After two long months in the greenhouse, the day has finally come to plant our high tunnel tomatoes! With wind gusts up to 18 mph on plating day, we are thankful for our protected growing space that allows plants to thrive in optimal conditions with warmer soil, wind breaks, and controlled watering. This head start to tomato season should keep us on track to harvest our first cherry tomatoes by early to mid April!

Despite a drop in temperatures again, our newly planted summer squash fared well and should have gained cold tolerance in anticipation for any more cool weather. Our first round of slicing cucumbers is also ready to be planted this week. Similar to tomatoes, they are destined for the high tunnel where a trellis system is installed for these plants to climb to extraordinary heights! Stay tuned for crop updates as we share trellising tips and ways you can successfully grow Spring plants in your backyard garden!

While Spring planting is in full swing, our winter crops are still producing in abundance. Newly seeded carrots and spinach have germinated well, while scallion and fennel seedlings are growing quickly with warmer days. Our last kohlrabi crop for this season is ready for harvest! This unique veggie has a taste akin to broccoli, yet grows in a bulbous shape above ground making it great for chopping and roasting or shredding into salads or slaws. You can find it in the Grab-n-Go cooler or at the Farm Stand this weekend!

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

As everyone buckles down to prepare for this upcoming freeze, our farmers are busy doing the same. With temperatures forecasted to be in the low twenties over multiple days, we are faced with tough decisions as we begin to winterize the farm. Our standard frost cloth creates a buffer of a few degrees, and as we learned in past freeze events this differential can be enough for some hardy winter vegetables to survive. The high tunnel provides an additional layer of protection and absorbs sunlight to create a much warmer environment. We are particularly hopeful that Spring preparations in the greenhouse will lend a bountiful wave of crops to plant post-freeze.

Bulk harvests are also underway to preserve vegetables that have reached maturity and will store well in the refrigerator for several weeks like cabbage, carrots, and fennel. We will also harvest a big round of bunched greens like chard and kale, along with lettuce, green onions and herbs. Due to the winter storm, our farmers will not be hosting the Farm Stand this Saturday morning. However, if you are stocking up your fridge and pantry, stop by the Grab-n-Go cooler to get your vegetable essentials while we still have an array of beautiful offerings.

Since our first Spring seeding, the high tunnel tomatoes and peppers have germinated and are well on their way to developing true leaves! This week we are excited to seed tomatoes that are dedicated to our field growing space. They include our same tried and true varieties of slicing and cherry tomatoes, along with a traditional sauce tomato, Granadero. This tomato is more dense and rich in flavor making it perfect for fresh sauce or bulk canning.

​​In Season: Baby Carrots, 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

Have you had a chance to try any of our Swiss chard yet? We’re growing a mix of different varieties which means each bunch has a rainbow of different colored stems! This leafy green is a great sub for spinach as the leaves have a similar flavor and are in the same family. Both the tender leaves and crunchy stems can be used in recipes. For an easy side dish, saute chopped Swiss chard stems and garlic in olive oil until the stems are tender, then add the chopped leaves and cook until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper and a sprinkle of grated parmesan.

We are planting seeds in the last 3 empty beds in the high tunnel this week. We will be seeding additional rounds of carrots, arugula, radishes, and turnips along with some spinach. Once these seeds are in the ground, the high tunnel will be fully planted! Since we’ve been planting a lot of quicker growing crops in the high tunnel, we’ve been able to regularly harvest delicious veggies like turnips and radishes.

Our carrots in the high tunnel are coming along nicely but they aren’t quite ready for harvesting. We’re hopeful that we will be able to make the first harvest within the next 2-3 weeks! Since carrots are a community favorite, we like to plant several successions of them throughout the cooler growing seasons. This allows us to lengthen the amount of time they’re available for you and helps lessen or eliminate any gaps in their availability.

In Season: Broccoli, 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 share that the high tunnel is fully planted with warm season crops! We have three beds planted with tomatoes in addition to two beds each of peppers and cucumbers. Since the high tunnel gives us a little more control over temperature while offering protection from the elements, we were able to plant successions of these crops a little earlier than in the field. This means you’ll see these veggies make their way to your plate a little sooner! While the peppers and cucumbers are still fairly young, our tomatoes are already about three feet tall and flowering! We can’t wait to harvest and share these with you. 

Remember all of the flower varieties that we started in the greenhouse back in February? We were able to transplant them in the field this week! Farmer Anne is incredibly excited for this year’s flower patch and can’t wait to start harvesting and offering cut flower bouquets at the Farm Stand. This year our goal is to grow more variety than we have in the past to add more visual interest to bouquets while also experimenting with new flowers. You’ll see some favorites like zinnias and marigolds mixed with newer ones like celosia, sweet pea, and agrostemma. We’ll make sure to keep you updated on their growth! 

While we have leaner offerings again this week we are excited to share that zucchini will be making its way to the Farm Stand very soon! Our zucchini is producing both male and female blossoms which means it's only a matter of time before the fruit matures to harvesting size. Zucchini is a fairly quick grower so we expect to be able to have the first sizable harvest for you within the next 1-2 weeks. Make sure to keep an eye out! 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Salad Mix, Carrots, Scallions, Dino Kale, Curly Kale, and Collard Greens.

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

The field tomatoes did not fare well in the recent freeze as to be expected but the good news is that our high tunnel tomatoes are doing great! Our high tunnel operates in a similar manner to our greenhouse. It keeps our plants much warmer than in the field during the colder months while also offering protection from wind and rain. This means we can extend the season of certain crops as it creates a more controlled environment. Thanks to the high tunnel, tomatoes are still in season at the Farm Stand!

A new lettuce variety just made its way back into season: green butter. This lettuce variety has a mild, sweet flavor with a soft buttery texture. Butter lettuce is great for making salads as dressing clings to the leaves really well. You can enjoy it on its own as a salad base or mix it with some of our other lettuce varieties, arugula, or salad mix. We recommend picking up a head or two on Saturday at the Farm Stand or any time it’s convenient for you at the Grab-and-Go coolers so you can try it in this salad recipe with a homemade honey mustard vinaigrette.

We’ve been harvesting some incredibly beautiful bunches of cilantro lately! This cool weather-loving herb is in the same family of crops as carrots, celery, and fennel. Farmer Matt loves adding chopped cilantro to rice dishes, homemade salsa, and fragrant curries for a fresh hit of its pungent and citrusy flavor. For an easy and flavor side dish, try roasting some of our carrots, beets, and radishes and pairing them with this cilantro yogurt sauce. You can find bunches of cilantro in the Grab-and-Go coolers. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Kale, Collards, Komatsuna (Asian Spinach), Bok Choy, Swiss Chard, Mustard Greens, Napa Cabbage, Cone Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Scallions, Romaine Lettuce, Butter Lettuce, Cilantro, Carrots, Beets, Radishes, Salad Mix, Arugula, Cherry Tomatoes, and Early Girl Tomatoes

We are delighted to share that our first Farm Tour of the fall season will be on Saturday, October 12th at 10:30am! This educational stroll will include a preview of all of our fall crops in both the field and the high tunnel. You’ll also have the opportunity to check in on the progress of our fall tomatoes and ask us when your favorite veggies will be making their way back into season. Our Farm Tours are open to the public and free of charge. We would love to see you there!

Remember all of the varieties we direct-seeded in the high tunnel last week? As you can see below, some of them are already germinating! Most of what we planted will grow fairly quickly and will be ready for harvesting in the next few weeks. You can expect to see French breakfast radishes and arugula make their way into season first followed by salad mix and Hakurei turnips. Though we seeded carrots here as well, they have a slower germination rate and longer growing period. We’ll have a better idea of our carrot timeline once they begin to germinate.

We’ve reached the point in the year when our summer crops are starting to slow down and will eventually be phased out. You might have noticed that cucumbers are now out of season and we only have limited amounts of zucchini this week. We encourage you to enjoy the remaining summer crops as much as possible before they make their way out of season over the next few weeks! If you’re curious how to prepare any of the produce we’re currently harvesting, you can always ask us during our Saturday Farm Stand from 9am-noon or reach out on Instagram or Facebook. 

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

Coming Soon: Arugula, Radishes, Salad Mix, and Hakurei Turnips

The high tunnel is fully planted! We direct-seeded all of the remaining rows with a round of quicker-growing fall crops. Since several varieties we planted need to be sown thickly like carrots and radishes, we’re able to make quick work of it with our Jang push seeder! This tool allows us to sow several rows in a bed within a couple of minutes. Here’s what we planted: Hakurei turnips, French breakfast radishes, Nantes carrots, arugula, salad mix, and cilantro. You can expect to see the first harvest of some of these varieties in just over a month! 

In addition to all of the crops that were direct-seeded in the high tunnel, we transplanted a bed of beets (below). Last year we experimented for the first time with transplanting our beet crop rather than direct sowing it in place. It worked really well so we’re continuing with this method this fall! Transplanting beets can enhance the productivity of an individual bed and increase the likelihood of having consistent, large, and beautiful beets. We’re looking forward to the first beet harvest later this fall! 

We are happy to report that our tunnel and field tomatoes are starting to bloom! While we’re still a ways off from harvesting our fall tomatoes, the first blooms are always an exciting sign of what’s to come. Since two out of the three varieties we’re growing this fall are cherry tomatoes, you’ll see them make their way into season much faster than our slicing variety as it takes less time to mature for harvesting. We expect to start seeing the first baby tomatoes over the next few weeks so we’ll make sure to keep you updated on their progress. 

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

The summer season has arrived on the farm! In order to combat the heat, we’ve installed shade cloths on both the high tunnel (pictured above) and the greenhouse. Since we use the high tunnel to extend the season of certain crops, the shade cloth will aid in keeping them cooler, less stressed, and more productive. This will allow us to provide you with more heat sensitive crops like tomatoes a bit longer than we would if they were planted in the field without any protection. If you’d like to see our shade cloth and summer crops in person, make sure to join us for our Farm Tour this Saturday, June 15th at 10:30am! This event is suitable for all ages and open to the public.

Two of our favorite summer crops will be making their way into season over the next couple of weeks: long beans and Korean melons. Both of these varieties can take the intense heat of summer and will lend delicious diversity to our future harvests. Our long beans (above) are just beginning to flower. Since the beans grow fairly quickly once the flowers are pollinated, you can expect to see them at the Farm Stand within the next week or two. Our Korean melons (below) are just beginning to set fruit. They will need slightly longer to size up and turn their characteristic bright yellow color. Be on the lookout for them in the next 2-3 weeks!

The back sections of each side of the main production field are currently planted with beneficial cover crops. One side is planted with cowpeas while the other (below) is planted with a mixed species soil builder. Planting cover crops during the summer allows us to improve the health of our soil while intentionally reducing the footprint of the farm. Both of these cover crops will be left to grow throughout the season before being turned under in preparation for fall planting.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Eggplant, Slicing Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Slicing Cucumbers, Pickling Cucumbers, Serrano Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Okra, Kale, Basil, and Cut Flowers (limited)

Coming Soon: Zucchini, Long Beans, and Korean Melons

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

The greenhouse is in spring mode and is bursting with life! Spring favorites like cucumbers, zucchini, basil, and summer squash are swiftly growing and nearly ready to be transplanted. In addition to all of the veggies and herbs, we have several different flower varieties growing! Farmer Anna is most excited for these and can’t wait to be able to offer fresh cut flower bouquets again. Here are some of the varieties you can expect to see this spring and summer: cosmos, sunflowers, nasturtium, stock, zinnias, and strawflower. 

We direct-seeded one last round of quick-growing crops in the high tunnel before we shift our focus to tomatoes. We sowed both salad radishes and arugula which are typically ready for harvesting in about a month. That’s as fast as food gets around here! Our goal is to be able to have these harvested before we need the space for our tomatoes. You can expect to see arugula and radishes make their way to the Farm Stand in the next couple of weeks.

Don’t forget to pick up some of our fennel at the Farm Stand! Fennel is in the same family as carrots and has a mellow anise-like flavor. Both the bulb and fronds of fennel are edible and pair really well with root veggies and citrus. Farmer Anna loves adding it to a seasonal veggie roast along with our colored cauliflower, watermelon radishes, and carrots. You can pick up fennel along with our other seasonal crops at the Self-Serve Farm Stand any time that’s convenient for you throughout the week. If you prefer to see us in person, make sure to pop by on Saturdays from 9am-noon.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Chioggia Beets, Fennel, Carrots, Watermelon Radishes, Kohlrabi, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Collard Greens, Kale, and Parsley.