Notes from the field

(CSA Newsletter: Summer Week 3)

Meet this week’s vegetables:

We found ourselves removed from our accustomed summer schedule last week as market was cancelled Thursday to make way for McMinnville’s Turkey Rama. Last summer, when we were new to town and didn’t know what to expect, we found ourselves feeling ‘put out’ by missing a market mid-summer. But this year we knew it was coming and found ourselves excited about a free day during a month when our work can quickly pile up. As we mentioned last week, if a farm gets behind in July, it will never get caught back up. Everything just grows so quickly, including weeds!

So we took the opportunity to do some much needed field work. We finished our garlic harvest on Thursday and found ourselves changing our mind about this year’s garlic harvest. We still have much to learn about growing garlic (and are ravenously reading the previously mentioned Growing Great Garlic), but I think you’ll be pleased with most of our varieties this year. Our softnecks are beautiful—it’s primarily the hardnecks (notoriously more difficult to grow) that didn’t appear to flourish over the winter and spring in our ground.

In addition to hundreds of other things, we realized in the process just how important good seed is to garlic growing (and everything really). Our garlic seed came from two local sources last fall: a farmer who sold us the remaining garlic from her summer eating stock and another farmer whose family grows seed for the famous garlic farms in Gilroy, CA. Can you guess which garlic did better? So, in addition to saving the best bulbs from this year’s harvest for seed, we’re planning to purchase more hardneck garlic seed for the fall from Ronninger’s—a seed supplier we use for potatoes and now garlic.

(And, where is your garlic, you might wonder. We’re letting it cure before giving it out, since it’s easier to handle and clean when dry. Also, some individuals experience stomach discomfort from eating ‘green’ garlic, and we’d prefer to spare you—and those around you—that experience. You’ll be eating garlic soon though.)

And, as I’m sure you noticed in this week’s share, we’re bringing in more than just garlic these days. The summer fruits are definitely on—we’re adding cucumbers and beans to the growing list of fruiting items. Soon to follow: melons (they’re ripening quickly) and tomatoes. We’ve already been enjoying cherry tomatoes this week as we stroll through the garden. So far, we only have enough for us to pick a handful at a time, but they too will soon be showing up in the shares.

The observant of you may also have noticed the absence of some items as well … this is our first week without a cooking green. Why? Partly to make room for the new items; partly because we like keeping things seasonal and kale just doesn’t seem to fit the hot summer mood; and partly because we find that cooking greens (especially kale and collards) lose some of their sweetness in the hot weather. We’d prefer to wait to enjoy these delicious vegetables again in the fall, when we’ll welcome their hearty flavor. So, for now, we may still occasionally give out swiss chard and beet greens (because they stay great through the summer), but we hope you enjoy the shift in the season to more fresh eating fruits and accompaniments.

Speaking of fall, it’s not too long from now. Yes, we still have fifteen more weeks in the main summer season, but our market customers have already begun asking us about spots in the fall season. We’d still like to give current members priority for space over new members, so if you haven’t signed up yet for the fall and would like to, please let us know within a few weeks. That way, we can begin taking reservations from market customers as well. Fall is a delicious season, one which we’re in the thick of planning for now. We sowed this weekend: long-season cabbages, cauliflower, chicories, and more. If you’ve never eaten these vegetables in their best season (fall/winter), you’ll be amazed at how sweet they can be. Plus, already growing in the field: winter squash, pumpkins, potatoes, leeks, onions, shallots, brussels sprouts, popcorn, cardoons, and more. Have we whetted your appetite for fall yet? Let us know soon! Thanks!

That’s all the news from Oakhill for now … our brains and days are full of summer joys: vegetables everywhere, the river, sweet kittens, happy little chickens … while all these things make for happy farmers, we find ourselves distracted from things like newsletters too. Excuses excuses. We hope that you too are finding joy in this beautiful Yamhill County summer: your own river spot, festivals, outdoor meals, and of course: vegetables!

Your farmers,

Katie & Casey Kulla
Oakhill Organics