Week 14 | Spring 8 CSA Newsletter Tues | Jun 4
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Call or text Robin at 708-370-8017 if you have any questions about your delivery tonight. |
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Notes from Chris
Thanks to another week of cool spring-like weather, we will probably not get our butts kicked by the relentless weed pressure that wet weather creates. Our area had the 8th wettest May since such records have been kept, and wet weather makes weeding difficult. Last summer's heat and dry weather was hard on everything, including the weeds, and while we did have to irrigate often, we were in complete control of the timing of our weeding. This year, the windows of opportunity have been much smaller/shorter, and with all there is to do otherwise, it has been difficult to accomplish all the things we need to do when it's dry.
This gets at why California is such a great place for agriculture. It almost never rains there in the summer, and so all planting, weeding, and harvesting activities can be done uninterrupted by, and without regard to, rainy weather. Other things related to rain that make agriculture a bit tougher in the Midwest include the wind and disease related to stormy and frequently wet weather. We lost about a quarter of our field spring spinach the other day when we got a heavy rain accompanied by 45 mph winds that whipped the plants around, breaking the stem attachment to the ground. I've talked with several farmers this spring who have battled disease related to the frequently wet ground and plants, which are susceptible to fungi and mildew when wet more often than not.
These issues demonstrate the greatest benefits of hoophouses, and are amongst the biggest reasons we have so many, along with the obvious season extension they afford. Besides being able to keep excess rain and wind off crops, the dew and moisture plants otherwise experience is nearly non-existent in the hoops. This dramatically reduces the risk of fungal diseases that many growers are experiencing this spring. In our hoops, we basically try to replicate that Mediterranean climate of southern Europe and California.
This is not to say that our Midwest climate isn't excellent in its own way. Those of you who were with us the first month of this year experienced flavorful carrots that can't be grown in a warm climate--not to mention the incredible sweetness of the spinach we harvest throughout the winter from our hoops. Agriculture is more diverse and difficult in some ways here compared to the West, but considering our ample moisture (even if it's too much at times) and cooler growing seasons (spring, fall, and even winter in the hoops), we can do all sorts of things here that can't be done there.
Finally, if fuel prices in this country were the same as the rest of the world, California food would be much more expensive. Because the US uses as much gas/diesel fuel as the next 20 highest consuming countries combined, we have tremendous buying power and pay just over half per gallon compared to what the rest of the world pays. Fuel is the next highest cost after labor for farmers, especially those who run larger operations that use more/bigger tractors and have to transport their produce hundreds or thousands of miles to market. Fuel prices are very likely to rise in the future as they have in the recent past, and that will level the playing field making Midwestern produce more price competitive (fuel is less than 1% of expenses on local, small/medium size farms like ours, while labor is over 50%!).
So, things are coming along nicely but slowly here. Crops are a little behind schedule, and weed pressure is higher than normal. We're in danger of losing much of our pea crop as the weeds are thick and we did not have long enough dry periods to remove weeds when they were small and quickly killed. When they get too big and take too long to kill, we can't justify the crop. It is one of the most difficult and painful decisions to till in a crop that we've worked to establish and that customers are looking forward to receiving, but failure to do so means risking losing more/other crops.
If we're not able to provide the full variety of crops we'd like in the weeks to come, we'll dig into our bank of preserved crops, namely whole roasted tomatoes and frozen raspberries, to keep things varied and interesting. We're working all the time to think of ways to insure ourselves and customers during lean times. Spring is the time of the year with the least variety, and when we most need to have a few things 'up our sleeve' until summer crops begin producing. In the future we'll add frozen peppers and frozen roasted squash, among others, to the mix.
-- Chris
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Questions?
Call Robin (in Chicago), 708-370-8017 | Chris (farmer/owner), 608-712-1585
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Click links below for info
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WHAT'S COOKIN'
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We hope you were inspired by the ideas for chives (and their beautiful blossoms) in the Sneak Peek. The last of them is in today's box. The rainbow chard with its earthy goodness stars in this simple Spaghetti with Swiss Chard recipe. As always, check our Recipe Index (a work in progress) for more ideas and continue to share your finds with us! |
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Extra Produce | Maple Syrup | Sunflower Oil Raw Honey | Pastured Chickens | Organic Eggs
Stone-Ground Flours & Pancake Mix | Blue Corn Tortilla Chips | Our Salsas, Soups, Preserves & More Seasonal Cookbooks
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