Harvesting Zucchini and Sowing Cover Crops
Zucchini is officially back in season! Since zucchini and most summer squashes are fairly quick growers, they are often among the first spring vegetables to make their way to the Farm Stand. We are excited to offer you both a green and yellow zucchini variety. They’re both tender with a nutty and mildly sweet flavor and can be eaten raw or cooked. Farmer Anne loves to pop them in the air fryer at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes for an easy side dish.
We spotted the first tiny fruits on our cucumber vines in the high tunnel this week! Did you know that cucumbers are in the Cucurbit family along with other crops like zucchini, butternuts, and summer squashes? This family thrives in warmer weather and is typically killed by frosts which is why you’ll see these crops in season during spring and summer. In order to make sure we have a steady supply of cucumbers for you throughout both seasons, we just planted another 100 feet of cucumber plants in the field last week! We hope you’re just as excited as we are for cucumbers to make their way back into season.
While a large part of what we do is to grow and harvest crops for our community, planting cover crops is an integral part in managing the health of our soil. Cover crops allow us to give sections of our farm a break from production while simultaneously improving the health and structure of the soil. We just planted one of the back sections with a cowpea cover crop for the season. As the cowpeas grow (above), they will fix beneficial nitrogen to the soil, reduce soil erosion, crowd out weeds, and eventually when they are mowed down, add organic matter to the soil.
In Season at the Farm Stand: Romaine, Red Romaine, Zucchini, Swiss Chard, Fennel, Beets, Carrots, Curly Kale, Dino Kale, Scallions, and Salad Mix.
Coming Soon: Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Peppers
