October 13 2010 Week 19

I have often thought to take a photo of the weekly spread and finally did it. These food items are truly beautiful to me and add to my enjoyment of Autumn. The colors and textures fit perfectly in the season.

This week CSA will be enjoying summer squash and winter squash. The Patty Pans and zukes are familiar. The Delicata may be new to some as it is to me. We have yet to eat one. Sweet tasting is the word on the street.

The greens look awesome with Swiss Chard just bursting with bright orange,pink and red. I realize this picture does not capture that statement, but it's true. Green and red Bell peppers, potatoes(some got the Gold, others the Red) and two kinds of tomatoes finish of this weeks installment of Farm Fresh Produce.

We are proud of the quality of food we have grown this year. I have been pleased every week at harvest time and delighted when doing the devy for the Shareholders. This marks the second to last CSA I will contribute to for the Twenty-ten season. Next week will be very exciting as a dear friend will be visiting and helping us for a day or two. Then that means the end of my involvement, for my family and I have travel plans and then CSA will conclude.

Eat up! Enjoy! And Thank You!

P S- I keep getting a thrill looking at the photo. I am saying,"look what I did! I grew that!" Not by my self, of course. I assisted Farmer Drew to my great delight. Thank You DREW!!!

Two weeks notice

I have given notice, folks. My employment at the farm will subside soon. Farming is meaningful, important, and fulfilling. It is also a hard way to make a living. And, a Farmer has to pay the Note before he can pay staff. In These times, in this place, payroll is going to have to cease. And since I am 'payroll', I will be laid-off.

No huge deal. Saw it coming, I expect. Kind of liked the whole arrangement more when it was 'under the table'. It had a renegade feel about it. A sense of it aint nobody's business how I am compensated for the farming I was doing. A secret agent of sorts. Whether taxed or not, I was feeding people. I was helping the farm go round. That was my reward. That and the eggs and produce, of course.

Winter comes again and I wont be collecting from Crooked Furrow this time. No, of course the Work is not all done. Just the money is gone and tis nigh impossible to cash in when the fields are brown and soggy.

Long Live The Farm!!

Menu

Oh, looky. I forgot to do the minimum. Well, better late than never is the case in many situations, isnt it?

For the CSA produce boxes this week we have:
Half pound salad mix, of course.
2 pints cherry toms, and a slicer.
Minessota Midget cantaulope(oh yummy sweetness).
Green Beans.
Garlic.
Spagghettie Squash.
Large bunch of Carrots.
Cilantro.
I think that was it. Good stuff: the boxes looked deliciously beautiful.

BOMBUS I MISS THEE

Last summer I saw fifteen thousand Bumble Bees everyday. I think this year all combined I have seen 20 Bumble Bees.

Such hard workers these bees. I loved harvesting among them.

I miss them this summer. I have only recently begun to see more of them. And it is only one variety: smallish with yellow bands real low on the abdomen and high on the thorax(like above image). What happened to all others I have no idea. The December Deep Freeze could be the cause. It is troubling to lose such a devout pollinator.

Thistle Galore

I think I have harvested more seed heads and flowers from Sow Thistle and Canada Thistle than Tomatoes and Summer Squash combined.

Both the weeds are a menace and are everywhere. The best I can do is realize we can never get it all one hundred percent. I also am joyed knowing that every seed and flower head I "harvest" reduces the population of potential weeds by 87, 349. We have made some Terrific Progress in manual weed control over the last few weeks.

We shall overcome!

It is a good feeling to have in August when Weeding loses its urgency. I can barely believe it myself.