This is the final distribution of our Spring CSA season! Thank you so much for joining us this season.
A quick note: this newsletter is arriving a day late. After a busy week, I accidentally slept through my usual Monday evening newsletter routine. Everything is fine... just a reminder that farmers occasionally run out of batteries too!
Important Reminders
Summer CSA begins July 8-11. Week A, Monthly and Weekly distributions begin then. Week B begins the following week.
There are a bunch of new Summer CSA pickup locations, so if you haven't logged in to review your pickup details, please do so.
Please try to bring a bag to unpack your share and not take the box this week, or, as always, return it when possible.
We won't use this smaller-size box again until next Spring, so it's a good time for us to take inventory and put them away.
Around the Farm
We’re finally nearing the end of our field planting season! At this point, only the pumpkins, winter squash, and a few flowers remain to be planted. In a few weeks, the fall cabbages go in, but that's another block that somehow feels different.
This past week, we finished planting our dahlias, and the sweet potatoes are now tucked into the field and beginning to settle in.
This flying friend would not leave Cari alone while we were planting sweet potatoes. It was one of the hottest days of the year so far, so the only thing we could figure out was that it was thirsty (?).
Not everything goes according to plan, of course. We decided to abandon one of our carrot plantings after a weed flush got ahead of us. Sometimes the best use of time and resources is to start over rather than fight a losing battle. The next batch of carrots was planted today, and hopefully the oncoming rain will nestle it in.
The cucumbers in the hoophouse have also reached the stage where they need support, so we spent some time stringing them up and getting them ready for what we hope will be a productive season.
As I write this, we’re watching the forecast closely. Several rounds of rain are expected over the next few days, which will be welcome for many crops. At the same time, we’re hoping for enough dry weather afterward to get into one remaining field and finish planting our squash.
The planting season may be winding down, but the harvest season is picking up. Tomorrow’s to-do list includes plenty of harvesting as we prepare for this final week of Spring CSA and continue stocking our farmers market booth.
The Menu
Please customize your share by the deadline if you want to choose your items. If you don’t customize, we’ll pack a Farmer’s Choice share for you, but we may reach out before we do so.
Items in red with an asterisk* are the Farmer's Choice for this week.
Choose up to 25 credits for Spring Veggie Shares.
Items marked “storage” were harvested last fall and held in our coolers for winter and spring shares.
Available for this Week:
Basil- from our hoophouse!
Beets (storage)- from the last of the stores at Green Wagon. Fresh beets at the market soon!
Bok Choy from our farm. This will be the darker and larger 'Joi Choi' type.
Celeriac (storage): tiny but mighty in flavor!
Cucumbers: Slicingfrom Green Wagon's greenhouse
Daikon Radish Blend (storage)
Garlic Scapes* the flowering part of garlic with a lovely garlic flavor and green-bean-like texture.
Gilfeather Turnip (storage)
Herbs:
Cilantro from Green Wagon
Fernleaf Dill from Titus Farms
Flat-Leaf Parsley from Green Wagon
Garlic Chivesfrom our herb patch
Kale: both from Green Wagon near Grand Rapids
Curly- the classic kale
Dinosaur/Lacinato- an Italian favorite
Rainbow Chard from Green Wagon Farm.
Red Radishes w/ Fresh Tops from Green Wagon
Romaine (Head Lettuce) from Monroe Family Organics
Rutabaga (storage)*
Scallions, aka Green Onions, from Titus Farms
Snow Peas* from our farm. Tender, flat peas are wonderful for snacking or stir-fries.
Spring Lettuce Mix*from our hoophouse!
Strawberries!*conventionally raised in Dewitt at Mid-Michigan's largest strawberry grower, Felzke Farms.
Tomatoes from Green Wagon's greenhouse!
This will be 1-2 slicing (red) tomatoes and 1-2 heirloom-type tomatoes
For Sale:
Dorothy's Homemade Granola! $7.50 per bag
Eggs! $6.50/dozen
Homemade Jam:
Raspberry, Strawberry, and Blueberry
Pic of the Week
One unexpected arrival this week was a litter of kittens. We're hoping to convince them that people aren't so bad and eventually recruit them into the farm's rodent management department (after they are spayed/neutered). First, though, comes the difficult part: catching them. Current tools include wet food, thick leather gloves, and optimism. Iykyk.
