We are harvesting the very first bunches of Swiss chard this week and will have a limited amount available in the Grab-and-Go coolers! This leafy green is in the same family as beets and spinach and has a flavor that tastes like a blend of the two. The variety we’re harvesting has vibrant red stems and veins which makes for a very colorful addition to your plate! Swiss chard can be enjoyed on its own as a side dish with a little garlic or added to soups, stews, and pasta dishes. We recommend trying it in this white bean chicken soup or this lemon Swiss chard pasta. 

Have you had a chance to try any of our Hakurei turnips yet? This beloved root vegetable is a farmer favorite due to its succulent crunchy texture and mild, sweet flavor with fruity notes. Unlike the larger turnips you often see at the grocery store, Hakurei turnips can be enjoyed raw. They work really really well in salads and slaws, especially with our arugula. When cooked, Hakurei turnips become incredibly tender. If you want an easy and flavorful side dish, try these braised Hakurei turnips with maple, miso, and ginger. 

In order to make sure you have plenty of variety on your plate this fall, we’ve been seeding new varieties in the greenhouse every week. This week we planted mizuna and Tokyo bekana. Mizuna is a Japanese mustard green with a mild flavor that works well in both salads and stir-fries. Tokyo bekana is a loose leaf cabbage variety with super tender leaves that make a great salad green.

Last but not least, we want to extend a big thank you to the volunteers that showed up for our Orchard Beautification Day this past Saturday! With your help we were able to plant thornless blackberries and perennials for our native pollinator bed. Keep an eye out for more events like this in the future! 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Swiss Chard (limited), 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 harvesting two new veggies this week for the Farm Stand: Hakurei turnips and baby bok choy! Both of these crops are members of the Brassica family. Hakurei turnips (above) have a crunchy texture like a radish but with a sweet and slightly fruity flavor. They can be eaten raw in salads or slaws or roasted. Baby bok choy (below) has a tight compact head with thick stems. The stems are crunchy with a mild sweetness while the leaves are tender and soft. Baby bok choy makes a wonderful addition to soups or you can give it a quick sauté with some Thai peanut sauce.

If you’ve popped by the Farm Stand recently you’ve probably noticed that we have two different kinds of kale. “Black Magic” is our dinosaur or Toscano kale variety, an heirloom from the Tuscany region of Italy. It has a striking bluish green leaf and is typically less bitter and more delicate in texture than curly kale. This variety (below left) lends itself better to salads after a quick massage and cooks faster than curly kale. “Darkibor” is our curly kale variety. It is exceptionally hardy and tends to survive frosts better than our dinosaur kale. It has green leaves that are frilly on the outer edges (below right) with an almost peppery flavor. This sturdy kale variety works well in braises, soups, and stews.

The warm and drier conditions we’ve experienced this month have led to what we believe will be a decent fall tomato crop. Since we shared our last update at the end of September, almost all of our plants have green tomatoes on them! If the weather cooperates, we should be able to start harvesting our cherry varieties within the next 2-3 weeks with our slicing varieties following suit shortly after. We’ll update you again once we start harvesting our tomatoes! 

In Season at the Farm Stand: French Breakfast Radishes, Beets, Hakurei Turnips, Roselle Pods, Baby Bok Choy, Komatsuna, Curly Kale, Dinosaur Kale, Mustard Greens, Roselle Greens, Collard Greens, Korean Melons, Okra, and Long Beans

One of our favorite fall crops has made its way back into season: Hakurei turnips! Often called a “salad turnip” due to their smaller size, Hakureis have a distinctive sweet flavor. These turnips can be enjoyed both raw and cooked. We love thinly slicing them and adding them to salads but they’re also great roasted or braised. Make sure to pop by the Farm Stand this weekend so you can pick up a bunch or two to enjoy!

We are happy to report that the high tunnel is fully planted with a delicious mix of fall crops. Last week we transplanted green oak leaf lettuce, Tokyo Bekana, and another succession of Bok Choy. These are all quick growers and should be available in the next couple of weeks! We also direct-seeded scallions, beets, salad mix, and watermelon radishes. All of these crops align with the HVF (high velocity farming) system that we’re implementing in the high tunnel. Each of these varieties will ideally be ready for harvesting in about 50 days or less.

Mark your calendar for our next Farm Tour on Saturday, November 18th at 10:30am! This tour will feature the new HVF cropping system in our high tunnel. We’ll also discuss all of our new and upcoming fall crops, including our favorite Hakurei turnips. Since we think you’ll love them as much as we do, attendees will be able to enjoy turnip samples along with some other delicious fall crops. Our Farm Tours are open to the public and completely free of charge. We hope you’ll join us! 

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

Coming Soon: Napa Cabbage, Lettuce, and Tokyo Bekana

There are two new veggies that are coming soon to the farm stand: Hakurei turnips (pictured above) and head lettuce (pictured below). Hakureis, often referred to as “salad turnips”, can be eaten raw or cooked. They have a crisp and tender texture with a mild sweet flavor. Try adding thinly sliced Hakurei to a salad made with our chopped head lettuce and dill. Or, you can create a simple side dish by braising them in a flavorful stock like in this recipe.

We planted the first spinach of the season (pictured below)! Spinach is a cool season crop due to its ability to withstand temperatures in the upper 20s. It’s also one of the few crops that we grow during this time of the year that is not in the Brassica family. Spinach is a member of the Amaranth family along with Swiss chard, beets, and quinoa. Though it can be enjoyed in its baby stage, we’ll be harvesting it once it has matured a bit more.

It’s always an exciting moment when we plant something for the very first time on the farm. Last week, we planted celery (pictured below)! This will be the first celery grown on the farm so we are looking forward to seeing how it does. Celery is a slow grower so it will be a couple of months before we’re able to make the first harvest. We’ll make sure to keep you updated in the meantime!

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