Greetings from the farm.
Frost!
After our lengthy warm spell it seemed unlikely, however in late May there is always the potential for damaging frost. We experienced frost on May 25th, 26th, and 27th. We were prepared, and deployed wire hoops and spun poly row cover, fashioning "low tunnels" over some of the more tender crops. Under these structures, the temperature can be as much as seven degrees higher, and frost is unable to settle on the plants. Although we suffered no losses with our peppers and tomatoes, our best efforts were not sufficient to save the first succession of basil and cucumbers. As with most of our crops, we have a scheduled succession of plantings so there are more on deck.  | | Insulating row cover over some of our crops |
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Redwing Blackbirds
Rendered as a photographic blur, the mate of this female Redwing Blackbird joins her in overlooking the meadow where they built their nest. Redwing Blackbirds are common at the farm because they love wetland areas, cattails, and emergent growth. The "conk-la-lee" song of the male in combination with his showy red and yellow shoulder patches make this bird easy to spot. The blackbirds are among a host of songbirds that take advantage of the hundreds of posts and miles of wire throughout our blueberry fields.
 | | Female and male Redwing Blackbirds |
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We're looking forward to June 15th. Here's an update:
 | | Jason and Andrew employ our new stand-up planter |
As mentioned above, we did experience some damage from the frost. However, it wasn't much, and we didn't let it slow us down or take the wind out of our sails.
This past week we continued to transplant basil, zucchini, summer squash, lettuce, hot peppers, tomatoes, chard, cabbage, flowers, and Brussels sprouts. We seeded corn, beans, lettuces, basil, kale, and cauliflower.
Weeding by hand and with hoes ranks high on our list of things to tackle each day, as well. This extensive amount of hand weeding is unique to organic farms.
To ensure the health and vigor of the crops that have been planted for weeks, we took the time to side-dress with the highest quality compost. The fields look great!
Next week's newsletter will contain necessary information for receiving your first share on June 15th. It will also include some optional additions that you can preorder from our farming partners, such as free range eggs and sustainably grown strawberries. Please be sure to take a look and contact us if you have any questions.
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One of many like it on the web, this article provides some great bullet points on how to make the most of your CSA share. This information is also of use for farmer's market shoppers who would like to eat local produce in season.
The two cookbooks that are mentioned are some of my favorites:
From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce, and Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables. I had the great privilege of working for two seasons as the Crew Leader at Angelic Organics, founded by the author of Farmer John's Cookbook, John Peterson.
Making the Most of Your CSA
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Sincerely,
Jessica
Hunter Farms
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