We are excited to share that fall seeding is underway this week! As we shift to the cooler seasons, we’ll be moving away from the Cucurbit and Nightshade family of crops and will be planting a lot of Brassicas, root vegetables, and cooler season herbs like dill and cilantro. These crops not only prefer cooler temperatures, but can tolerate the shortened daylight hours of fall and winter. The first round of planting this week included collard greens, kale, Napa cabbage, baby bok choy, and mustard greens. We’ll be planting more over the coming weeks so stay tuned!

The last round of cucumbers will be making their way into season very soon! After a short lull between rounds, you can expect to see cucumbers making their way back to the Farm Stand this weekend. Since this will be the first harvest from these plants, they will be available in very limited quantities until they hit their stride in the next couple of weeks. These cucumbers are a slicing variety that is great for enjoying in salads, sandwiches, smoothies, or even a batch of lemonade along with some of our herbs. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Okra, Eggplant, Zucchini, Cucumbers (very limited), Lunchbox Peppers, Jalapenos, Bell Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Lemon Balm, Basil (Italian, Lemon, Thai, and Tulsi), Baby Butternuts, and Flower Bouquets and Stems

If you’re in search of something special for the mothers in your life, look no further than our Farm Stand on Saturday! Farmer Anne will be offering a build-your-own bouquet station so you can create a vibrant bouquet with flowers grown and harvested right here on the farm. We have a colorful mix of zinnias, sunflowers, sweet peas, marigolds, celosia, and many more to choose from. The build-your-own bouquet option will only be available this Saturday, May 10th, during our Farm Stand hours from 9am-noon. If you’re not able to make it during those hours, we will have a limited supply of pre-made bouquets available for you in the Grab-and-Go coolers.

Cucumbers are officially back in season! We’re currently harvesting a pickling variety with slicers coming very soon. These smaller pickling cucumbers are the ideal size for jars of homemade pickles. Here is a recipe for quick pickles if you’d like to make some at home. Don’t like pickles? Try juicing these cucumbers or pairing them with your favorite dip for a quick and easy snack. Make sure to stop by the Grab-and-Go coolers this weekend to stock up!

Another warm weather favorite just made it back into season: eggplant! We’re currently harvesting the variety “Aretussa” which has white skin and a more oblong shape. This thinner-skinned variety has a mild sweetness that is perfect for roasting, grilling, and stir-frying. Eggplants pair well with both tomatoes and zucchini which are both currently in season. We recommend combining this trio for this ratatouille recipe baked in a cast iron skillet.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cherry Tomatoes, Slicing Tomatoes, Pickling Cucumbers, Zucchini, Eggplant, Jalapenos, Bell Peppers, Red and Golden Beets, Carrots, and Flowers. 

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

There will not be volunteer hours this Saturday so that we can give our full attention to our Gardening Class! Come celebrate spring by learning to plant and care for your home garden this Saturday, March 22nd from 10:30-11:30am with Farmer Matt. We will discuss various spring season crops, when to begin planting staple vegetable varieties that grow well in our climate, and how to prep your gardening space to welcome an abundant harvest. Each attendee will get to choose some of our potted tomato plants to take home in order to kick start their own garden. This class is open to the public but there is a special discount for Jordan Ranch residents (email us for the code at JordanRanch@Agmenity.com). Purchase your tickets here.

The high tunnel is filling up swiftly with warm season crops! This week we planted both a slicing and pickling cucumber variety in the high tunnel and will be planting additional successions in the field in the coming weeks. The slicing variety we planted is called “Diva” and it produces seedless, thin-skinned cucumbers with a distinctly crisp texture and subtly sweet flavor. The pickling variety is called “Cool Customer” and it produces smaller cucumbers with a great crunchy texture that are perfect for pickling. 

We’re entering what we like to call a “shoulder season” on the farm. As the weather warms, many of our winter crops are being phased out while spring ones are being transplanted in their place. We’ll have leaner offerings over the next few weeks as we wait for some of our newer crop plantings to begin producing. While the number of offerings is smaller, we still have some delicious spring favorites like fennel, carrots, and scallions available at the Farm Stand. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Carrots, Scallions, Dino Kale, Curly Kale, Collard Greens, Fennel, and Cilantro

We’ve been seeding up a storm in the greenhouse in preparation for the spring season! Now that our tomatoes and peppers are happily growing away, it’s time to plant cucumbers, zucchini, and yellow squashes. These varietals are much quicker growers than tomatoes and peppers so they don’t need as early of a start. This will be the first of many successions of cucumbers and squashes that will carry us through spring and summer. You can expect to see them trickling back into season in early April.

An abundance of flower varieties were also planted in the greenhouse this week! One of our favorite spring traditions on the farm is to grow a couple of cut flower beds for bouquets. This year, we’re focusing on planting smaller quantities of more flower varieties than we have in the past. We’ll have some reliable favorites like zinnias and marigolds with newer ones like yarrow and pincushion flowers. If all goes well, we should have cut flower bouquets at the Farm Stand just in time for Mother’s Day!

Aside from all of the seed starting, we took some time to use the flame weeder in some of our beds in preparation for spring planting. The flame weeder is a great way for us to keep weeds in check without disturbing the soil. An added bonus is that it’s much quicker than our other weeding methods! The intense heat generated by the flame weeder sears the leaves of the weeds which causes the plant to die back. As the plant decays, it adds nutrients back to the soil which will benefit future spring crops.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Carrots, Beets, Salad Mix, Butter Lettuce, Romaine Lettuce, Komatsuna, Swiss Chard, Cone Cabbage, Bok Choy, Kale, Collard Greens, Cilantro, Scallions, Fennel, Kohlrabi, Cauliflower, and Broccoli (limited)

Okra is officially back in season on the farm! Thanks to its ability to thrive during the heat, okra is one of our tried and true summer staples. We’re harvesting a colorful mix of green and burgundy varieties that are perfect for pickling, roasting, and frying. Farmer Reuben loves to give okra a quick toss with olive oil and lemon pepper then air fry it until crisp and golden around the edges. Make sure to snag some for your holiday weekend at the Farm Stand! 

In addition to okra, we’re harvesting three different pepper varieties for you: shishito, serrano, and jalapeno. Shishito peppers are on the milder side of the spice spectrum and are perfect for roasting and grilling. Serrano peppers (below left) are Farmer Reuben’s favorite! They have a grassy flavor and a medium spice level that is great in salsas and hot sauces. Jalapenos (below right) have a similar spice level to serranos but with a fruitier flavor. Try pickling them or adding them to your next batch of cornbread. You can find all three of these pepper varieties at the Farm Stand.

With summer swiftly approaching, we’re focusing on planting varietals that can take the heat. We planted two cucumber varieties last week that will keep us in supply over the summer: Armenian and Unagi. Armenian cucumbers are technically a melon so they have a subtly sweet taste that is unique. Unagi cucumbers (below) are an Asian variety that has a crisp texture and glossy, green skin. We can’t wait to harvest these delicious cucumbers for you soon! 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Slicing Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Serrano Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Okra, Scallions (last week!), Kale, and Basil

Coming Soon: Eggplants and Zucchini

We are pleased to announce that we will be offering an 8-week Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farm Share Program this spring exclusively for Jordan Ranch residents! This program is a great way to support the farm while experiencing our unique seasonal shifts through farm-fresh produce delivered directly to your home. If you’re interested and would like to hear more about our inaugural CSA Farm Share Program, we invite you to join us on Friday, April 19th from 4-6pm on the farm porch for our Spring CSA Farm Share Happy Hour! This event is for current Jordan Ranch residents only. Make sure to secure your spot here so we have plenty of refreshments available! 

If you’re curious what is making its way into season over the next month, we would love to show you during our next Farm Tour this Saturday, April 13th, at 10:30am. You’ll have the opportunity to see our blushing cherry tomatoes in the high tunnel, our blooming flowers in the field, and a new weed control method we’re trying. Plus, you’ll get to sample some refreshing cucumbers! Our tours are open to the public and all ages are welcome to attend. We hope to see you there!

One of our favorite farm snacks is back in season: cucumbers! We’re harvesting slicing cucumbers that are perfect for enjoying raw. Farmer Reuben loves to keep it simple and pair sliced cucumbers with tajín for a quick snack. They’re also great in salads, sandwiches, smoothies, and juices. This year, we’re focusing solely on slicing varieties due to their reliability in past seasons. We have successions planted in both the high tunnel and the field in order to keep us in steady supply for the next several weeks. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cucumbers, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Beets, Cutting Celery, Spring Onions, Scallions, Salad Mix, Kale, Collards, Swiss Chard, Cilantro, and Basil. 

Coming Soon: Tomatoes

Spring planting continued in the high tunnel this week with a few different pepper varieties! We’ve had great success planting our peppers in the high tunnel over the past couple of years due to the protection it provides from excess moisture. And, our hope is that it allows us to extend pepper season well into the summer since we will be able to install a shade cloth over the top. This round of peppers focused mostly on sweet varieties like Escamillo and Lunch Box. We also planted Shishitos and Poblanos and will be adding a few hot varieties within the next few weeks.

We are getting incredibly close to our first zucchini harvest of the season! As you can see in the photo below, our plants are just starting to form buds which means it’s only a matter of time before we’re able to start harvesting. Did you know that zucchini, along with all of the other squash varieties that we grow, depend on pollinators in order to produce fruit? Pollinators help to transfer pollen from the male blossoms to the female ones. Once pollinated, the tiny zucchini at the base of the female blossom is able to grow.

In addition to peppers, we planted the first succession of cucumbers (below). This round is made up entirely of slicing varieties and is split between the field and the high tunnel. Since cucumbers are vining plants, we’ll be adding trellis support for them soon. The trellis will allow us to take advantage of the vertical growing space and will make it much easier to harvest once the time comes. Even though we just planted these last week, we’re already seeing the first buds emerge!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Spring Onions, Salad Mix, Arugula, Kale, Collards, Swiss Chard, Kohlrabi, Fennel, Dill, and Marigold Bouquets

Coming Soon: Cucumbers, Zucchini, and Summer Squashes

Come celebrate the arrival of spring during our next Farm Tour on Saturday, March 16th at 10:30am! We’ve been busy planting crops for the upcoming season and are so excited to share a preview of what we’ll be growing over the next few months. As always, this tour will include a sampling of veggies that are in season at the Farm Stand like our peppery arugula. Our tours are open to the public and free of charge. We look forward to seeing you there!

Can you believe it’s already time to plant tomatoes?! Now that we’re past our last frost date for the season, it’s time to get them in the ground. As you can see in the photo below, our tomatoes are verdant, lush, and ready to be planted! We’ll be growing a mix of cherry and slicing varieties and will be splitting them between the high tunnel and the field. Here are the varieties you can expect to see this spring: Sun Gold, Cherry Bomb, Valencia, Clementine, and Galahad. 

Though our first succession of cucumbers, zucchinis, and summer squashes just went in the ground, they will start trickling into season before you know it. All of these warm season favorites are in the cucurbit family and are quick growers, especially when the soil is warm! Since they grow fairly quickly, we typically plant multiple successions throughout the season in order to ensure a steady supply. You can expect to see the first zucchini, summer squashes, and cucumbers arrive at the Farm Stand in about a month.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Arugula, Lettuce, Carrots, Fennel, Collard Greens, Kale, Spring Onions, Dill, and Marigold Bouquets 

Coming Soon: Cucumbers, Zucchini, and Summer Squashes

We’re harvesting three new veggies for you this week! The first of these is our Salt and Pepper cucumbers. They get their name from the fact that they produce white to light green cucumbers with black spines which can be seen in the photo above. These specialty cucumbers are a pickling variety that is perfect for your next batch of dill or sweet pickles. Or, you can snack on them with your favorite dip like Farmer Anna! You can find these cucumbers at the Farm Stand. 

After a curing period in the greenhouse, the first spaghetti squash will be available for you in limited quantities this Saturday! Since spaghetti squash is a storage squash, you don’t have to enjoy it right away. It can be stored in a cool, dry place for 1-2 months. Curious where this squash gets its name? Once you cook the flesh, it becomes stringy and looks similar to spaghetti noodles. Farmer Anna recommends cutting your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, scooping out the seeds, then roasting the halves cut side down on a baking sheet until very tender. Scoop the flesh out and toss it with some butter and fresh herbs for an easy side dish. 

Have you ever eaten celeriac? Sometimes referred to as “celery root”, celeriac (pictured below) is a variety of celery grown for the bulbous stem rather than the stalks. It has a sweet and mild celery flavor with a texture similar to a turnip or a potato. Before using celeriac, make sure to cut away the fibrous outer skin and roots. If you’d like to enjoy it raw, try thinly slicing it and adding it to salads. Or, you can sear thick slices of celeriac and enjoy them in sandwiches or burgers. Make sure to pick some up at the Farm Stand so you can try it this weekend!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Spaghetti Squash (limited), Cherry and Slicing Tomatoes, Banana Peppers, Bell Peppers, Onions, Celeriac, Celery, Summer Squash, Leeks, Cucumbers, Kale, Basil, Cilantro, and Cut Flower Bouquets (limited and only on Saturdays).

Flowers and Mother's Day are a near perfect combo and we will have a few special bouquets available at this Saturday's Farm Stand (while supplies last). If you can't make it this Saturday, we invite you to come out and see them in person at our next Farm Tour on Saturday, May 20th at 10:30am! Since we’re in tomato season, we’ll be discussing all of our different tomato varieties in addition to how short their season is in our climate. You’ll also get to enjoy some samples! We hope to see you there!

Last week we planted two different specialty cucumber varieties: Mexican Sour Gherkins and Salt and Pepper cucumbers. The Mexican Sour Gherkin, sometimes called a “cucamelon”, produces small grape-sized fruits that resemble tiny watermelons with a sour cucumber flavor. If you look at the photo above, you’ll see one of the first tiny yellow blooms of this variety! Salt and Pepper cucumbers get their name from the fact that they produce white fruits with black spines. This variety yields fruits that are about 3-5 inches long with a mildly sweet flavor. We can’t wait to share these fascinating crops with you!

We’re already beginning to see the first spaghetti squashes maturing in the field! Since spaghetti squashes are grown as a storage (winter) squash, we wait to harvest them until their outer skin hardens and they turn from green to yellow. If you look at the squash in the photo above, you’ll notice that it’s in the process of turning yellow. Once harvested, spaghetti squashes have to be cured in the greenhouse in order to allow their skin to toughen up and prepare them for storage. We expect to have the first spaghetti squashes for you in about a month!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Flower Bouquets (this Saturday only!), Tomatoes, Purple Bell Peppers, Banana Peppers, Cucumbers (pickling and slicing), Summer Squashes (Zephyr, Magda, and Zucchini), Bulb Onions, Leeks, Green Garlic, Celery, Kale, Collards, Cabbage, and Beets

Did you know that tomatoes are one of our more labor-intensive crops to grow? Once we plant our tomatoes, we devote a lot of time to trellising and pruning. The high tunnel tomatoes that you see here are on a string system so as they grow, we continue to wrap the string around the main stem to provide support. We also make sure to prune off any suckers which are small shoots that grow from points where a branch and the main stem meet. You can see Farmer Reuben pruning off a sucker in the photo above. Doing this helps to redirect energy towards root and vertical growth. Once our tomatoes begin to ripen, we’ll shift our focus to harvesting!

Magda squash just made its way into season! It is a “cousa” type squash that is light green in color and has a sweet and nutty flavor similar to our Zephyr squash. So far it’s been super productive so much sure to stock up when you visit the Farm Stand! Magda (pictured above) can be used in both sweet and savory recipes just like you would zucchini. Farmer Anna loves to cut these squashes in half lengthwise, grill them until they get a nice char, then slather them with a homemade herb butter. Yum!

Cucumbers have made their way back into season as well! We have two different varieties available for you at the Farm Stand: Bristol and Max Pack. Bristol, pictured on the left in the photo below, is a slicing cucumber that is great for adding to salads, sandwiches, and for juicing. Max Pack, pictured on the right, is a pickling cucumber that can be enjoyed as a snack or in a batch of pickles. Farmer Reuben recommends slicing up a cucumber and pairing it with some fresh lime juice and tajin seasoning for a quick and flavorful snack.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cucumbers (pickling and slicing), Summer Squashes (Zephyr, Magda, and Zucchini), Bulb Onions, Leeks, Green Garlic, Fennel, Celery, Collards, Cabbage, Lettuce Heads, Carrots, Turnips, and Beets.