Garlic -- you may not consider garlic a summer crop, and really it's not -- it's a culmination of all the seasons.  Planted in the fall, loved (weeded, watered) all winter, and harvested in the late spring, these bulbous treats are AWESOME this year.  Thanks to our diligent mulching, weed control, and increased soil fertility, we've got huge bulbs that are currently hanging to cure -- 2,680 to be exact.  I hate to admit that this is only one of our 6 varieties!  Okay, maybe we went overboard on the garlic.  But, as soon as these are cured, you can expect at least 1 bulb per week for the rest of the season...so don't be afraid to use it!  AND, it stores so well...just leave it on your counter top...and these babies are so beautiful that they're sure to be a conversation piece as well.

Melons -- not too many fruits on our plants yet, but they'll start up and grow like crazy soon.  We're growing muskmelon (cantaloupe) and watermelons.  These will hopefully be ready for your 4th of July festivities!   

Okra -- Yum.  I know lots of you get sick of these delectable pods.  They're a bear to pick (with itchy and tall plants) but they produce volumes and are the star of the late summer.  If you don't think you like okra, just wait for our awesome recipes and tips.  These will start entering the share just as the early summer crops start to fade.   

Eggplant -- Another fruit that tends to be the star of the share around August and September when it's too hot for anything else.  Our beautiful purple plants are starting to flower, so soon we'll see our first fruits!  

Peppers -- These sweet (and spicy) treats are looking great in the field!  We've got a few peppers as big as a baby's fist.  Soon they'll be in town in the green form and then we'll start letting them ripen to their rainbow of color -- yellow, orange, red.  Can't wait for some roasted red peppers!!  Typically our peppers are really productive and will last most all of the summer season.   

Hopefully I've tantalized your taste buds enough and prepared you for some of the fruits of summer.  I hate to say goodbye to the roots and greens of spring (and we won't have to for another month or so), but when we do, at least we know that they'll all be back in the fall -- and will be joined by some other favorites to make the dinner combos endless! 

Despite my title, I don't intend to get political here.

I do, however, wish to share two graphics I've seen recently having to do with our government and our first lady.

One is the food plate.  I'm sure you've heard the news that the food pyramid will soon be obselete.  The new replaced 'food plate', in my opinion, is a really cool way to show what needs to go into our bodies.  Sure, everyone has different nutritional needs and trying to make simple graphic to show the very complex world of nutrition is impossible.  But, I like where this has gone.

As a kid I always loved that because the food pyramid had sodas and sugary junk in the top little sector, that, hey, I need those sugary, corn-y items (what a bad kid I was!).  Also, the food pyramid didn't really give a good idea of portion sizes or a relative understanding of volume.  The food plate, since it's on a plate, makes a little more sense as to what a serving can look like. 

My favorite part is the recommendation that 1/2 the plate should be fruits and veggies and 1/2 the carbs should come from whole grains.  Very cool.

And, you may hear the buzz about the new food guide being unrepresentative of our governments agricultural subsidies.  The government spends over $16 billion per year on agricultural subsidies.  Over 60 percent of the subsidies in recent history have directly and indirectly supported meat and dairy production and less than 1 percent goes to fruits and vegetables. 

This is a bit of a quandry.  You hear we're to 'vote with our dollars' or 'vote with our forks'.  And now, our dollars are going one place while our forks are told to go elsewhere.

Now there's some food for thought. 

Okay, now on to the next really cool graphic(s).

Below, this is the White House garden as it is laid out now.  And beneath that very neat and intentional garden layout shows what it would be growing if it were planted to reflect the subsidized crops.  What a difference!! 

This one is a 'must see'.  If you can't read it here, find at the Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/01/white-house-garden-subsidized-crops_n_869616.html 

With dirt under my nails and beads of sweat on my brow, I wish you all happy eating!

Paige