DIGGING RUSHTON FARM

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Each spring as local farm markets open and the first harvest is taken from the field there is a common chorus among customers frequenting these markets; "when will you have local corn and tomatoes?"  Answering "late June/early July" does little to satisfy the anticipation of the customer waiting for their fix of summer goodness.  In fact at times there seems to be an accusatory tone in their voice as if you are hiding the summer bounty in some dark recess of the farm.  Of course when the first tomatoes ripen and the corn is ready to be picked, the inevitable question is asked; "what happened to the strawberries?"

Understanding seasonality is something that is difficult in today's market.  Grocery stores and some farm markets bring in produce from all over the country and even the world to meet the demands of shoppers who want to purchase out of season produce.  To meet their food desires many of these shoppers are willing to sacrifice taste and accept produce that has been grown using high levels of fungicides, herbicides and pesticides.

One of the benefits of belonging to a CSA is understanding and appreciating the seasonality of the fruits and vegetables we eat.  Eating with the seasons connects us with our food and the place where it is grown.  

The cool temperatures of spring provide us with the lush greens we feature at the beginning of the season.  Rich in vitamins these greens are some of the most nutritious foods we grow.  It is nature's way of nourishing us after a long winter.  

As the days grow longer and the heat rises, the greens make way for tomatoes, squash, peppers and some of the more traditional summer crops.  These foods have grown with the season and have ripened under the hot summer sun bringing out their flavor.

 By August, the melons have ripened signifying the peak to the summer crops.

Late summer and early fall signify the beginning of the storage crops.  Potato and root crops flourish as the cooler temperatures promote the fall greens.  As October arrives the winter squash harden off and the broccoli and cauliflower reach maturity.

We are just starting to harvest the summer bounty of vegetables that will increase in size and quantity in the upcoming weeks.  At Rushton Farm we grow over 150 varieties of fruits and vegetables and each one has its place in the harvest schedule.  The Rushton Staff hopes our CSA members will talk to us about the food being grown.  While we fully understand the desire for cantaloupes in June and peas in August, we think you   

 -Fred 

  With summer being in full swing, one of our biggest challenges at the moment is keeping up with watering and irrigation. Different types of crops have different irrigation needs. Take for instance a tomato plant versus a head lettuce. Tomato plants require a lot of water and flourish in hot weather, so to meet those needs we water ours about once a week (maybe twice this week because of the intense heat) for about 3 hours.  This helps promote a healthy, strong, deep root system.   If you overwater your tomato plants the fruit tends to be more watery and flavorless so the key is to monitor the plants by looking at the leaves to make sure they aren't curling and by checking the soil moisture with your hands.

Head lettuce, on the other hand, does not do well in the heat. Instead of getting big and leafy, the heat triggers the plant to "bolt" or flower and produce seeds. This is the reason why you will not be seeing head lettuce or salad mix in the share for a while. However, greens such as kale and chard are more heat tolerant and will continue to produce throughout the summer, which is why they are on the harvest list for today.

From a harvesting standpoint it is best to harvest the leaves of both kale and chard while they are young, because the intense heat can turn both bitter and fibrous as the leaves mature.  So if you are wondering why the leaves seem a bit smaller than usual, that is why.

In terms of exciting news out in the fields, our hot pepper plants are starting to produce!  We have quite a variety this year including cayenne, ancho, habanero, jalapeno, Hungarian hot wax, and a few others.  Hot peppers are some of my favorite vegetables to grow because they are all so unique in their color, shape, and flavor. They are also super nutritious containing high amounts of vitamins A,C,E, as well as potassium and folic acid. Capsaicin, the compound that makes the peppers hot, has been used affectively in the treatment of prostate cancer and has been used a lot for pain management because of its powerful anti-inflammatory qualities. So look out for hot peppers in the share in the next couple weeks!

       

- Lisa