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Field Notes
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 | | Our larger irrigation pond and high tunnels. |
Welcome to the 2012 season with Farmer Dave's. Every season gets better and better and I sense that this season is going to be the best yet. In response to the end of the year survey, we grow more of the popular vegetables and less of the lower-rated vegetables. The result is an ever-improving CSA share. Mother Nature definitely gets in the way of our plans at times. However, since last fall, we have been busy making improvements that will minimize the negative impacts of the weather and help to ensure a continuous harvest of the wonderful food that our rich soils bring us. Last fall we dug nearly a half mile of trenches around the farm. In the trench, we installed two pipes - one was a perforated pipe to carry excess water in rainy periods away from the crops so that their feet/roots would not be too wet. The other pipe is to carry irrigation water to different areas of the farm so that we can provide water to the crops in times with no rain. Last month we excavated our little irrigation pond, making it much larger to provide enough water for all the crops in times of drought. Digging the pond left us with a lot of sand and gravel, which we moved to make a new driveway into the farm to replace the old driveway that was just a few feet from the house. While the dump trucks were moving material out of the new pond, they created the new driveway area. This project has been in the planning process for the past four years. It is nice to have it finally completed.
Also new on the farm is our one-acre high tunnel. A high tunnel is similar to a greenhouse, but not heated and not as sturdy. The high tunnel will bring us tomatoes a month earlier than normal, and if we have a rainy summer, the plants will be protected from the rains by the roof of the tunnel. This means a longer tomato season and tomatoes rain or shine. Nothing is guaranteed when working with nature, but we can pull a few strings to help ensure we all eat better.
Cheers to a wonderful season to come,
Farmer Dave
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In Your Share - Week 1
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Ah, the first week of the season! The first weeks tend to be more greens-heavy, and as the weather heats up, the variety of crops will increase accordingly. The following items will most likely make an appearance in your share this week (and as always, the contents of your share is ultimately determined by Mother Nature's harvest conditions):- A couple kinds of lettuce
- Spinach
- Radishes
- Arugula
- Broccoli Raab
- Bok Choy or Tatsoi
- Chives
- Garlic Scapes!
- And possibly more, depending on harvest conditions!
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CSA Member Tip of the Week
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From Kathleen, who picks up her share in Malden:" A suggestion for new members, especially those nervous about the element of surprise involved in a CSA share. Each week last year I brought home my share, laid everything out on the table, and made a list of everything I got before putting it away. I could then plan out the week's meals, and go shopping the next day for the other ingredients. The only surprise night this way is the day you bring home the share." Thanks, Kathleen!
Got a tip to share? Send it on over!
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Storage Notes
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Some tips for storing your share this week:
- Greens do best when in the fridge and kept cold. If you find your greens are not lasting as long as you would like, try turning your refrigerator a degree or two colder - it makes a big difference!
- If you run out of space in your crisper drawers, try using some large tupperware-like containers. You'll find your veggies last a long time in those!
- If you're looking to wash your lettuce ahead of time and eat it over a few days, check out this video to learn how to store your washed lettuce.
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CSA Q & A: What Kind of Peas Do I Have?
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You will be receiving the first of the season's peas either this week or next week, depending on our harvest conditions. How to tell if you have shelling peas, or edible pod peas (such as sugar snap or snow)? Ask your pick-up staff; they'll be happy to help out!
Already got your share home? A simple way to tell - take a bite out of one of the pods and chew. If it is tough and fibrous, simply spit it out and shell the rest of your peas!
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Strawberries for Sale?
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Even though the fruit shares do not begin until mid-July or early August, we may have some strawberries ready for harvest this week, if the weather over the weekend has cooperated. This means that while we probably will not have enough berries to include in everyone's shares, we may have some pints available for sale! If you are interested in purchasing strawberries, make sure to bring exact change ($4/pint) to your pick-up location, as we are unable to accept credit cards at the pick-ups.
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What the Heck is a Garlic Scape?
| A garlic scape is the curled seed head of a garlic plant. The garlic sends up a scape in the springtime. Farmers must harvest the scapes to encourage the garlic bulbs, which lie in wait underneath the soil surface, to grow. Thus, garlic scapes are a treat with a fleeting season.
The flavor of a garlic scape is often described as "like a garlicky scallion" - garlicky, but without the garlic cloves's harsh bite, and with a certain "greenness" that garlic cloves lack. Garlic scapes can be used any way you would use garlic cloves, scallions, or chives. Check out the Crisper Whisperer's 7 Things To Do With Garlic Scapes for some ideas and a great garlic scape pesto recipe.
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Farm Stand Offerings and Openings
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We're offering a beautiful selection of perennials and annuals at Brox Farm, 7 days a week, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Stop in for your gardening needs! We'll begin offering produce for sale at Brox Farm on June 15, and at East Street Farm on June 18. |
| Recipe of the Week | Garlic Scape, Chive, and Arugula Pesto
Adapted by Farmer Dave's from Boston Found
Even though we included this recipe last week for our spring share members, we wanted to list it again this week, so all of our members learn about the magic that is garlic scape pesto! Delicious with the chives and arugula, too!
Ingredients:- 1 1/2 cups garlic scapes (trimmed just below the flower, chopped) and/or chives
- 1 cup packed arugula
- 1/2 cup walnuts or pine nuts
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- salt / pepper to taste
Directions: Add all ingredients except the olive oil to a food processor and pulse until all is mixed and finely chopped. Run the food processor, and add the olive oil in a steady stream until the pesto is at your preferred consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. |
 Groundwork Share-A-Share™ Update
|  Thanks to generous donations by you (CSA members) to the Groundwork Share-A-Share™ fund, we were able to subsidize the cost of shares in 2011 for over twenty individuals and families, as well as shares for local food pantries.
For 2012, we'd like to continue to offer subsidies to those in need. We still have some individuals and families on a waiting list. Please consider helping us in our efforts to make the CSA accessible to more families by donating to Groundwork Share-A-Share.
To learn more about the program, click here. Thank you all for helping us keep this program going in 2012! |
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Contact us:
Farmer Dave's
437 Parker Road
Dracut, MA 01826
(978) 349-1952
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