Wk 28 | Summer 10   CSA NewsletterTues | Sept 10
Tractor, Field, Hoops & Sky

Call/text Robin at 708-370-8017 if you have questions about your delivery tonight. 
Notes from Chris  

 

Lots of heat this week as summer hangs on with all it's got. That's good news for the outdoor tomatoes, which actually are more for the farm processing kitchen than for fresh sales. Hoop house tomatoes tend to taste better, so we use those for farmers' markets and the CSA, while field tomatoes end up in salsa and whole roasted tomatoes, which is nearly all for the CSA.


I received a few questions from a customer last week that I'm sure a few people have thought of, so thought I'd mention it here. The first relates to organic pesticides, fungicides, and treatments, and how they're used both commercially and in the home garden. The second question has to do with crop failure.

The basic deal with organic pesticides is that they are poisons that occur naturally in nature. They are certainly toxic, or they wouldn't kill anything, but they tend to break down in the sun and when exposed to
potato beetle
Adult potato beetle
oxygen faster than many synthetic, man-made chemicals. Pyrethrum is one of the most common and is derived from chrysanthemum flowers. There is a class of pesticides that is particularly good because it only kills the bugs that actually eat the plants rather than killing everything, as most pesticides do. It is a bacteria, known commonly as Bt, that is sprayed on leaves and which interferes with the digestion of the targeted bugs that eat them. Different Bt's kill different bugs, and they last a long time after spraying so they are effective a lot longer than the pesticides that kill everything too, so we prefer to use them when we have the need.

There are lots of organic treatments and fungicides out there. In a nutshell, most organic products tend to contribute to and diversify life, while most conventional products focus on the "cide" part by killing everything--kind of like those pesticides I mentioned above. Compost tea, for example, is used to spray for fungal problems, as is copper sulfate. Compost tea works by competing with fungi that are attacking plants so as to slow them down and diversify soil/plant life. Copper sulfate kills everything. It's a lot like the antibiotic issue with people. Many people shy away from antibiotics because they kill lots more than you're trying to kill, and lots of that stuff is good life/bacteria. Copper sulfate, incidentally, is approved for organic production, and makes more sense in situations where copper in the soil is on the lower side. It is easier to apply for sure, and is acceptable for organic production because it occurs naturally. Organics tend to rule out synthetic substances as rule, which is too bad sometimes, because many of them are not a danger to soil or other life and have many good characteristics.

On average, every year, I'd say that about 20% to 25% of crops fail. Lots of times there is a specific, obvious reason, sometimes it's more subtle. Sometimes it's one thing, but usually it's a combination of factors that present plant stress and limit growth. Disease and insects are the main causes. In 2012, we barely harvested any zucchini as the cucumber beetles put so much pressure on the plants they yielded very poorly. It is often the case that bugs spread disease as well. To top it off, plants that are healthier and stronger (good fertility and water) are less desirable to insects, and vice versa. So you can see how things might snowball in the wrong direction. Imagine plants that are stressed out from lack of sufficient water and/or nutrients. Bugs find the ones most stressed and vulnerable. Bug pressure further reduces plant health and increases susceptibility further. Disease can then move in and finish it off. It doesn't have to, or always, work this way, but it's a fairly common progression.

Summer crops continue on as they have. Not too many changes this week, just lots of solid summer crops along with our trademark lettuce.
                                                                      -- Chris
Questions? 
Call Robin (in Chicago), 708-370-8017 | Chris (farmer/owner), 608-712-1585
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Some Small shares did not receive chard; we don't know who, so feel free to email us

Mesclun ingredients
Mesclun Mix

WHAT'S COOKIN'

Sweet peppers are in full swing right now. Whether you receive blocky, colorful bells or our favorite red-ripe carmens, roasting is a wonderful way to prepare them for use in sandwiches, salads, pasta, quiche, etc.  Here's an easy recipe for Roasted Peppers for instant (or near-term) gratification. To preserve them for a winter treat, try this recipe for Preserving Peppers. And for a guide to oven-roasting just about anything, click here.
 
roasted red peppers-halved



 
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