Join us in welcoming our new Farm Manager, Chandler! Though originally from Houston, Chandler spent the majority of her farming career in New Mexico. She was most recently in Santa Fe, New Mexico before she made her way down to Sunset Farm to begin her 8th season farming. She enjoys the rhythms and reliability that farming brings: rain will fall, the sun will shine, and the plants will grow. Chandler is looking forward to trying out new varieties that will thrive in the micro-climate at Sunset Farm and tailoring the crop plan to fit the community’s needs. Make sure to say hi if you see her on the farm!

Long beans just made their way back into season at the Farm Stand! These lengthy beans are more heat tolerant than traditional green beans and have a similar flavor with less sweetness. Long beans are best enjoyed cooked and are perfect for stir-fries and soups. They can also be sauteed with some garlic and olive oil for a super quick side dish. Make sure to pick some up during our Farm Stand on Saturday from 9am-noon or pop by the Grab-and-Go coolers anytime it’s convenient for you.

The baby butternuts we planted at the end of April are ready for harvesting! These butternut squash are a convenient “single-serving” size with a sweet and nutty flavor. They can be used in both sweet and savory recipes depending on your preference. An easy way to enjoy them as a side dish is to cut them in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, then place them cut down on a roasting pan. Roast until nice and tender then season and serve with butter or a drizzle of olive oil. We’ll have them available for you at the Farm Stand on Saturday from 9am-noon so make sure to stop by!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Long Beans, Okra, Cherry and Slicing Tomatoes, Pickling and Slicing Cucumbers, Zucchini, Eggplants, Jalapenos, Bell Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Cornito Peppers, Lunchbox Peppers, Baby Butternuts, Carrots, Basil, and Flowers

Join us in welcoming our newest member of the Farm Team, Anne! She has a B.S. in Agriculture from Texas State University and has worked mostly in the horticultural sector since graduating. She has always been fascinated with farming and gets her love of growing from her great grandfather. He was an avid gardener and hearing stories of his rose gardens and thriving greenhouse helped cultivate Anne’s interest in agriculture. She is most looking forward to growing cut flowers on the farm (zinnias are her favorite!) and can’t wait to connect with the community. If you see her around, make sure to say hi!

Fall planting is in full swing on the farm this week! We transplanted several different fall crops from the greenhouse into our prepared rows in the field. All of the varieties we planted will be able to withstand these warm late summer and early fall days before it eventually cools off. Here’s what we planted: kale, mustard greens, Swiss chard, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, Napa cabbage, and pak choi. You can expect to see leafy greens like kale and Swiss chard make their way to the Farm Stand first so keep an eye out in the coming weeks!

Our baby butternuts are ready for harvesting this week! These butternuts are a convenient “single-serving” size that are perfect for enjoying as a side dish. They have a deliciously sweet and nutty flavor that works well in both savory and sweet dishes. An easy way to prepare them is to cut them in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, then place them cut side down on a roasting pan. Roast until they are nice and tender then season and serve with a garlic herb butter. Make sure to pop by the Farm Stand this weekend to pick some up!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Baby Butternuts, Korean Melons, Cucumbers, Zucchini (limited), Asian Eggplant, Roselle Greens, Okra, and Long Beans.

Remember the tarp we had in the high tunnel to smother new weed growth? The tarp did its job beautifully and now it’s time to prepare the beds in the high tunnel for fall planting! Each bed has been broadforked to help aerate and break up any compaction in the soil. Once each bed is broadforked, a layer of compost is added to incorporate organic matter and improve the soil structure. Once the compost is in place, we can use the precision depth roller attachment on our BCS tractor to help gently mix the compost into the soil (below). We can’t wait to get these beds planted with fall crops!

The greenhouse is starting to look very verdant as all of the fall crops we seeded last week germinate! Overall we’re seeing really great germination which has us eager to get these crops planted in the field. Farmer Matt is incredibly excited for the broccoli and cauliflower because he loves incorporating them into meals and never gets tired of them. He’s also looking forward to scallions making their way back into the harvesting rotation since they’re fun to grow and smell amazing in the field in the early morning! Which fall crops are you most excited to see return to the Farm Stand?

Our next round of baby butternuts is almost ready for harvesting! This variety is ready to harvest once it turns a tan color and the skin toughens up. The easiest way to tell if the skin is tough enough is to give it the “fingernail test”: if you press on the skin with your fingernail and it doesn’t leave a dent, it’s ready! Once harvested, these butternuts will cure in the greenhouse before making their way to the Farm Stand. We’ll let you know as soon as they’re available! 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Korean Melons, Cucumbers, Zucchini (limited), Asian Eggplant (limited), Roselle Greens, Okra, and Long Beans.

Coming Soon: Baby Butternuts

We invite you to join us for our next Farm Tour on Saturday, June 15th at 10:30am! This month we’ll be focusing on the transition to the summer season and what that looks like on the farm. You’ll get a sneak peek at our upcoming summer crops along with the newly installed shade cloths on both the high tunnel and greenhouse. As always, attendees will be able to sample seasonal crops like cherry tomatoes and cucumbers. Our Farm Tours are open to the public and suitable for all ages. We hope to see you there!

We harvested a small amount of butternut squashes with more to follow in the coming weeks. This variety is called “Butterbaby” and it yields small, personal sized squashes. As you can see in the photo above, butternuts are a lighter cream color before the skin toughens up and they turn the tan color you see below. After harvesting, our butternuts will undergo the curing process in the greenhouse. This allows the skins to toughen up and the natural sugars to concentrate leading to a longer storage life and a better flavor. You can expect to see these baby butternuts at the Farm Stand in a couple of weeks! 

Poblano peppers made their way into season this week! These dark green peppers have a bright, fresh flavor and mild to medium heat. They are great for roasting, stuffing, pickling, and incorporating into sauces. Farmer Reuben’s favorite way to enjoy poblano peppers is in chile relleno. He prefers a stuffing made with ground beef but you can also use cheese or a vegetarian meat alternative depending on your preference. Here’s a recipe if you’d like to make your own version at home this weekend. Make sure to stop by the Farm Stand to stock up on peppers first!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Eggplant, Slicing Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Slicing Cucumbers, Pickling Cucumbers, Serrano Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Okra, Kale, Basil, and Cut Flowers (limited)

Coming Soon: Zucchini, Long Beans, and Korean Melons

We will have the first peppers of the season for you very soon! Our shishito peppers will come into season first, followed shortly by our sweet Escamillo peppers. Hot peppers like jalapenos, serranos, and poblanos will arrive within the next month. The shishito variety we’re growing this year (below) has a mild heat that pairs well with its grassy and citrusy flavors. These are perfect for roasting, pickling, or adding to salads and burgers. Keep an eye out for the first shishito peppers at the Farm Stand this week! 

Remember the butternut squash seeds we started in the greenhouse at the end of March? We transplanted them in the field a couple of weeks ago and are already seeing baby butternuts! As you can see below, we have the rows covered with weed fabric. Since butternuts grow low to the ground with a vining habit, this will reduce competition from weeds. This fabric is also beneficial in reducing excess moisture damage that would otherwise happen if the fruits were sitting directly on the soil. Since it takes around 100 days for this butternut variety to reach maturity, this weed fabric will be crucial in keeping our plants healthy. 

We are pleased to report that the first melons of the season were transplanted this week! Melons are always a nice treat because they will add a bit of sweetness to our summer harvests and provide a refreshing snack option on hot days. We planted two different varieties: Sugar Cube cantaloupes and Ginkaku Korean melons. Sugar Cube is a smaller, personal-sized cantaloupe with sweet, aromatic flesh. Ginkaku is a smaller oblong-shaped melon that tastes like a cross between a melon and a pear. We can’t wait to harvest these for you in the summer!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Slicing Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Kale, Collard Greens, Spring Onions, and Basil

Coming Soon: Peppers and Eggplants

We have a special treat for you this week: a limited run of cauliflower! This round of cauliflower is particularly special because it survived the hard freeze in January and those very warm days in February. Since this is a limited run, we will only have it available at the Farm Stand for the next week, or until it sells out. If you love cauliflower, we highly recommend popping by for a head or two! Farmer Anna recommends steaming it until tender then mashing it with some garlic, salt, smoked paprika, and onion powder for an easy side dish.

Remember the experimental round of cutting celery we started back in December? It has officially made its way into season on the farm! You’ll notice if you look at the photo below that cutting celery has a different appearance than the stalk celery you are familiar with seeing at the grocery store. Cutting celery produces much thinner stalks and more leafy green growth. The leaves can be used like parsley and are great for adding to soups, stews, and sauces. Since the stalks can be a bit more fibrous than conventional celery, we recommend cooking them rather than eating them raw. They make a great base for a variety of different recipes along with diced onions and carrots.

We seeded the first round of butternuts in the greenhouse last week! Though butternuts are a variety of winter squash, they are grown during the warmer spring and summer months. This particular variety is called Butterbaby and it yields miniature butternut squashes. Since these butternuts have a vining growth habit and are sensitive to moisture, we’ll be planting them in rows covered with a weed fabric. We’ll share more on this process later so stay tuned!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cauliflower, Cutting Celery, Spring Onions, Salad Mix, Kale, Collards, Swiss Chard, and Kohlrabi.

Coming Soon: Beets, Cucumbers, Zucchini, and Summer Squashes

We’re just beginning to sow seeds for fall in the greenhouse! So far we’ve planted two different winter squashes: Waltham butternut and a smooth-skinned personal pie pumpkin. As you can see in the photo above, the butternuts are already beginning to germinate. This butternut variety takes around 90-100 days to mature so our hope is to have them ready for you by Thanksgiving. We’ll make sure to keep you updated on their progress!

Volunteer Spotlight

Meet one of our hardworking volunteers, Shanaz! Every week Shanaz braves the heat with us, helping with various farm tasks as well as the Saturday Farm Stand. After retiring and longing to spend more time outdoors, she found her way to the farm to volunteer. Shanaz has her own garden at home, growing various veggies and herbs. Her favorite crop in season right now is eggplant. She loves cooking with it and even snacking on it raw! If you’re interested in volunteering with us, send us an email at JordanRanch@Agmenity.com. 

Zucchini is making its way back into season! This variety is called “Dunja” and it’s a standard dark-green zucchini with a nutty flavor. Since we’re just beginning to harvest from our plants, we will have a limited amount of zucchini for you at the Farm Stand this weekend. One of our favorite things about zucchini is that it can be used in both sweet and savory recipes! If you’re longing for fall, we recommend whipping up a batch of zucchini muffins or bread spiced with cinnamon and ginger. 

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

We’ll have something new for you at the farm stand this weekend: butternuts! These are a smaller variety called “Butterscotch” and they have a deliciously sweet and nutty flavor. Farmer Alex recommends roasting and stuffing these butternuts with a mix of your favorite protein, herbs, and goat cheese. Or, you can roast them until the flesh is tender and blend it up to use in baked goods just as you would pumpkin puree. We will have limited amounts of these at the farm stand so first come, first served!

Over the past week we direct-seeded several different fall crops in our prepared rows. Direct-seeding simply means that we planted the seeds directly in the field rather than starting them in trays in the greenhouse. We often do this with crops that we want to plant densely (like arugula and other baby greens) and root vegetables. Here’s what we direct-seeded: carrots, dragon’s tongue beans, arugula (pictured above), watermelon radishes, icicle radishes, and Easter egg radishes. Since the arugula and radishes grow fairly quickly and have already germinated, we should have them ready for you in the next 2-3 weeks!

We finished installing the new film and shade cloth on the greenhouse just in time to plant the next succession of fall crops. We’re really excited about this round of seeding because it includes a few new varieties as well as some old favorites. We sowed seeds for broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, head lettuce, fennel, scallions, celeriac, and celery. We also planted some cooler weather flowers like nigella, larkspur, and strawflower. It’s shaping up to be an incredibly delicious fall season!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Butternut Squash (limited), Okra, Asian Eggplants, Italian Eggplants, Cucumbers, Sweet Peppers, Roselle Greens, Egyptian Spinach, and Zinnia Bouquets.

Watermelons are back in season! Our last succession of Sugar Baby watermelons are being harvested and are available at the farm stand. Farmer Alex thinks this round is especially tasty and can’t wait for you to try one. We highly encourage you to get your fill of melons because their season will be coming to a close in the next couple of weeks. We should have watermelons for you over the next two weeks but our Milan and Korean melons will only be available for the next week. Aside from snacking on them raw, you can juice them, make a granita, or enjoy them in a salad with cucumber, feta, and mint.

Remember the winter squashes we planted? They are swiftly growing and we’ve already spotted the first female blossoms! Like all winter squashes, both our butternuts and Autumn Frost squashes produce male and female flowers on the same plant. The female flowers are easy to spot because they have a tiny squash at their base while the male flowers are on a long stem. You can see a female butternut flower above and one from our Autumn Frost squashes below.

Since we won’t be planting any more summer crops, we’re focusing a large part of our attention on preparing the farm for the fall season. This includes tackling the weeds that grew exponentially with the recent rainfall and slowly clearing out spent summer crops. It also includes doing a lot of planting in the greenhouse but we’ll share more about that with you in our update next week. We hope you’re as excited for the fall season as we are!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Spaghetti Squash, Egyptian Spinach, Roselle Greens, Sweet Peppers, Jalapenos, Habanada Peppers, Fresno Peppers, Cayenne Peppers, Okra, Armenian Cucumbers, Zucchini, Watermelons, Korean Melons, Cantaloupe, Long Beans, Italian Eggplant, Asian Eggplant, and Sunflower Bouquets.

After anxiously waiting and watching all summer, we spotted the first luffa fruits on our plants! Luffa, or ridge gourd, is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family along with crops like cucumbers and squashes. When harvested young, it has a mild sweetness with a spongy texture. If it’s allowed to fully mature and dry out on the vine, it becomes fibrous and yields a natural scrubbing sponge (you can see what it looks like in this post). We plan on harvesting our luffas young so that you can experiment with them in your kitchen. If you look at the photo above, you can see what one of the female luffa blossoms looks like before it has opened and been pollinated. Below you can see what a young luffa looks like just before it reaches harvesting size.

We planted a little taste of fall for you last week: winter squashes! We have both butternuts and Autumn Frost squashes growing in the field. We’re particularly excited for the Autumn Frost variety as it is one that we haven’t grown on the farm before. It is a specialty butternut that is said to be as beautiful as it is delicious. It produces squashes with dusty terracotta colored skin and flesh that is sweet and earthy. We can’t wait to share them with you!

Last week we sowed seeds for banana, Scotch bonnet, and ghost peppers in the greenhouse. And, they’ve already germinated as you can see in the photo below! Since fall in our climate is typically mild, we’ll be growing this succession of peppers to supplement your autumnal meals. These peppers will be great for making a big batch of fermented hot sauce that will last you through the colder months. In the meantime, if you’d like to get your pepper fix, you can try any of the sweet or hot pepper varieties that are listed below at the farm stand.

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.

September 9th, 2021

In order to prevent further damage from the squash vine borers, we decided to go ahead and harvest all of our butternut squashes. Upon harvesting, our butternuts were moved to the greenhouse in order to undergo the curing process. This allows the skin to toughen up so that these squashes can be stored for up to six months. It also allows the natural sugars present in the squash to concentrate, yielding a sweeter and more balanced flavor.

We made the first harvest from our fall crops this week in the form of our baby arugula, baby kale, and baby mustard greens. We also harvested some Tokyo Bekana (pictured above and below), a non-heading Chinese cabbage variety with buttery soft leaves and a mild flavor. Due to its soft texture and mild flavor, Tokyo Bekana can be used as a salad green. It would be particularly delicious in a mix with the baby arugula and baby kale. If you’d like to enjoy it cooked, try wilting it with a bit of garlic, soy sauce, and rice vinegar.

The first mature luffas were harvested this week! These luffas were allowed to fully ripen and dry out on the vine. Once they reach this stage, they’re easy to spot because they have turned brown. After harvesting, we can easily peel away the skin to expose the fibrous “skeleton”. The luffa can then be used as a natural sponge. At the end of their season, we’ll be harvesting some young luffa for you to taste! Young luffa can be cooked in a similar manner to summer squash and zucchini.

August 18th, 2021

Fall preparations are underway on the farm! Though it’s still pretty warm out, we’re beginning to plant brassica seeds to get a jumpstart on the next season. We direct-seeded a mix of arugula, Wasabina mustard greens, and mizuna into one of our beds. We are pleasantly surprised at how quickly this mix germinated! If all goes well, we should be harvesting this delicious mix of leafy greens in no time.

The first succession of brassica seeds were planted in the greenhouse as well. This first succession is focused on varieties that are meant to be more heat tolerant. Among the varieties planted were Monty broccoli and Green Glaze collard greens. Monty produces well-domed, bright green heads of broccoli and is purported to have excellent heat tolerance. Green Glaze is a collard variety with smooth, bright green leaves. It is recommended for warm coastal states so we’re hopeful it will do incredibly well in this first planting!

Each crop comes with a list of potential pests and when it comes to summer and winter squashes, squash vine borers are right at the top. Adult squash vine borers are black and orange moths that lay their eggs at the base of susceptible plants, i.e. squash plants. Once the larvae hatch, they bore into the center of the stems which ends up preventing the flow of water to the rest of the plant. Eventually, the plant wilts and dies. Our recent succession of zucchini seems to be the most affected by squash vine borers. They appear to be leaving our JWS butternut squashes alone, most likely due to the fact that Cucurbita moschata (their species) stems are woodier and less hollow. These plants are covered in fruit and are doing very well. You can see a baby butternut in the photo below.