We are happy to report that Korean melons are back in season at the Farm Stand! These oblong yellow melons are a summer favorite on the farm. There’s nothing more refreshing after a hot day than an ice-cold wedge of melon! There’s no need to peel these melons as they have a very thin, edible skin. We recommend using them to make a batch of agua fresca to keep cool. Try this recipe as a guide and sub Korean melons for the cantaloupe that is called for. Or, try adding them to your next smoothie. 

During the hot summer months, we intentionally streamline our footprint by planting cover crops and placing tarps on sections of the farm to help with weed control. The use of clear tarps is called solarization. These tarps help trap solar heat and raise the temperature of the soil which kills weeds as well as harmful insects. The use of opaque black tarps is called occultation and works by blocking out light in order to prevent weeds from photosynthesizing. This eventually kills the weeds as well. Both of these methods are not only less time consuming than hand weeding, they’re a common no-till, organic method.  

In Season at the Farm Stand: Korean Melons, Okra, Eggplant, Zucchini, Jalapenos, Bell Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Basil, and Flower Bouquets and Stems

It’s been a great season for our poblano peppers! These beautiful dark green peppers have a mild spice level with an earthy and smoky flavor that is more pronounced when roasted. Poblanos are great for stuffing, especially in chile relleno (recipe here). Farmer Chandler has been enjoying using them to make salsa verde. Simply roast poblanos whole along with onion, garlic, and a halved tomatillo. Blend with cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste then enjoy with tortilla chips and tacos. You can find poblano peppers in the Grab-and-Go coolers. 

We are happy to report that our Korean melons will be ready for harvesting very soon! This variety is more of a personal sized melon due to its smaller size. It has vibrant yellow skin and crisp, juicy white flesh. Both the flesh and skin of Korean melons is edible which means there’s much less prep involved when it comes to cutting them. They make a refreshing salad paired with our cucumbers, basil, and some feta cheese. We should have them for you at the Farm Stand by next weekend! 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cucumber, Okra, Eggplant, Zucchini, Jalapenos, Bell Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Carrots, Basil, and Flower Bouquets and Stems

We just harvested more than 200 pounds of tomatoes for you so it’s safe to say that we’re in peak tomato season on the farm! There are 5 different varieties for you to choose from, all of which should cover your culinary needs this season. Black Cherry, Cherry Bomb, and Sungold are cherry varieties that are available in the blue pint cartons. They’re great for snacking, adding to salads and pastas, and roasting. Granadero is a plum tomato variety that is ideal for making tomato sauce, tomato paste, or adding to salsas. New Girl is a red slicing variety perfect for topping sandwiches, burgers, or tossing into salads. You can find all of these varieties on the shelves next to the Grab-and-Go coolers! 

We know you’ve been asking when Korean melons will return so we’re happy to share that we started the seeds for them this week! Historically, this melon variety has performed well for us and yielded abundant (and delicious!) harvests. The great thing about Korean melons is that there is minimal prep involved since both the skin and flesh can be eaten. Since we just planted them this week, we estimate that they will be available beginning in mid to late July. We’ll let you know as soon as we start harvesting! 

Have you had a chance to try any of our shishito peppers yet? These mild green peppers (below) have distinctive ridges and a flavor that is grassy and citrusy. They’re most commonly enjoyed blistered, grilled, or roasted with a dipping sauce for an easy appetizer or side dish. They’re also great in salads and pair well with corn, cucumbers, potatoes, and eggplant. We recommend trying this blistered shishito and corn salad or this roasted potato salad with shishito peppers. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cherry and Slicing Tomatoes, Pickling and Slicing Cucumbers, Zucchini, Eggplants, Jalapenos, Bell Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Red and Golden Beets, Carrots, and Basil

Despite the consecutive 100+ degree days, our fall tomato seedlings are thriving and have already outgrown the space in their transplant trays! Since it’s still too hot to transplant our tomatoes, we are extending their life by potting them up into larger containers. This allows more room for their roots to develop and prevents them from becoming rootbound. Our fall tomato plants will remain in the protection of the greenhouse until they are ready for transplanting in a few weeks.

Korean melons are back in season at the Farm Stand! The great thing about this summer fruit is that there is minimal prep involved since both the skin and flesh are edible. Farmer Matt loves to eat Korean melons straight out of the field like an apple. They have a delicate sweet flavor and a juicy, crunchy texture that is perfect for snacking, salads, and salsas. We recommend chilling your Korean melon in the fridge for a refreshing treat on these hot summer afternoons!

The first big round of fall seeding was completed this week in the greenhouse! We sowed a whopping 45 trays of delicious fall varietals that we can’t wait to transplant and eventually harvest for you. This will be the first of many rounds of crops sown for the cooler months and is predominantly made up of leafy greens like kale, collards, and Swiss chard. We also planted cauliflower, broccoli, beets, scallions, and sunflowers. You can see some of the specific varieties we planted in the photo below! 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Korean Melons, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Roselle Greens, Okra, Long Beans, Sweet Peppers, Banana Peppers, Aji Rico Peppers, Baby Poblano Peppers, Serrano Peppers, and Jalapeno Peppers

Coming Soon: Asian Eggplants and Baby Butternuts

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

Remember the bed that we planted in the high tunnel last week? As you can see in the photo above, it’s germinating! We planted this bed with a mix of arugula and Easter Egg radishes. Since these are quick-growing crops, we expect to be harvesting them for you in the next 2-3 weeks. These will be our first fall crops of the year so we are incredibly excited to share them with you! We’ll let you know as soon as they’re available at the Farm Stand. 

Fall planting continued in the greenhouse this week. Just like our fall succession of dragon’s tongue beans, we’ll be sowing seeds for herbs that will do well in the mild fall temperatures. We’re planting both dill and cilantro (pictured below) to lend a fresh herbal flavor to our fall harvests. While these herbs are often thought of as spring and summer crops, they will pair incredibly well with our fall root veggies! 

Were you able to try our Korean melons earlier this summer? We’re happy to report that we have one last succession of them growing that should be ready for harvesting in the next couple of weeks! These brightly colored melons were one of our favorite farm snacks over the summer so we can’t wait to be able to share them with you one last time. They have a unique pear-like flavor and crisp texture that is incredibly delicious. Make sure to keep an eye out for them at the Farm Stand!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Long Beans, Malabar Spinach, Armenian Cucumbers, Eggplants, and Okra. 

The first Korean melons of the season were harvested this week! We highly recommend popping by the Farm Stand soon so you can try one. Both the skin and flesh are edible so there’s minimal prep required when eating one. Simply cut them in half, scoop out the seeds, and you’re good to go! Farmer Anna loves the Korean melons straight from the fridge as a cold and refreshing summer snack while Farmer Reuben prefers to sprinkle slices with a dash of tajin. You can also use them in salads, sorbets, juices, and smoothies.

Okra, a beloved summer staple, is back in season this week! We have a colorful mix of green and burgundy okra for you at the Farm Stand. Since okra prefers warm temperatures, it tends to perform very well for us throughout the summer season. That means you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy it! Farmer Anna’s favorite dish to make with okra is bamya, a Mediterranean stew. She includes okra, eggplant, and tomatoes in her version. If you’d like to make your own, try this recipe. 

Tomato season is fleeting so make sure to stock up the next time you’re at the Farm Stand! Due to the consistently high temperatures, tomato season will be over in the next couple of weeks. For the time being, we have limited quantities of cherry tomatoes, Caiman tomatoes, and green tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are great for adding to salads or cooking down into a quick pasta sauce. The Caiman variety is a red slicer that works well on sandwiches, burgers, or the classic BLT. Green tomatoes make a great relish but they can also be pickled, fried, or cooked down into jam or chutney. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Korean Melons, Okra, Long Beans, Banana Peppers, Sweet Peppers, Limited Cherry and Slicing Tomatoes, Eggplant, Cousa Squash, Onions, Limited Leeks, and Cut Flower Bouquets (limited and only on Saturdays).

We’re excited to report that we’ll have the first Korean melons of the season for you in the next week or two! When mature, these melons turn yellow with longitudinal white stripes. Korean melons are smaller in size than watermelons or muskmelons and can often be enjoyed in just one sitting! Both the flesh and the skin of these melons is edible and has a crisp texture with a moderately sweet, almost pear-like flavor. We can’t wait to share these delicious melons with you!

If you’ve ever been eager to enjoy the fruitiness of a habanero pepper without the intense heat getting in the way, we have just the pepper for you: the habanada! As these sweet peppers mature, they turn a beautiful peach color. They have a fruity and floral flavor with just a touch of smokiness. Habanadas are great for adding sweetness to hot sauce or salsa. We expect to have them for you at the Farm Stand in the next week or two. We can’t wait for you to try them!

Now that it’s officially the summer season, we’re focusing on planting high summer crops in the greenhouse. All of the varieties we’re seeding are able to withstand the intense heat this season can bring. So far we’ve planted summer greens like Malabar spinach (pictured above), molokhia, and amaranth. We also have the next successions of zucchini and eggplant started along with some specialty crops like roselle and Armenian cucumbers. We plan on getting these in the ground over the next few weeks as we cull our remaining late spring and early summer crops.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cherry Tomatoes (limited), Slicing Tomatoes, Onions, Eggplant, Sweet Peppers, Banana Peppers, Long Beans, Summer Squashes, Leeks, Pickling Cucumbers, and Cut Flower Bouquets (limited and only on Saturdays).