Author: lnmayer

Today is a gorgeous day with only a hint of the inclement weather we experienced on Thursday. The late Spring snow comes as a stressful surprise and a partial gift.

It comes with stress because it is planting season and we have begun to plant our summer crops. Heavy snow and freezing temperatures can cause irreparable harm to the more tender crops, like tomatoes.

Wyatt has been walking the fields today to see how things fared. He reported that the tomatoes pulled through at our 63rd location and is going to check our planting at our Teller location. Fingers crossed. Our new planting of spinach didn’t fare so well, so we have to adjust and adapt in the aftermath. Even when planting schedules are on point, the variability of nature of the can throw a wrench in the mix.

On the positive side, the moisture from the rain and snow is a gift because it solves some water and irrigation issues we may face later in the season.

Regardless of the roller coaster of weather and water, we look forward to the season ahead, the start of our CSA, and the bounty that is to come! As normal for the start of the CSA season, the shares may seem smaller than normal and green heavy, but as the height of the season approaches come July, the size and variety in the shares will expand!

See you guys next week!

Lauren

Early this spring, I spent hours planting fava bean seeds and now the fruits of those hours of crouching down in the field will be found in your CSA shares this week! I feel like a proud parent knowing that a large percentage of the seeds made it into the ground through my hands.

The fava bean seeds themselves look like a dried up version of the beans you find within the remarkably cushioned 7-8 inch green pods. These shriveled beans have now transformed into to 3 1/2 to 4 ft high plants. Unlike most of our other crops, the seemingly endless rain earlier this spring seemed to burgeon the fava plants’ growth to where if feels like you are swimming through the vast field of leafy green as you are harvesting them. The stems are pretty tender, so one must be careful to swim without breaking the plants.

A short-lived spring delicacy, favas can be prepared and eaten in a number of ways. They are great on the grill and a great addition to any spring pasta dish. Wyatt has described a hummus-inspired fava bean dip that sounds pretty amazing, too. Add blanched and pureed favas to a hummus base of your choosing, homemade or store bought and enjoy!

Yesterday, while harvesting bunches of sage and mint around the hoop houses at the farm, I walked past a planting of Egyptian Walking Onions that were going to seed. Alien-like globular seed pod clusters of white and pink were starting to form. These clusters will eventually grow to be heavy and bend the onion stalk to the ground. They will in essence reseed themselves through this process. This is also where they got their namesake- over time these onions will gradually walk across the garden. Crouching down, I snapped this quick photo of them and thought our CSA members would enjoy the strange growths.