Hi Reader,

A couple of quick reminders this week about using the CSA store:

• You can absolutely order more than one of something! We set maximum quantities on individual items, but those are generally just there to make sure one person doesn’t accidentally (or intentionally) clean us out. When we have plenty of something, those limits can be pretty generous.
• Your weekly credits are not a spending limit. You’re welcome to go over your allotted credits and add whatever else you’d like to your box... you’ll simply be charged for the difference. So, if you want two cabbages, extra carrots, six heads of garlic, or want to stock up on something that may be nearing the end of its season, go for it!

That’s especially worth keeping in mind right now. Our small cucumbers and zucchini may be nearing the end of their run, while potatoes, onions, and garlic are just getting started.

One other thing: please keep sending us feedback about the quality of your produce. We grow, harvest, wash, pack, and eat our own vegetables, but there is simply no way for us to cut open or taste every melon, ear of corn, tomato, cucumber, etc. that leaves the farm. If something isn’t good, I really do want to know. It helps us identify problems with a particular crop or harvest, and it gives us a chance to make things right.

We want you to be happy with the food you receive- not feel like you have to quietly accept something that wasn’t up to snuff.

Around the Farm

I think we have officially reached the barely keeping our heads above water portion of August.

At this point, we are essentially finished planting in the fields. We may sneak in a few more sunflowers, but otherwise what’s out there is what we’ll be tending and harvesting for the rest of the season. Soon we need to turn our attention to cleaning up the hoop houses and starting the plants that will fill them for fall and winter.

The problem is that, first... we have to harvest everything.

The muskmelons are a perfect example of the harvest frenzy. Every year I know this is going to happen, and every year I am somehow surprised when they go from “a few are getting close” to MELONS EVERYWHERE seemingly overnight. I get the radio call from the picking crew and Paul that a bin is needed. A roughly 4-foot-by-4-foot, pallet-sized bin of them. Geeeeez.

Meanwhile, the potatoes have decided to create their own emergency. Some of the potatoes are developing brown, water-soaked spots and eventually turning to mush. When they break down, they develop a pretty strong odor, and we apologize if some snuck into your box. Our crew works hard to sort out bad items, but we are also human.

We aren’t sure yet exactly what is causing it, but we do know that leaving them in the field isn’t helping. So, we’re trying to expedite the potato harvest and get them into storage as quickly as we can.

And that is, more or less, August.

This is the time of year when I start the day thinking maybe we'll get home at a reasonable hour. Then 4:00 becomes 5:00, and that becomes 7:00, and eventually I get home and do a few more hours of administrative work like payroll and taxes until I fall asleep.

Basic human maintenance also gets surprisingly difficult in August. Drinking enough water. Eating an actual meal. Remembering that very important thing I was definitely going to remember without writing it down.

I’ve learned a few things over the years, at least. Every winter, I meal prep and freeze somewhere around 30–40 meals that work with my dietary restrictions, specifically because Future August Rebecca is not going to come home after a 12-hour day and thoughtfully prepare herself dinner.

So if the farm feels especially abundant right now, that’s because it is! We are growing more food than ever, and we are very grateful for the support. It's been truly incredible.

This Week's Harvest

If you do not customize, you will receive the Farmer’s Choice Share this week, which includes the items marked with asterisks (**).

Standard/Alternating/Monthly Shares: select up to 30 credits

Large Shares: select up to 60 credits

For this week:

• Basil - on break!
• Beets, Red only - without tops. We should have these for another 2-3 weeks, until they pause for a bit.
• Cabbage- green or red. These should be around for another 2-3 weeks.
• Carrots- orange and without tops, likely for another 2-3 weeks. Then there'll be a pause for our next round of carrots in September.
• Celery- still going strong! We should have this until September.
• Collard Greens - Stronger in flavor in August, but still a hearty and filling green.
• Cucumbers- Small Salad aka Pickling Cucumber only. Likely for the last week, as our final planting is starting to go.
• Eggplant - 3 kinds:
  • Mini Mix: a mix of a few kinds that never actually get big; they grow like this! Our favorite type is Fairy Tale.
  • Long-Skinny or Asian-style: a thinner-skinned and often less bitter version of eggplant. Lovely for stir-fries, pickling, or really anything. Smaller and less intimidating than the Italian style.
  • Italian Style**: the bigger, more egg-shaped ones. These come in three colors as well (black, white, or violet striped) and are excellent when properly cooked.
• Garlic- a kitchen staple!
• Herbs:
  • Flat-Leaf Parsley from Green Wagon. Limited.
  • Dill heads for pickling. This is just the flower head.
• Hot Peppers - a mix of our mild-to-medium peppers, likely Hungarian hot, jalapeño, and serranos with the occasional chilaca/pasilla.
• Kale
  • Curly, Scarlet, or Dinosaur
• Muskmelon aka Cantaloupe**- these orange-on-the-inside melons are hopefully super sweet when ripe. If they seem a little underripe (the smell isn't very strong), then keep them on the counter for a day or so before eating.
• Napa Cabbage- a lovely alternative to lettuce. This makes an excellent slaw and is fantastic for fermentation too. Likely for the last time.
• Onions- all dried down now, so the tops will be off. We have two kinds this week:
  • Candy**
  • Red
• Potatoes, Farmer's Choice- it's looking like mostly white/golden potatoes this week with maybe a few red or fingerling mixed in. Again, from the blurb above, watch out for the water-soaked and squishy ones; we're working on sorting them out.
• Rainbow Chard- a wonderful replacement for spinach.
• Rutabaga - a hearty veggie that can be used like a potato. From the 2025 harvest.
• Shishito Peppers**- the roulette game of peppers! Most are mild, but every once in a while you'll get a surprisingly hot one.
• Sweet Corn**
  • A note about the sweet corn: Our corn is grown for us by John, our teenage Amish neighbor, using non-GMO varieties. Because we follow organic production standards, we specifically seek out non-GMO seed. You may occasionally find an insect or some insect damage. We know that isn’t anyone’s favorite surprise, but it doesn’t always mean the rest of the ear is bad- just trim away the affected portion. We do try to pick out any ears where the larva has bored into the side, though.
• Sweet Peppers - Bell Mix: a mix of green and ripe bell peppers. Ripe bell peppers take a while to come in, so we don't have a ton yet.
• Tomatillos- a wonderful green-tomato-like veggie that is traditionally made into salsa verde or green enchilada sauce.
• Tomatoes!
  • Cherry Mix- our field-grown cherry tomatoes are mostly red this year, with our favorite variety being Sakura.
  • Juliet- a cross between a Roma and a cherry tomato. Not as sweet as a cherry and a little drier. Great for those with texture issues around cherry tomatoes.
  • Farmer's Choice**: the full assortment of tomatoes isn't in yet, so this will be a 2 lb bag of a mix of regular slicing tomatoes and heirloom-style tomatoes. In the future, these two types will be separated, but for supply reasons they are a single selection.
• Zucchini & Summer Squash Mix- green zucchini, cousa, yellow squash, and golden zucchini could be included. Likely the last time/limited!

CSA Store Extras

• Fresh Eggs- limited! If you want them this week, please add them in your Farmigo account before checkout. We don't know if we'll have any for sale at market :(
• Homemade Jam
  • Blueberry
  • Raspberry
  • Strawberry

Recipes & Ideas from the Farm

Muskmelon 101

In lieu of recipes, we thought a little melon review was in order.

Our family grew up calling these muskmelons, although many people call them cantaloupes. Technically, the netted orange-fleshed melons commonly called cantaloupes in the U.S. are a type of muskmelon. Whatever you call them, this is their moment in Michigan!

How do I know when it’s ripe?

A ripe muskmelon should smell like a melon. That sweet, unmistakably melony aroma is one of the easiest clues.

Your melon should:

• Smell sweet and fragrant, especially around the blossom end (the belly button-looking wound at the end).
• Have a tan/golden color underneath the netting or in the valleys.
• Have a little bit of give when gently pressed. Gently.

Our melons are harvested when they are mature, at a thing called "full slip," so they generally shouldn’t need days and days on your counter. But, giving it a day at room temperature can help it soften and become more aromatic.

How should I store it?

If your melon isn’t quite ready, leave it whole at room temperature.

Once it’s ripe, move it to the refrigerator. After you cut it, keep the pieces covered and refrigerated.

One important melon-safety reminder: wash the outside of the melon under running water before you cut into it- even though you aren’t eating the rind.

A knife can carry anything on the outside of the melon into the flesh as you cut it. The FDA specifically recommends scrubbing firm produce such as melons with a clean produce brush.

What if I have too much muskmelon?

This is a pretty good problem to have! Lucky you!

Beyond simply eating it cold, try:

• Freezing cubes for smoothies
• Blending it into agua fresca or other drinks
• Pairing it with salty cheese or cured meat
• Adding it to a cucumber salad
• Serving it with lime, chile, and a little salt
• Freezing puréed melon into popsicles
• ​

And if you want to try something a little different this week, we found a good one:

Pic of the Week