We are excited to share that watermelons are back in season at the Farm Stand! We can personally attest to how sweet and delicious this batch is and can’t wait for you to try one. We have both personal size (“icebox”) and full size melons available for you. Since watermelon season tends to go by fairly quickly, we highly encourage you to stop by the coolers soon so you can snag one. Aside from snacking on chilled wedges of watermelon, they’re especially delicious in a salad along with cucumber, feta, mint, and lime. Or, you can use them to make a batch of agua fresca (recipe here). 

We just planted a round of striped Armenian cucumbers and are excited to see them eventually make their way into season in August. This particular variety has not been grown on the farm since 2021 so we are incredibly excited for it to make its return! Though they’re called a cucumber and look like one, striped Armenians are technically a melon. They have thin skin and a mild taste that is a cross between a cucumber and an unsweet melon along with distinctive dark and light green stripes. You can see a preview of what they will look like below!

Summer has arrived which means the variety at the Farm Stand won’t change too drastically over the next couple of months with the exception of major weather events. You can expect to see a small handful of new things making their way into season like Korean melons and Armenian cucumbers, but overall our core summer crops like eggplant, okra, long beans, and peppers will remain the same. While we still have tomatoes available, their production is slowing down so we highly recommend stopping by and enjoying them while you can. Our Grab-and-Go coolers are available to you 24/7 while our Saturday Farm Stand is open every Saturday from 9am-noon. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Long Beans, Okra, Eggplant, Cherry and Slicing Tomatoes, Zucchini, Jalapenos, Bell Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Cornito Peppers, Lunchbox Peppers, Baby Butternuts, Carrots, Basil, and Flower Bouquets and Stems

Armenian cucumbers are back in season at the Farm Stand! Since Armenian cucumbers are technically a melon, they have a subtle sweet taste that is really unique. The variety we’re currently harvesting is light green and can be enjoyed the same way you would a standard cucumber. Farmer Reuben has been enjoying slicing them up and eating them as a farm snack with a sprinkle of his trusty Tajin seasoning and a squeeze of lime. He highly recommends popping by the Farm Stand to pick up some of these delicious cucumbers this weekend!

We planted roselle this week, one of our favorite multi-use crops. Roselle (pictured below) is an edible hibiscus variety in the same family as okra. We’ll be harvesting the tart and tangy leaves as a summer green once the plants get in a few weeks of growth. As the roselle matures and we head towards the fall season, it will begin to bloom and eventually produce ruby red calyces. Roselle calyces have a tart flavor similar to cranberries that can be used in jams, syrups, or teas. We can't wait to share both the leaves and the calyces with you!

We’ve received several inquiries about tomatoes at the Farm Stand recently so this is the perfect opportunity to talk about seasonality in our climate! Everything we grow on the farm has an ideal temperature range in which it will not only live but thrive. Tomatoes for example tend to be more of a spring crop in our climate as they become stressed once high temperatures are regularly above 85 degrees. A crop like okra (pictured below) likes warm nights and can thrive in the hot summer sun, thus it’s a summer crop. If you’re ever curious when your favorite veggies will be in season, just ask! We’re more than happy to let you know when to expect them.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Armenian Cucumbers, Eggplants, Korean Melons, Okra, Sweet Peppers, Serrano Peppers (limited), Jalapeno Peppers (limited), and Cut Flower Bouquets (limited and only on Saturdays).

The end of one crop often marks the beginning of the next one! The kale and squash in these beds is being mown down with our BCS tractor as the first step in our bed preparation process. Once a crop has made it through its life cycle, we leave it in place and mow over it rather than digging it up. This chops up the plant matter which can then be left in place on top of the beds as “green manure”. As the plant decomposes, it adds organic matter back to the soil which is incredibly beneficial for the next crop that will be sown in its place.

Last week we planted one of our summer greens: Malabar spinach! Though not a true spinach, the succulent leaves of this tropical plant have a mild flavor similar to spinach. Malabar spinach (pictured above) is heat tolerant, making it a great leafy green option to grow during the summer season. Farmer Anna is really excited for this crop and can’t wait for you to try it! We should be making the first harvest within the next couple of weeks.

Do you remember the Armenian cucumbers we grew last year? We’re happy to share that our current crop will be ready for harvest in the next week or two! Though technically a melon, Armenian cucumbers taste and look similar to a standard cucumber. They’re a great summer crop due to their ability to tolerate the heat. The variety we’re growing this summer is ribbed and has skin that is a lovely light green color. We can’t wait to share them with you!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Eggplant, Watermelons (limited), Korean Melons, Long Beans, Okra, Sweet Peppers, Serrano Peppers (limited), Jalapeno Peppers (limited), Onions, and Cut Flower Bouquets (limited and only on Saturdays).

Remember the Milan melons we planted back in June? We harvested the first of them this week! Milan is an Italian melon similar to cantaloupe with beige skin, longitudinal green stripes, and orange flesh (pictured both above and below). It is incredibly fragrant and sweet and has more of a crisp texture than a traditional cantaloupe. We highly recommend stopping by the farm stand to pick one up for some weekend snacking! Aside from enjoying it as-is, Farmer Alex recommends using these melons for a batch of sorbet or granita.

Have you had a chance to try any of our Armenian cucumbers yet? We’ve been enjoying experimenting with them in our own kitchens throughout the summer. Armenian cucumbers have a delicate flavor that is melon-like without the sweetness. The smaller Armenian cucumbers are great for slicing and enjoying raw in salads. Their firm and crunchy texture also makes them ideal for a batch of pickles. The larger ones can actually be cooked just as you would zucchini! Try them out in this grilled cucumber recipe with mint and feta.

We are excited to offer you a new sunflower variety in our bouquets very soon! It’s called “White Lite” and it has very pale yellow petals and a golden center. As you can see in the photo below, some of these sunflowers are already starting to open! We’ll most likely be pairing these with our other sunflower varieties for some lovely late summer bouquets. We’ll make sure to let you know as soon as they’re available!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Delicata Squash, Spaghetti Squash, Egyptian Spinach, Roselle Greens, Malabar Spinach, Sweet Peppers, Jalapenos, Habanada Peppers, Fresno Peppers, Cayenne Peppers, Bolivian Peppers, Okra, Armenian Cucumbers, Korean Melons, Cantaloupe, Long Beans, Italian Eggplant, Asian Eggplant, and Basil