitchen, they glow like purple-blue gems. The children have been loving home-made purple french fries (which we make by peeling and cutting potatoes into strips and then roasting in the oven with lots of butter so they get crispy).
- Beets
- Cucumbers
- Zucchini
- Garlic
And this week’s extra goodies from the farm:
- Eggs — $6/dozen
- Lamb! — The lamb is in! Chops are $14/lb; roasts are $10/lb; ground lamb is $10/lb; and organs/bones are $6/lb. Get it while it lasts!
- Beef cuts — Roasting type meats are $10/lb, and steaks are $14/lb. Organs and bones are $6/lb.
- Ground beef — The best ever — $10/lb
- Beef stew meat — $10/lb
- Pork organs, fat & bones — $4/lb
