During the Spring season intentional planning and field time is devoted to trellising a variety of warm-season crops that need extra support to maintain quick growth and heavy fruit set. Plants like tomatoes and cucumbers grow as vines and enjoy climbing vertical structures like the trellis line pictured below. Peppers and eggplant tend to branch out and can be weighed down by heavy fruits, so placing wooden stakes with twine woven throughout the row can help keep them upright. If you’re a home gardener, simple bamboo stakes and metal tomato cages work great for these plants in small spaces!

Many of our Spring crops are beginning to produce their first fruits! We harvested a small flush of yellow squash and zucchini this week, and are looking forward to more once the plants recover from the recent cold snap. Crops in the high tunnel were protected from low temperatures and have continued flourishing in this warmer environment. We are patiently waiting for our cherry tomatoes to begin blushing - the first change of color for ripening fruits with an imminent harvest!

Although we are slowly phasing out wintertime plants, crops like carrots, leafy greens, and lettuce continue producing abundant harvests. This week we stocked the cooler with grapefruit-sized kohlrabi and multiple varieties of head lettuce to make delicious salads and slaws! Stop by the Farm Stand this Saturday from 9am - 12pm or visit the Grab-n-Go coolers open 24/7 for your convenience!

In Season : Yellow Squash (limited), Zucchini (limited), Carrots, Chard, Collards, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Celery, Parsley, Green Onion, and Fennel

Are sunny Spring days and wildflowers in bloom beckoning you outdoors? Consider volunteering at your neighborhood Sunset Farm to experience nature in a new light! Volunteers will have an opportunity to take part in daily farm activities like harvesting vegetables, planting new crops, and tending to our fruit trees and flower patch. While working alongside our experienced farmers, you can gain gardening knowledge and cultivate goodness in your local community! Email jordanranch@agmenity.com to join our volunteer program!

After planting our field tomatoes this week, we have officially wrapped up tomato planting for the season and are now looking ahead to harvest days! In the meantime, for all of the home gardeners we will be selling our farm grown tomato plants at the Farm Stand on Saturday morning from 9am - 12pm, until supplies last! If you are planning a Spring garden, these tried and true tomato varieties would be a great addition. Farmer Sarah is also available to answer any questions about tomato care!

Springtime is nature’s invitation to get outside and relish in the beauty and bounty this season has to offer. In the coming weeks we plan to have more new crops ready for field planting like eggplant, peppers, flowers, and more cucumbers! If you are unable to make it out to volunteer or stop by the Saturday Farm Stand, our Grab-n-Go coolers are a great alternative to remain rooted in your local farm and enjoy fresh vegetables year round!

In Season: Carrots, Celery, Fennel, Green Onions, Parsley, Collard Greens, Curly Kale, Cilantro, and Dill

This week at Sunset Farm we were able to uncover many happy surprises! After assessing the field after the hard freeze, we were pleasantly surprised that many of our crops covered by frost cloth still seemed to be full of life. Our plants in the high tunnel and seedlings in the greenhouse were also unphased! Not as a surprise, crops left uncovered are showing signs of wilting and frost burn. However, with such a drastic drop in temperature compared to a relatively warm winter season this year, we can’t help but be filled with a sense of gratitude for the resiliency of nature!

As we are still expecting freezing weather this weekend, our crops will remain covered until we are in the clear. Until then, we also find ourselves keeping warm in the greenhouse as we continue to prepare for the dawning of Spring! This week we are seeding our first rounds of squash, zucchini, eggplant, and flowers. Many of these crops will make their home in our high tunnel as we slowly phase out winter vegetables. Farmer Sarah is particularly excited to bring back the flower patch and all of the bees and butterflies that drop in for a sweet, sappy snack!

Although plants can show signs of stress later in their life after prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures, we are optimistic that our crops will continue producing beautiful produce. In anticipation of another cold spell, Farmer Sarah will not be hosting the Farm Stand this Saturday. However, she plans to stock the Grab-n-Go coolers so you can come at your convenience. Stay tuned next week to get updates on Spring preparation and seedlings we will be planting post-freeze!

In Season: Baby Carrots, Spinach, Celery, Fennel, Green Onions, Green Cabbage, Parsley, Collard Greens, Curly Kale, Tuscan Kale, Swiss Chard, Arugula, and Radishes

We’ve been harvesting some beautiful Asian eggplants for the Farm Stand! They’re planted in our high tunnel and are producing these gorgeous, dark purple eggplants. Asian eggplants have a long, slender shape compared to the more rounded Italian varieties. They also have a thinner skin and lack the bitter flavor that is present in other varieties. They are perfect in stir-fries, soups, and curries and can also be roasted or grilled. We recommend trying them in this easy eggplant stir-fry with garlic sauce or this miso glazed eggplant. Though our coolers were recently out of operation due to power outages, they are back online and packed with Asian eggplants as well as plenty of other summer crops for you so feel free to stop by! 

We amend the soil before we initially plant our crops but they also benefit from regular applications of organic fertilizers throughout the growing season to ensure they have the essential nutrients they need. Rather than do this by hand, we’re able to do this through our drip irrigation system! This process is called “fertigation” and involves adding diluted liquid fertilizer to the injector for our irrigation system, which then pumps the fertilizer into the drip lines that run right next to our crops. The drip lines efficiently deliver the fertilizer to the root zone where they are absorbed by our plants. 

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

Okra just made its way back into season this week! Okra’s arrival often signifies the official transition from cool season to warm season crops. It thrives in the heat of summer and produces reliably throughout the season, typically into early fall. Since we just started harvesting from our plants, there will be a limited amount available in the Grab-and-Go coolers this weekend. We have a mix of red and green varieties that are tender and perfect for grilling, roasting, frying, pickling, or adding to soups and stews.

Have you tried our newest eggplant variety Nigral? It’s more of a traditional blackish-purple Italian variety with an oblong shape. Smaller than the globe eggplants that are commonly available in grocery stores, Nigral has a sweeter flavor and becomes incredibly tender and creamy once cooked. It is perfect for classic Italian recipes like caponata, pasta alla Norma, and eggplant parmesan. Farmer Anne highly recommends this recipe for eggplant parmesan if you’d like to try it! You can find the eggplant, tomatoes, and basil for it at the Grab-and-Go coolers. 

After much anticipation, our two sweet pepper varieties have made it to the Farm Stand! Cornito peppers (below left) are oblong and have a sweet flavor that is great for snacking, grilling, roasting, or stir-frying. Lunchbox peppers (below right) are small in stature with a sweet flavor that is ideal for snacking on raw in salads, sandwiches, or paired with your favorite dip. You can now find both of these pepper varieties in the Grab-and-Go coolers along with our jalapenos, shishitos, poblanos, and bell peppers. 

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

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. 

Salanova lettuce will be making its way into season very soon. Rather than harvesting the entire head, we harvest individual leaves in order to allow continued harvests. These leaves will be offered bagged similarly to our salad mix. Salanova lettuces (above) have a great crunch and hold up better to dressings more than a traditional salad mix. They pair well with a simple dressing made of lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper. Look for it in the coolers in the next week or two! 

The first succession of eggplants was planted in the field last week in preparation for late spring and early summer harvesting. This round includes three varieties that will suit different culinary needs. “Nigral” is an Italian type eggplant with a deep purplish black hue that is perfect for dishes like eggplant parmesan and caponata. “Aretussa” is an oblong white eggplant with thinner skin that makes it perfect for stir-frying and roasting. “Fairy Tale” is a purple and white miniature variety that works well in soups and curries. 

We are excited to share that our field and tunnel tomatoes are setting blooms and fruit! Tomato flowers are self-pollinating which means they contain both the male and female parts necessary for pollination. Even though the flowers are capable of self-pollination, factors like wind and insects can help this process along. Now that we’re starting to see the first fruits on our plants, we’ll be eagerly watching their progress as they swell and eventually mature. We expect to begin harvesting the first cherry tomatoes within the next 3-4 weeks.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Scallions, Swiss Chard, Curly Kale, Dino Kale, Carrots, Beets, Salad Mix, and Green Butter Lettuce

We seeded the first succession of peppers and eggplants in the greenhouse! They haven’t started germinating yet but we have a feeling it will happen very soon. We planted a mix of sweet and hot peppers including jalapeños, lunchbox, shishitos, and bell peppers. Two different types of eggplant were also planted: classic Italian and a beautiful purple and white striped variety. These plants will spend a few weeks in the warmth of the greenhouse before they are transplanted in the tunnel and field.

Our newly transplanted celery (above) was covered with frost cloth before the winter storm hit and despite the extremely cold temperatures, it survived. While these plants are still very young, they appear to be doing well and are starting to put on new growth. Since celery prefers cool temperatures and takes longer to reach maturity than a lot of our other crops, we have to plant it early in the year. This will allow time for a spring harvest before the days grow too warm. We’re hopeful we can share some with you early this spring!

Now that we’ve had time to observe our crops post-freeze, it appears that most of what was covered is beginning to bounce back and will allow for future harvesting. Our produce availability will stay fairly consistent over the next couple of weeks with a lull expected in mid-February as we wait on newer plantings to reach maturity. The full list of what is currently available in the Grab-and-Go coolers can be found below. 

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

The fall round of tomatoes we started in the greenhouse back in August was transplanted in the high tunnel this week! The tunnel will offer protection from excess moisture which can lead to issues with disease. Once the temperatures start cooling down, the tunnel will also keep our plants nice and warm. We’re growing two different cherry tomato varieties (Sungold and Cherry Bomb) and one slicer (Early Girl) this fall. We hope you’re looking forward to the first harvest as much as we are! 

Eggplant is back in season at the Farm Stand after a brief lull between successions. We’re harvesting an Asian variety which is more slender and oblong in shape compared to its Italian counterparts. We love eggplant due to its versatility in the kitchen and ability to soak up flavors like a sponge. For a quick and easy way to enjoy several of our veggies that are currently in season, we highly recommend a stir-fry! Here’s a recipe to lend some culinary inspiration. 

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

Coming Soon: Baby Butternuts

The tomatoes in the high tunnel are swiftly growing which means it’s time to implement the lower and lean method! Each tomato plant is attached to a spool of twine suspended from a trellis wire (above). As each plant reaches the top of the tunnel, we let out slack on the spool so that we can slide it down the main trellis wire. This angles our plants, giving them more room for growth. Once we implement this method, we keep the bottom portion of our plants aggressively pruned (below) in order to allow for maximum airflow and prevent disease.

We will be harvesting the first eggplants of the season for you very soon! Our plants are just beginning to set fruit which can be seen in the photo below. Eggplants are among our lineup of tried and true summer crops that take the summer heat in stride and continue to produce throughout the very hot months. We’re growing both Asian and Italian eggplant varieties that are perfect for a multitude of culinary applications from grilling to stir-frying to roasting. We expect to have the first eggplant at the Farm Stand for you within the next week!

Farmer Reuben just planted a summer squash variety that he is really excited about: Mexicana. It produces speckled greyish-green fruits that are similar to a zucchini in appearance but have a tapered shape. Mexicana squash has tender flesh with a lovely, nutty flavor. Since squashes grow fairly quickly, we expect to begin harvesting this variety in early to mid July. We can’t wait to share it with you!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Slicing Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Serrano Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Okra, Kale, and Basil

Coming Soon: Eggplants and Zucchini

Our flower bouquets have been incredibly popular the past few weekends! If you’d like to come see our beautiful flowers in person, we invite you to join us for our next Farm Tour on Saturday, June 17th at 10:30am. You’ll have the opportunity to see the colorful variety of zinnias and marigolds we’re growing in addition to all of the beneficial insects they bring to the farm. We’ll also be discussing some of the specialty crops we’re growing this season like cucamelons and salt and pepper cucumbers. And most importantly, you’ll be able to snack on samples of some of the veggies we’re currently harvesting! Our tours are open to the public and free of charge. We hope to see you there!

We’ll have the first eggplant of the season for you at the Farm Stand this Saturday! We’re harvesting two different Italian varieties: Black Beauty and Galine. These dark purple eggplants are versatile in the kitchen, soaking up any flavors you’d like to pair them with. Farmer Anna loves to stir-fry chopped eggplant with garlic and hoisin sauce. She also likes to make eggplant parmesan and pair it with a citrusy tomato sauce. Yum!

We spotted the first baby long beans on our trellis last week! Long beans are a type of pole bean which means they require the support of a trellis as they grow. This helps keep their vines off the ground and makes it much easier for us to harvest. Once harvested, each bean will be about 10-12 inches long! We have both a green and a red variety growing and expect to make the first harvest within the next week or two.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Eggplant, 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).

We have two veggies on the harvesting horizon this month: carrots and Brussels sprouts. Farmer Alex estimates that our Brussels sprouts (pictured above) will reach harvesting size in the next couple of weeks. As for our carrots, you can see in the photo below that they are still pretty small. Farmer Alex thinks we should have the first carrots for you by Christmas. We’ll make sure to keep you updated!

The time has finally come to bid farewell to our summer crops! Our okra and roselle are completely done for the season but we’ll have sweet peppers and eggplant for you through the rest of the month. We highly recommend enjoying these remaining summer crops while you can before they finally make their way out of season! A great way to enjoy sweet peppers and eggplant is by making a batch of Ajvar, a tangy Serbian relish. Here’s a recipe if you’d like to try it this month.

We’re harvesting the first of this beautiful red curly kale for you this week! This brilliantly colored kale (pictured below) is similar in flavor and texture to our green curly kale. It can be enjoyed cooked or raw depending on your preference. Farmer Anna loves to add kale to hearty soups or coconut milk curries like this one. You can snag a bunch to try at our farm stand!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Beets, Radishes, Hakurei Turnips, Scallions, Collard Greens, Cabbage, Napa Cabbage, Bok Choy, Hon Tsai Tai, Salad Mix, Kale, Mustard Greens, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cilantro, Dill, Sweet Peppers, and Eggplant.