Sunset Farm is home to more than just people and plants. Amidst the development of once wild land, the farm’s greenspace has become a haven for birds and wildlife. This week we are reminded that a variety of animals find both shelter and food in the lush bounty of the farm. Although cute and cuddly as babies, our resident rabbits can cause substantial damage to crops by eating newly planted seedlings or an abundance of vegetables. In order to prevent losses, we take precautionary measures by installing small perimeter fences around our vulnerable crops. This redirects the rabbits to forage on sweet clover growing wild throughout the farm.

This time of year the rhythm and chirp of a Killdeer parent’s call is like a melody for our work. These birds choose bare ground rather than trees to lay their eggs, and raise their young on the farm until they are old enough to venture out. A unique quality of Killdeer is their instinct to protect their eggs and young by bluffing an injury in a dramatic display with hopes that the perceived threat would pursue them instead of the nest. When we locate a Killdeer nest in the field, we flag it and leave the section undisturbed until the young are grown and gone.

When you visit the farm to take in the beautiful landscape of Spring, don’t forget to notice the little surprises nature has to offer! You’ll be sure to leave with a full heart and plentiful bag of delicious veggies. This weekend at the Farm Stand you can choose from a variety of farm-grown tomato plants for your home garden and the last crop of cauliflower this season!

In Season: Cauliflower, Lettuce, Kohlrabi, Chard, Fennel, Green Onions, Parsley, Collard Greens, Kale, Cilantro, and Dill

If you have been a fan of the broccoli and cauliflower found in our Grab-n-Go veggie cooler, you won’t want to miss the last wave we are planting this week! These two crops have been our best sellers over the winter season, and we will only have a limited amount available until this last round matures. The warmer weather we have experienced this winter has caused some of our broccoli to produce flowers - the plant's natural response when it feels stressed. Thankfully, this weekend will bring cooler temperatures which will make these cool-weather crops feel right at home!

We’re excited that baby carrots are back on the menu! This sweet staple is a family favorite and can be enjoyed as a healthy snack, in a warm soup, or a savory stir fry. We planted carrots in our high tunnel and two beds in the field, so you can be assured of a steady supply throughout the winter and spring months. If you ever want to make use of the whole carrot while reducing food waste, we recommend including them in a carrot-top pesto recipe like this or adding them to a homemade veggie stock.

One of the highlights of our week as farmers has been admiring the sweet honey bees that love to visit our plants in bloom on Sunset Farm. We encourage you to take a walk by the farm sometime and soak up the colorful landscape. Hopefully these bees will stick around to help pollinate our Spring crops like tomatoes and squash that will be planted in just a few months!

​​In Season: Baby Carrots, Broccoli (limited), Cauliflower (limited), Spinach, Celery, Fennel, Green Onions, Green Cabbage, Parsley, Cilantro, Collard Greens, Curly Kale, Red Russian Kale, Tuscan Kale, Romaine Lettuce Heads, Swiss Chard, Arugula, and Radishes

We are excited to share that we harvested the first cauliflower of the season this week! This member of the delicious brassica family is incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed both raw and cooked. If you want to snack on it raw, try pairing it with your favorite dip (we’re partial to a garlicky hummus!) or slicing it thinly and adding it to a salad with some of our arugula or lettuce. Our favorite way to enjoy it cooked is to give it a simple roast in the oven until it’s golden and caramelized around the edges. We have a limited amount this week so we recommend stopping by the Grab-and-Go coolers for some sooner rather than later!

We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the Merry Ranch Workshop on Saturday! The Jordan Ranch Lifestyle Team is hosting this festive event on the farm on Saturday (December 6th) from 12-3pm. There will be plenty of ways to celebrate the season including pictures with Santa, a hot cocoa bar, and a snow play area! Once you’ve had your fill of the festivities, make sure to pop by the Grab-and-Go coolers for some beautiful farm-fresh produce. For more information on this free event, head here. 

An abundant harvest of all of our Salanova lettuce varieties is just over the horizon! We’ll be harvesting Green Butter, Red Butter, and Green Crisp lettuce heads in the next 1-2 weeks. Though salad is often associated with warmer months, the cooler months are optimal in our growing climate for lettuce and other salad greens! These lettuce varieties are tender and perfect for salads and sandwich toppers. We’ll let you know as soon as they’re available at the Grab-and-Go coolers. 

In Season: Cilantro, Dill, Collard Greens, Cauliflower (limited), Curly Kale, Red Russian Kale, Tuscan Kale, Bok Choy, Lettuce Heads, Swiss Chard, Arugula, Hakurei Turnips, Amara Mustard Greens, Wasabina Mustard Greens, Radishes, Spring Onions, Lunchbox Peppers, and Bell Peppers

We are excited to relaunch our volunteer program on the farm this month! Every Saturday from 8:30-11am beginning December 7th, volunteers will be able to work with us on various tasks to help keep Sunset Farm an enjoyable and thriving part of the Jordan Ranch community. Volunteer activities will align with our farm team’s needs each week and can range from weeding to planting to harvesting. Since we are a working production farm, we ask that volunteers are able to commit to the entirety of the time slot and arrive promptly by 8:30am. If you are interested in volunteering with us and would like more details, please reach out to our Farm Team at JordanRanch@Agmenity.com. 

Cauliflower is back in season at the Farm Stand! This member of the vast and delicious brassica family can be eaten both raw and cooked. If you’d like to enjoy it raw, try slicing the florets thinly with a mandoline then toss them with sliced celery, pickled onions, capers, and an herb-forward creamy dressing. If you’re craving something warm, our favorite way to enjoy cauliflower is to give it a simple roast in the oven until tender and beginning to caramelize around the edges. 

Our carrots are coming along nicely but they’re not ready for harvesting quite yet. We have successions planted in the high tunnel as well as in the field. Our hope is that both of these successions will allow us to lengthen the amount of time they’re available for you at the Farm Stand once we are able to begin harvesting. Based on their current size, we’ll most likely be able to harvest the first round of carrots in about 2-3 weeks which means they should be available just in time for Christmas! 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Kale, Collard Greens, Komatsuna, Bok Choy, Swiss Chard, Mustard Greens, Napa Cabbage, Cone Cabbage, Broccoli Rabe, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Scallions, Beets, Hakurei Turnips, Radishes, Salad Mix, Arugula, Little Gem Lettuce, Tomatoes, Eggplant, Roselle Greens, and Roselle Pods. 

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

The arrival of February means it’s time to begin sowing seeds for spring in the greenhouse! We planted the first succession of spring crops this week and we couldn’t be more excited. Among the varieties planted are yellow crookneck squash, Dunja zucchini, and slicing cucumbers. We also planted herbs like basil and dill along with flowers that will eventually make their way into spring bouquets. We don’t know about you, but Farmer Anna is really excited for the cucumbers!

If you’re curious what else we’ll be planting for the spring season, we encourage you to join us for our next Farm Tour on Saturday, February 10th at 10:30am. Our tours are the best way to experience all of the seasonal shifts on the farm and ask us any questions you might have. They’re also a great way to experience new and exciting crop varieties like the vibrant purple cauliflower we just started harvesting. Our tours are open to the public and free of charge. We would love to see you there!

Calling all carrots lovers! Have you had a chance to snag any carrots from the Farm Stand yet?! We will have both bunches and clamshell containers of carrots for you at the Farm Stand this weekend. Our bunches are made up of medium-sized carrots while our containers are filled with petite baby carrots. These carrots are sweet and tender and ready to be added to all of your favorite recipes. Farmer Anna recommends roasting them in a honey glaze spiced with nutmeg and seasoned with salt and pepper.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Kale, Collard Greens, Salad Mix, Carrots, Fennel, Watermelon Radish, Kohlrabi, and Purple Cauliflower. 

One of our favorite alliums has made its way back into season: scallions! This is one of Farmer Anna’s favorite crops because she loves to use them as a garnish on so many different dishes. Scallions can be enjoyed both raw and cooked and are a great way to add a mellow onion flavor to your favorite recipes. The white and light green portions of scallions have a stronger flavor and stand up well during cooking while the darker green tops have a more delicate flavor and are perfect for garnishing. Farmer Anna recommends using them in this salmon sushi bake. 

We harvested the first watermelon radishes in the high tunnel this week! You would never know looking at the exterior of a watermelon radish (above) that the interior is a brilliant shade of magenta (below). Watermelon radishes have a mild peppery flavor with a hint of sweetness. They can be enjoyed raw or cooked and are especially lovely when pickled. Farmer Anna loves adding them to salads for a beautiful (and delicious!) pop of color or using them as a garnish for homemade hummus. Make sure to stop by the Farm Stand this weekend so you can try some! 

Our carefully planned succession planting schedule allowed us to have an uninterrupted supply of cauliflower over the past month! We just harvested an abundance of beautiful heads of cauliflower from our second succession this week and are excited to share them with you at the Farm Stand. Farmer Reuben enjoys blanching cauliflower until tender and topping it with lemon pepper seasoning for a simple side dish. Did you know that you can easily freeze cauliflower to enjoy later in the year? Check out the simple method for freezing it here. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Watermelon Radishes, Scallions, Cauliflower, Broccoli (limited), Kohlrabi, Hakurei Turnips, Swiss Chard, Collards, Cabbage, Kale, Lettuce Heads, Salad Mix, Spinach, Cilantro, Dill, and Parsley.

Upcoming Farm Events:

• Monthly Farm Tour: Saturday, January 13th at 10:30am
• Pop-up at the Heights Mercantile Farmers Market: Sunday, January 14th from 9am-1pm
• Pop-up at the Heights Mercantile Farmers Market: Sunday, January 28th from 9am-1pm

Before the rain arrived, we were able to get the majority of our third round of fall crops transplanted. Each prepared bed receives drip irrigation to ensure our crops obtain adequate moisture. Once the irrigation tape is in place, it’s time to plant! This round includes interesting new crops like Purple Moon and Clementine cauliflowers in addition to trusted favorites like Green Magic broccoli and Dinosaur kale.

We’re excited to share that cauliflower is back in season at the Farm Stand! This member of the brassica family can be eaten both raw and cooked. Since cauliflower has a relatively mild flavor, it pairs well with a variety of spices and herbs. Farmer Anna prefers to give it a good roast in the oven until it begins to caramelize around the edges. She also loves to use it as a substitute for potatoes to make a cauliflower mash with butter and parmesan. Yum!

Tokyo Bekana (above) is another new addition to the Self-Serve Farm Stand. This loose headed Asian cabbage has incredibly tender leaves with a mild flavor that can be eaten raw or cooked. To use it in recipes, simply chop up the leaves and stems to your desired size. Or, leave it whole and grill it to draw out its nuttiness. For a simple side dish, try stir-frying it with some of our Hakurei turnips. Or, add some chopped Tokyo Bekana to your next salad.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cauliflower, Collard Greens, Napa Cabbage, Mustard Greens, Curly Kale, Dino Kale, Swiss Chard, Arugula, Tokyo Bekana, Bok Choy, Hakurei Turnips, Green Beans, and Dill

Coming Soon: Radishes and Lettuce Heads

We planted the first round of summer squashes in the field last week! We have one row each of green zucchini and Zephyr summer squash. We’re excited to share the Zephyr variety with you because it produces slender yellow summer squashes that are light green on the blossom end with a deliciously nutty flavor. Since summer squashes are quick growers, this will be the first of many successions planted throughout the spring and summer. We expect to start harvesting the first squashes in about a month!

In addition to the summer squashes, we planted two different cucumber varieties: Bristol (a standard slicing cucumber) and Max Pack (a pickling cucumber). Similar to summer squashes, cucumbers are fast growers. We’ll be installing trellises for them in the next couple of weeks to ensure their vines have a place to climb and sprawl. Farmer Anna is especially excited for the return of cucumbers because they’re one of her favorite crops! She sees a lot of cucumber, tomato, and onion salads in her future…

As we slowly transition the farm for the upcoming warmer season, we’ll be phasing out our cool season crops, namely our brassicas. The last round of cauliflower will be harvested this week and next. We’ll also be harvesting the last of our green and purple broccoli over the next couple of weeks. Make sure to take advantage of these delicious veggies before they make their way out of season! You can pick some up at our Saturday Farm Stand from 9am-noon or at any time from our Self-Serve Farm Stand.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Baby Carrots, Spring Onions, Cauliflower, Purple Broccoli, Celery, Hakurei Turnips, Icicle Radishes, Kohlrabi, Collards, Cabbage, Kale, Spinach, Lettuce, and Cilantro.

We’re offering a special pre-order option for our farm-fresh produce this Thanksgiving! We’ll gather the items you want and have them ready for you next Tuesday, November 22nd. This is a great way to save some time shopping and incorporate locally grown veggies into your holiday meal! You can choose from any of the items in our “in season” list at the bottom of this post. If you’d like to place an order, email us at JordanRanch@Agmenity.com with a list of what you’d like along with the quantities. Make sure to put “Thanksgiving Pre-Order” in the subject line and send it to us no later than Tuesday morning.

Broccoli and cauliflower just made their way back into season! This is the first of many successions of broccoli and cauliflower that will be harvested throughout the fall and winter months. Since both of these are typically a “single-cut” crop, we space out plantings of them in order to ensure a fairly steady supply. How do you like to eat these delicious members of the brassica family? Farmer Alex loves to roast broccoli and enjoy it with pasta. She recommends combining pasta with ricotta, lemon, herbs, and roasted broccoli for a simple and delicious meal.

Our onions starts just arrived and we can’t wait to plant them! An onion start (pictured below) is a small, bare-root onion plant that has already been started from seed. We’ll be planting a mix of yellow, white, and red onions in our prepared beds for a spring harvest. Since we’ll have some starts left over, we’ll be offering small bundles of them at the farm stand for $3 each beginning this weekend. Onions are a great addition to your home garden because they’re fairly easy to grow. And, we’re more than happy to offer you some planting tips when you stop by to pick up your starts from the farm stand!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Beets, Salad Radishes, Watermelon Radishes, Broccoli, Cauliflower (limited), Dragon’s Tongue Beans (limited), Scallions, Roselle, Bok Choy, Kale, Cabbage, Napa Cabbage, Collard Greens, Salad Mix, Arugula, Sweet Peppers, Eggplant, Cilantro, and Dill.

December 16th, 2021

Carrots are officially back in season along with broccoli and cauliflower! These veggies will provide some delicious contrasting flavors and textures alongside all of our leafy greens. This succession of carrots is the Bolero variety. These carrots are perfect for snacking, tossing in salads, forming the base of soups and stews, or roasting. Curious how we like to enjoy them? Farmer Alex recommends serving roasted carrots on a swath of dill-flecked yogurt. Yum!

Our Burgundy broccoli is starting to form the first heads despite this unusually warm December weather. Burgundy is a sprouting broccoli which means it produces several smaller heads with thinner stalks. This broccoli variety lends itself to multiple harvests throughout the season as it will keep producing side shoots when regularly harvested. Did you know that the leaves of Burgundy broccoli and all other broccoli varieties are edible, too? They’re a nice substitute for collard greens and can be prepared in the same way. If you’d like to try some, make sure to stop by the farm stand on Saturday!

In addition to feeding our community through our farm stand, we partner with several local chefs and restaurants. If you’re not able to make it to the farm stand and still want to enjoy our produce, we highly recommend trying Nancy’s Hustle, Ostia, and UB Preserv. If you’d like to come to our farm stand, these are our remaining hours for the year: Saturday December 18th from 10am-noon, Wednesday December 22nd from 4-6pm, and Wednesday December 29th from 4-6pm.

Currently In Season: Carrots, Broccoli, Broccoli Leaves, Cauliflower, Slicer Tomatoes, Dill, Cilantro, Sage, Fennel, Kale, Napa Cabbage, Arugula, Lettuce Mix, Head Lettuce, Baby Bok Choy, Tatsoi, Tokyo Bekana, and Swiss Chard

December 9th, 2021

The farm is looking mighty green this week especially with the addition of the Little Gem lettuces and Barese chard that we planted! Little Gem (pictured here) produces heads of lettuce with a sweet flavor and buttery texture. We’ll be harvesting this lettuce variety as mature heads rather than younger leaves like we do with our salad mixes. Barese is a variety of Swiss chard that produces glossy dark green leaves and thick white stalks. The leaves are smaller than standard Swiss chard.

We planted a couple of different kale varieties this week that we plan on overwintering. When it comes to plants, overwintering simply means to live through the winter. Since our overwintered kale will be in the ground longer than our earlier plantings (ideally until spring), we space each plant slightly farther apart to provide more space for each to grow. Here’s to plenty of delicious kale this winter!

Our next succession of broccoli is coming right along! This variety is Green Magic and as you can see it has already begun forming heads. As for our cauliflower, the first succession is nearly ready for harvest. We might be able to get away with harvesting the first heads just in time for the farm stand this Saturday but we should definitely have some for you next week! To make sure we can provide a relatively steady supply of both of these crops, we’ll be regularly planting successions of them throughout the winter.

Currently In Season: Carrots (limited), Slicer Tomatoes, Eggplant, Dill, Cilantro, Fennel, Kale, Green Leaf Lettuce Heads, Salad Mix, Arugula, Swiss Chard, Mustard Greens, Napa Cabbage, Turnips, Icicle Radishes, and Fresh Cut Flower Bouquets