(CSA Newsletter: Week 19)
Meet this week’s vegetables:
It’s been a week and a half now since the storm slammed our farm with hail, rain and wind. This last week we continued our recovery efforts to good results.
We began by finishing the tomato house rebuilding. As of Wednesday evening, we had replaced the plastic and planted new starts in place of the broken or dead tomatoes. On Friday we sprayed the tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant with an organic-approved ‘foliar feed.’ Usually, we apply all of our fertilizers to the ground, which helps feed the plants and also the living organisms in the soil. However, our tomatoes looked in need of some further boosting, so we decided to try foliar feeding for the first time.
Tomatoes, and many other plants, can take in small amounts of fertilizer through their leaves, allowing them to get the nutrition they need from more than one spot. We sprayed a very dilute mineral-based product that contains nitrogen and calcium. We’re not sure if it will be a miracle cure, but we feel good about our ability to continue tending them through their hard recovery.
We also spent a lot of last week re-doubling our efforts to weed some major crops, especially our onions and leeks. Between some slight weed pressure and the hail, both were growing but not necessarily thriving. A few days after a thorough weeding, both are looking awesome. The onions have grown several inches now since the hail, and once again we feel hopeful for the season.
We were also amazed by the recovery other crops made on their own. The lettuces, which showed the most significant hail damage, continued to grow at a rapid rate until they essentially outgrew the damage. The hurt leaves simply moved to the outside and new tender, perfect leaves grew out from the middle of the plants. The lettuces don’t look at perfect as before, but the majority of the eating material is completely unscathed — just a week and a half later!
The recovery we’ve seen so far is a testament to late spring vigor. This time of year is one of the best for growth. The days are warm but mild; the plants have plenty of water; and our organic sources of fertility are fully available to the plants. It’s sad to for us to imagine how good things would look if the storm hadn’t happened, but we’re extremely grateful for how well everything is progressing in spite of the damage.
And, once again, the share is at full value. Hoorah! The farm is outdoing itself once again, and we are rejoicing in the harvests! Enjoy this week’s vegetables!
Your farmers, Katie & Casey Kulla
Two dates for your calendar …
Farm CSA Open House, Sunday, June 28, 2-4 pm: Come out and see your veggies growing in the field! More details and directions will be in next week’s newsletter.
Next big payment due July 1: For those of you who are either on the quarterly ($225) or three payment ($200) plan for the CSA, your next payment is due by July. You can bring a check to the CSA pick-up or mail to us: P.O. Box 1698, McMinnville, OR 97128. Check with Katie at pick-up or email us if you have any questions about your payment status.
recycling & reduce landfill-bound waste!
The News-Register reported this weekend that Western Oregon Waste is proposing to expand its curbside recycling program to unincorporated Yamhill County.
Those of you who live in town might not even realize that county residents don’t currently have curbside recycling pick-up, but it’s true. As county residents, Casey and I can attest to the fact that lack of curbside pick-up makes recycling challenging. Because we are deeply committed to limiting the landfill-bound trash we create, we carefully collect, sort, and then haul our recyclables to the recycling center every few months. Our system works out, but it takes time, space, and dedication to follow through on. I imagine that many (if not most) county residents just skip the hassle and put everything in the garbage can each week.
Having access to curbside recycling could immediately and easily reduce the amount of material added to our local landfill by county residents. We whole-heartedly support this change, even if it slightly raises the overall cost of our garbage service.
For the change to take place, however, the County Commissioners will need to approve it. Help this significant change happen by contacting Kathy George (georgek(at)co.yamhill.or.us) and Leslie Lewis (lewis(at)co.yamhill.or.us) to voice your support!
Hopefully soon, curbside recycling will be available to all Yamhill County residents! What a great statement to make for our county’s commitment to sustainability and our future.
