Hello again, friends! It’s hard to believe that a week has already passed since our first CSA pick-up here at the farm. As those of you reading the blog know, the first harvest and pick-up were such a success that we’ve opened up a few more spots in the main season! Hopefully we’ll soon be up to 50 shares, which is 10 more than our original goal of 40. It’s exciting to think that only two people can feed so many. We’re grateful for all the support we’ve received in making that possible.
Meet this week’s vegetables
Finally, a routine! Thank goodness!
The last week has been a calm but productive one around here. After a spring of random job after random job, we’re almost into a regular rhythm of work now, which helps us feel sane. Our tasks seem to fall into place almost the same way each week: on Monday we weed, sow and prepare for the CSA; Tuesday we harvest for you all; Wednesday we weed and transplant; Thursday we harvest and go to market; Friday we do odd jobs and some field work; Saturday we weed and transplant; and Sunday we rest. Whew! It’s constant, but we’ve had the ability to take breaks for visits with friends and other farms too, which makes it all worthwhile.
Work with lots of hands
Last Friday, we visited another CSA, Gaining Ground Farm in Yamhill, and helped them take care of a few weedy carrot beds. They have two interns, and we were all amazed at how quickly the five of us could get things back in shape—the power of teamwork! Watching the weeds fly, we grew excited about our own future work parties here at the farm with you all: it will be great to get you more intimately involved in the food you’re eating, as well as to have extra hands for bigger projects (such as weeding).
More on workdays
We plan to have fun on the workdays, but we also plan to get some work done, some of which has the potential to be uncomfortable if you’re not ready for the weather and such. To help you be most comfortable, here are some suggestions for workdays:
Also, I know that many people want to bring their children. Children are certainly welcome on the farm, but we ask that parents consider what will be safe and enjoyable for their children too. We have a shady spot where kids can play close to the fields, but we cannot provide supervision. We’ll have to brainstorm ways to work this out, but perhaps willing folks on each workday team could take turns hanging out with the kids while the rest of us work? Let’s figure it out as we go, but let us know if you have ideas on how to make this work well. We want kids to be welcome, but we also want to get some work done and keep everyone safe and happy too.
Farm events in the works
Finally, we do plan to have some fun events out at the farm too. An open house is in the works, but we haven’t set a date quite yet. It will be on a weekend for sure, but we’ll let you know by next week so that you can put the date on your calendar.
Veggie storage tips
Since we strive to give you your vegetables in the best possible condition on Tuesdays, we wanted to give you a few helpful tips on keeping them fresh after pick-up:
Most vegetables prefer to be kept very cool and moist. Your veggies will fare best if you can get them home and into the fridge ASAP. Put them in sealed plastic produce bags (tie a knot or seal with a rubber band), and place the veggies in the coolest part of your fridge, near the bottom or in the ‘crisper’ drawer. They should keep this way for several days to two weeks, depending on the veggie.
For more specific tips on storage, we recommend the cookbook we’re selling, Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce.
That’s it for news and updates this week. We hope you’re enjoying your vegetables and coming up with fun ways to prepare them. If you eat a great meal and want to share it with others, send us an email and we’ll include the idea in a future newsletter!
Your farmers,
Katie & Casey Kulla
Oakhill Organics
P.S. The Summer solstice is tomorrow, June 21! What’s your favorite thing about summer? Send us an email and tell us! farm@oakhillorganics.org
Green onions are called spring onions in England and Wales. I am not sure about Scotland, but in Ireland they are called scallions.
“decapitating spring onions
she made a mental note,
you know it’s love – the real thing
when you dream of slitting his throat”
One of the few poems I remember in their entirety. I learned this little piece of satire by Wendy Cope at middle school – you have to wonder what they thought they were teaching us.