After this week, we expect to have four more shares. We try hard to make sure our CSA gives out 26 weeks of produce, which is uncommonly long for a CSA in this region (other than those offering winter shares). You're getting good value for your money!
Our last pick-ups will be Tuesday November 10th and Saturday November 14th. The weekend before Thanksgiving (beginning November 20th) we open up the fields for you to harvest anything that remains. We will post on this blog a list of what's available, and set up signs in the fields to help you find the crops you are looking for. Generally, you can expect it to be more of whatever was in your last share.
Speaking of last shares, we are expecting to continue offering lots of salad and cooking greens from the brassica family. It's curious to us why we had such an abundance of lettuce in the spring versus an abundance of spicy mix in the fall, since we planted lots of both for each season. Farming is a fickle business!
In addition to greens, you'll be seeing some daikon and watermelon radishes, and a modest amount of sweet potatoes. This is a great time to try new ideas for salad. For example, some dried fruit and a sweet or creamy salad dressing can be the perfect balance for a spicier salad green. No need to add pepper!
The last few years we've had trouble with our winter squash, including pumpkins. Most conventional growers use frequent applications of fungicide to deal with the various mildews and disease that strike plants in the cucurbit family. Since that is not one of the tools we use, we are considering using a wider plant spacing for better air circulation, and some floating row cover on the plants until they start to flower. That might at least give us a head start on the disease, so we are more likely to offer a jack-o-lantern to everyone next year. Every year is a new experiment.
Enjoy the wonderful fall weather!
Your farmer,
Carrie
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