Summer CSA 2025: Week 6

What is being picked up this week?
Weekly Shares
Schedule A

Flower Shares (Weekly + Schedule B)

Not Picked Up:
Schedule A and Monthly Shares

Hi Reader,

There were quite a few reports of folks not receiving their confirmation emails from Farmigo last week. Our tech contact at Farmigo was contacted, but we haven't discovered the exact cause of the issue. We hope whatever was going on has been corrected, though.

On these hot days, don’t forget to grab your veggies and store them quickly in this heat! Most of what you receive should go into the fridge soon.

Around the Farm

Melon Mania!

It’s hot—really hot—and with no true, significant rain in sight, we’re working hard to keep everything (and everyone) hydrated.

Our pup Bailey is inspecting the winter squash crop. (Or looking for mice? Or maybe both?)

The cucumbers have decided they’ve had enough—between the heat, weeds, and a touch of disease, they’re pretty much calling it quits—but the muskmelons are loving the weather, and what started as a trickle is going to be a truckload by the end of the week. Muskmelons are the "Veggie of the Week," and you can read about one of Michigan’s most famous melons—the Howell melon—in our spotlight below.

We’re digging the first potatoes of the season (nothing beats the taste of fresh-dug spuds!) and just finished planting the fall carrots. Our tomatoes are so close—slicers and cherries are starting to blush—but while we wait, our friends at Green Wagon are helping fill the gap with some of their produce- mainly carrots. If all goes well, they might even have cherry tomatoes for us later today. We may also be adding watermelons and some other unusual melon varieties to the store, depending on ripeness.

Farming in August is always a balancing act between keeping up with the heat, staying ahead of the weeds, and harvesting the bounty—and right now, melons are most definitely the heftiest bounty on the farm. There will be a lot of sore backs and ice cream bars to go around, along with our gratitude.

As summer races on, we’re reminded that farming is always a mix of surprises, setbacks, and sweet rewards—and this week’s melons are definitely the sweet part.

The Menu

Credits for Veggie Shares: 30 for Standard/EOW, 60 for Large Shares

All other shares are not customizable and are therefore not reflected in the store. Please take a look at your CSA Account in Farmigo to see your Share options and schedule.

Items in Red with an asterisk* are the Farmer's Choice for this week. If you forget to customize, this share is yours.

Available for this Week's Veggie Shares:

Basil - Italian, Lemon, and Thai are available.
- Bulk basil is also available! Look in the "Bulk Items" section. 1 grocery bag of field-run (uncleaned, unsorted) basil is just $5.
- Limited time! Probably 2-3 more weeks, and then the basil may begin to decline.
Beets- red beets, without the tops.
Cabbage- Green and medium/small. There may be a few cone-head cabbages mixed in as well.
Carrots*- orange carrots without tops from Green Wagon Farm.
Celery!- it's finally sized up enough that we can cut heads of celery. These will be smaller and stronger-flavored than the grocery store.
Eggplant- Mini or Skinny (Japanese/Asian-type). We are still a little limited on both, and if one runs out, it may be substituted for the other, or with an Italian eggplant of equal or greater weight.
Fennel- a lovely black licorice flavored treat.
Fresh Garlic- beginning to dry down a bit now, but still juicy.
Herbs- Cilantro, Pickling Dill, Fern Dill, Summer Savory, and Stevia.
Kale- Siberian, Dinosaur, Green Curly, and Red Curly*.
Muskmelons!*- they started coming in mid-last week, and by Friday, we discovered we were buried. There will be no shortage of these (we hope), for the next 2-3 weeks.
Napa Cabbage- crispy, crunchy, and a lovely lettuce substitute. It might be limited, though, as hot weather is not friendly to the quality.
Okra - very limited every week, but it will appear and disappear from the list from now on. We have about 200 plants, but only have about 20 shares per week.
Potatoes, Red!*- from our farm! Various sizes and washed.
Rutabaga- still in storage from 2024!
Shishito Peppers - the first of the peppers have arrived! 1 in 10 are hot!
Summer Squash*- a mixed bag of green or yellow zucchini, summer squash, and cousa that is around a pound or 3-5 pieces.
Sweet Corn!* - Bicolor (yellow and white). We are aiming for five ears, but it could be more or less depending on their harvest and your interest.
Torpedo Melon- Limited quantities of an odd Korean melon that is crispy and refreshing but not sweet. A few more odd melons may be added, too.

Items for Sale:

Fresh eggs
Jam: Blueberry, Raspberry, and Strawberry
Bulk Basil
Possibly flower bouquets. Our harvests are finally getting strong enough!

Veggie of the Week: Muskmelons

While we don't think you need recipes for this item necessarily, we thought maybe a little storage guide and explanation of the name would be helpful.

“Cantaloupe” vs. “Muskmelon”

Botanically speaking, the term muskmelon (Cucumis melo) is the species name for a whole group of melons — including what we call cantaloupes, honeydews, Galia, and more.

True European cantaloupes (Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis) have a smooth, lightly ribbed skin and are grown mainly in Europe.

In the United States, what’s sold in grocery stores as a “cantaloupe” is actually a netted muskmelon (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus).

It has a rough, net-like rind and orange flesh. Americans call it “cantaloupe” out of tradition.

However, if you grew up with a certain generation of people, especially those who know the "Howell Melon"- then it is forever a "muskmelon!"

August “Gus” Schmitt and the Howell Melon

In the mid-1920s, local horticulturist August ‘Gus’ Schmitt introduced special melon seed to Howell, Michigan, a small town just a bit east and south of Lansing.

Working with local melon growers, the Howell Honey Sweet—the sweet, netted muskmelon became the town’s signature crop. Some say the seeds arrived by happenstance; others trace them to Honey Rock lines developed in Hicksville, Ohio (credited in a 1958 MSU Experiment Station bulletin).

However it began, the melon’s flavor—and the dedication of those farmers—launched a tradition that Howell still celebrates today with the Howell Melon Festival.

In the Titus family, we do not say we grow true Howell melons, though, as we think of it as a concept of terroir. Champagne can only come from the Champagne region- thus, Howell melons must only come from Howell, Michigan.

Although the genetics of the Howell Honey Sweet have contributed to the modern varieties we grow today.

-Compiled with information from the Howell Public Library

Melon Storage and Tips

Store: Keep whole muskmelons at room temperature until ripe—skin should be fragrant and slightly give at the blossom end. Once ripe, refrigerate whole or cut pieces in an airtight container. Eat within 3–5 days for best flavor and texture.

Use: If you have seasonal allergies, be sure to rinse the outside as those little nooks hide lots of pollen. Then, slice and serve fresh, add to fruit salads, blend into smoothies, wrap wedges in prosciutto, or cube and freeze for sorbets and chilled drinks—pairs well with mint, lime, and berries.

Freezer Tip: Cut ripe melon into cubes, spread on a baking sheet to freeze individually, then transfer to freezer bags. Best used within 6 months for smoothies or frozen desserts (texture will soften after thawing).

You can find more tips and tricks here, in our handy storage guide.

Pic of the Week