The Jordan Ranch Lifestyle team is hosting a holiday movie night this Friday, December 19th, from 5:30-7:30pm on the farm! The field will be transformed into a cozy outdoor cinema for a viewing of the beloved Christmas classic, Elf. You’re encouraged to bring your own blankets and lawn chairs so you can settle in and enjoy the show. One of our farmers will be on site before the movie starts to answer any farm-related questions. For more details about this free event, head here. 

We harvested the first Tokyo Bekana in the high tunnel this week! Tokyo Bekana is a Chinese cabbage variety that does not produce a head. The leaves are buttery soft and have a mildly sweet cabbage flavor. Due to its soft texture, Tokyo Bekana leaves can be used as a salad green. Try combining it with some of our lettuce! If you’d like to enjoy it cooked, it can be substituted into any recipes calling for Napa cabbage or Bok Choy. We recommend trying it in this stir-fry or this slaw. 

Our broccolini has been incredibly popular at the Farm Stand! We planted another round of it in the field this week so we can have more for you later in the winter season. Our cauliflower has also been very popular over the past couple of weeks! We used some to make this cauliflower curry recently and it was really delicious, especially with some of our cilantro for garnish. Make sure to snag some from the Grab-and-Go coolers for your weekend meals!

In Season: Tokyo Bekana, Broccoli, Parsley, Cilantro, Dill, Collard Greens, Cauliflower, Curly Kale, Red Russian Kale, Tuscan Kale, Bok Choy, Lettuce Heads, Swiss Chard, Arugula, Hakurei Turnips, Amara Mustard Greens, Wasabina Mustard Greens, Radishes, Green Onions, Lunchbox Peppers, and Bell Peppers

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

This week we’re harvesting produce for something very special: the Taste of Thanksgiving Cooking Class held right here in Jordan Ranch! This exclusive resident event will guide attendees through cooking a mini Thanksgiving feast including a Fall Harvest Salad packed with produce grown right here on the farm. We’ll be delivering beets, turnips, kale, arugula, and a few other seasonal items as part of the culinary fun. This event is sold out, but we'll make sure to let you know about any similar ones happening in the future!

As the Thanksgiving holiday draws near we wanted to remind you that our Grab-and-Go coolers are open all day, every day! We keep them stocked and ready for you throughout the week. They’re designed with convenience in mind so feel free to stop by, grab what you need, and pay on the iPad. If you have questions for our farmers, whether it’s about our produce, how we cook with it, or what’s coming soon, feel free to stop by our in-person Farm Stand every Saturday from 9am-noon. And, if it’s broccoli you’re after, make sure to get there sooner rather than later because it’s limited and selling out fast!

We are excited to offer you the first of our cool season herbs this week: dill! This tender herb lends bright citrus and subtle anise flavor notes to any dish it’s added to. It pairs really well with other fall produce like turnips and radishes as well as egg-based dishes like egg salad, quiche, or deviled eggs. We recommend adding it to a homemade ranch-style dressing to enjoy in a salad with our kale, lettuce, and arugula. You can find beautiful bunches of dill in the Grab-and-Go coolers.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Dill, Collard Greens, Bunching Broccoli, 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, Okra, and Bell Peppers.

Our Orchard Beautification Day is swiftly approaching! We hope you’ll join us this Saturday, October 18th, from 9am-12pm for a fun volunteer opportunity in our young fruit orchard. With your help, we will be weeding and mulching around our existing fruit trees and planting thornless blackberries for future harvests. We will also be planting a bed by the orchard with pollinator-friendly native plants. All are welcome to join us for this event! We recommend signing up here if you will be attending so we can ensure we have enough tools and supplies. 

Arugula just made its way into season this week and we have so many other fall crops on the way! In the next week or two, you can expect to see bunches of Swiss chard and kale hit the Farm Stand. In order to ensure we have plenty to harvest for you throughout the season, we planted more Swiss chard this week (above) along with the first round of beets. We’ll also be transplanting the fennel, celery, parsley, and cilantro from the greenhouse into the field very soon. Stay tuned every week to make sure you don’t miss out on your favorites! 

Planting cover crops is just as important as our food crops. This week we’re sowing a cool season mix of clover, daikon radish, rye, oats, and mustards in one of our sections. Each of these varieties works together to help loosen compaction, fix beneficial nitrogen to the soil, control erosion, and suppress weed growth. And, once mowed down, these plants will add organic matter back to the soil. Fun fact about mustards in cover cropping: they help suppress lingering plant diseases in the soil! 

Arugula, Hakurei Turnips, Baby Mustard Greens, Radishes, Scallions, Okra, Lunchbox Peppers, Jalapenos, Bell Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Basil (Italian, Lemon, Thai, and Tulsi), and Flower Bouquets

We’ll have two new fall veggies for you at the Farm Stand this weekend: Hakurei turnips and a baby mustard green mix! Hakurei turnips, also called salad turnips, are sweet and crisp and are perfect for eating raw in salads or sandwiches. They can also be roasted or added to soups and stews (like this potato chowder). Our baby mustard mix is similar to arugula in terms of tenderness and peppery flavor. They’re a great salad green and pair really well with a sweet vinaigrette! You can find both Hakurei turnips and baby mustard mix in the Grab-and-Go coolers. 

In case you missed it last week, our Orchard Beautification Day is coming up on Saturday, October 18th, from 9am-12pm! This volunteer opportunity is a great way to meet your neighbors and fellow community members while beautifying our orchard space. We’ll be weeding and mulching our fruit trees in addition to planting some thornless blackberries. We’ll also be planting a native pollinator bed in order to add beauty to the farm while supplying our local pollinators with a food source. This event is open to the public and is a great way to leave your mark on the community. Please sign up here if you plan to attend! 

Fall’s cooler temperatures make it perfect for growing so many different leafy greens. This week we planted baby bok choy, Wasabina mustard greens, and Amara mustard greens. All of these varieties grow fairly quickly and will make their debut at the Farm Stand before you know it! As we move deeper into the fall season, you’ll see more fall crops come into season each week while summer ones are phased out. We highly recommend tuning in every Friday so you know what’s in stock in the Grab-and-Go coolers! 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Hakurei Turnips, Baby Mustard Greens, Radishes, Scallions, Okra, Eggplant, Lunchbox Peppers, Jalapenos, Bell Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Basil (Italian, Lemon, Thai, and Tulsi), and Flower Bouquets and Stems

We’re gearing up for our first Farm Tour of the fall season and can’t wait to see you! The tour takes place this Saturday, October 4th, from 11am-12pm. You’ll get an exclusive look at what it takes to get the farm ready for the fall season in addition to all of the delicious veggies we’ve been planting. Our tours are open to the public and suitable for all ages. No fee or signups required – simply show up at 11am on the farm porch ready to go!

The arrival of October brings the first harvest of our Cherry Belle radishes! These beautiful, vibrant radishes are crisp and crunchy with a peppery bite. They can be enjoyed raw in salads, sandwiches, and tacos and are a great candidate for quick-pickles. If you want to mellow their peppery flavor, try roasting them alone or with a mix of other root veggies. Make sure to stop by the Grab-and-Go coolers to snag a bunch or two this weekend!

Block out the morning of October 18th on your calendar and join us for our Orchard Beautification Day! This volunteer opportunity takes place on Saturday, October 18th from 9am-12pm right here on the farm. With your help, we’ll be weeding and mulching the trees in the orchard. We’ll also be planting a couple of rows of thornless blackberries and a native pollinator bed at the entrance. This event is open to the public and is a great way to leave your mark on the community. We hope to see you there!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Radishes, Scallions, Summer Squash, Okra, Eggplant, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Lunchbox Peppers, Jalapenos, Bell Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Basil (Italian, Lemon, Thai, and Tulsi), and Flower Bouquets and Stems

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 planted several different varieties of peppers in the field and high tunnel at the end of last week. As you can see in the photo above, our peppers are planted in beds covered in weed fabric. This will minimize time spent weeding while also keeping the soil warmer and allowing the plants to grow quicker. Here are the varieties we planted: King Arthur (bell pepper), Lunchbox (snacking pepper), Cornito (sweet roasting or frying pepper), Baron (poblano), Shishito, and Jalafuego (jalapeno). 

The tomatoes we planted last week are swiftly growing which means it’s time to get them trellised! Since tomatoes have a vining growth habit, they need support as they grow. In the high tunnel, we use a method that employs an overhead system of roller hooks and string (above). A string is suspended above each plant so that as the tomatoes grow, we can gently wind the main stem around the string. This keeps our plants supported while also allowing us to take advantage of the available vertical growing space. 

If you’re curious about growing your own tomatoes and other spring crops at home, we recommend joining Farmer Matt for our Seasonal Gardening Class on Saturday, March 22nd from 10:30-11:30am! This beginner level gardening class will cover the basics of starting your home garden from choosing which varieties to plant to how to care for and eventually harvest them. 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). Tickets can be purchased here. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Curly Kale, Dino Kale, Collards, Scallions, Green Butter Lettuce, Red and Gold Beets, Swiss Chard, Cilantro, Cone Cabbage, Salad Mix, Carrots, and Red Romaine

Spring is the perfect time to start a home garden! If you’ve been itching to get one planted, we invite you to join Farmer Matt for our Seasonal Gardening Series on Saturday, March 22nd, from 10:30-11:30am. This introductory gardening class will cover our tried and true spring season crops along with timelines for planting. We’ll also discuss direct seeding versus transplanting in addition to caring for your plants from seed through harvest. The cost of the class includes a plant that each participant can take home to plant in their garden. This class is open to the public but there is a special discount for Jordan Ranch residents (reach out to us for the discount code - JordanRanch@Agmenity.com). Tickets can be purchased here. 

We are excited to share that we planted the first round of tomatoes in the high tunnel! As you can see in the photo above, we remove the bottom leaves and branches before transplanting them. This allows us to plant them as deeply as possible and create a stronger root system since tomato stems have the ability to shoot out additional root growth. It also helps with air circulation which reduces the risk for damage from diseases and pests. Now comes the hard part…waiting for the first tomato harvest! 

Now that the last frost date has passed, we were able to get the first round of zucchini planted in the field. Since zucchini and other warm season crops like summer squashes and cucumbers are fairly quick growers, we typically plant multiple successions throughout the season in order to ensure a steady harvest. This also allows us to mitigate any losses that we may encounter due to pests or weather. We can’t wait to share the first zucchini of the season with you! 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Napa Cabbage, Kale, Collard Greens, Asian Spinach, Romaine Lettuce, Green Butter Lettuce, Red Romaine Lettuce, Salad Mix, Carrots, Beets, Fennel, Cauliflower, Scallions, Kohlrabi, Cilantro, and Broccoli (limited)

In case you missed the announcement last week, we will be offering a 6-week Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farm Share Program this spring exclusively for Jordan Ranch residents! Each share will be harvested and delivered to your doorstep every Tuesday and will contain 5-7 items. An example share for this week can be seen above. If you’re interested and would like to hear more about this program, we invite you to join us this 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! 

Yellow Squashes are in season at the Farm Stand! This summer squash variety (below) has a nutty and mildly sweet taste. Just like zucchini, yellow squash can be used in a multitude of recipes, both sweet and savory. We recommend trying them topped with breadcrumbs and herbs in this simple side dish. To satisfy your sweet tooth, try grated yellow squash in this lemon squash bundt cake. 

We are excited to report that tomatoes will be making their way into season very soon! Last week we noticed the first blush of color on our cherry varieties in the high tunnel. Once this happens, it’s only a matter of time before we’re able to start harvesting. Since we have tomatoes planted in both the tunnel and the field, our hope is to lengthen our tomato season as long as possible this year. You can expect to see cherry varieties at the Farm Stand in the next week or two and slicing varieties within the next few 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

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

Don’t forget to join us this Saturday, November 4th from 9am-12pm for the Live Well Health and Fitness Expo! This event takes place on the farm and is hosted in partnership with the Jordan Ranch Lifestyle Team. We’ll be joined by local vendors and food trucks and there will be live music and activities for all ages to enjoy. In addition to the beautiful produce at our Farm Stand, we’ll be offering special veggie kits and recipes to inspire you in the kitchen. This event is free of charge and open to the public so we hope to see you there!

Remember the Desperado green beans we planted back in September? We’re just beginning to harvest from our plants which means you can pop by the Farm Stand for some delicious green beans! These beans have a mildly sweet flavor and great texture. Though they can technically be eaten raw, we recommend cooking them first. Farmer Anna loves to stir-fry them with honey, garlic, chili oil, and soy sauce for a super simple and delicious side dish. Make sure to enjoy them while they’re in season! 

In addition to green beans, curly kale and mustard greens also made their way back into season this week. Even though both of these leafy greens are members of the Brassica family, they have distinctly different flavors. Kale has an earthy and vegetal taste while mustard greens are sharp and peppery. Both are great for adding to soups and stews but they can also stand alone in a side dish when sauteed or braised. You can find both of these leafy greens at the Farm Stand. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Green Beans, Dill, Kale, Mustard Greens, Arugula, Swiss Chard, Bok Choy, Radish, and Eggplant. 

Coming Soon: Hakurei Turnips and Napa Cabbage