After a teaser last week, we are excited to share that we harvested the first Napa cabbages of the season this week! This quicker growing cabbage variety is often called “Chinese cabbage”. It has an oblong shape, crinkly leaves, and a mild sweet flavor. It makes a great salad green when finely chopped and is perfect for using in a batch of kimchi. It can also be roasted, sauteed, and grilled for a delicious and easy side dish. If you aren’t sure where to start, we recommend trying this melting Napa cabbage recipe or this Napa wedge salad with apples and buttermilk dressing. 

Did you know that we have two different mustard green varieties available in the Grab-and-Go coolers? Wasabina mustard greens (below left) have frilly leaves that are tender with a spicy and pungent flavor similar to wasabi. We love adding them to a stir-fry along with bok choy, peppers, and Hakurei turnips. They can also be combined with our lettuce and arugula for a spicy salad mix. Amara mustard greens (below right) have darker green leaves that are tender with a nutty and garlicky flavor that is more mild than Wasabina. We love adding Amara to stir-fries as well but it is also delicious in soups and stews.

As summer crops are phased out and the beds are flipped and prepared, we’ve been able to plant more cool season crops. This week, we planted a round of collard greens and cilantro. Both of these crops will thrive in the cooler temperatures and be ready for harvesting towards the end of this month or the beginning of December. While collard greens are members of the large Brassica family, cilantro is actually a member of the same family as carrots, fennel, and celery.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Red Russian Kale, Tuscan Kale, Bok Choy, Lettuce Heads, Swiss Chard, Arugula, Hakurei Turnips, Amara Mustard Greens, Wasabina Mustard Greens, Radishes, Spring Onions, Okra, Lunchbox Peppers, Bell Peppers, and Flower Bouquets

Our recent round of seeding in the greenhouse is showing beautiful germination! This round is made up of some crops that are currently already growing and being harvested in addition to some later summer varieties. Every season we typically plant multiple successions of the same crops in order to ensure a continuous supply throughout the season. This recent round included bunching onions, roselle, various herbs, zinnias, zucchini, cucumbers, and Korean melons. They have a couple more weeks to go in the greenhouse before we get them planted in the field!

Is there a more classic summer pairing than tomatoes and basil?! We currently have both in season at the Farm Stand for your summer recipes. We recommend trying a classic caprese salad or a fresh tomato basil sauce. If you want to preserve the flavor of summer, we highly recommend scooping up a few bunches of basil and making a large batch of pesto (recipe here). Pesto can easily be frozen for use throughout the year! We highly encourage you to take advantage of both of these items as tomato season is rapidly winding down due to the summer heat.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Cucumber, Long Beans, Okra, Eggplant, Tomatoes, Zucchini, Jalapenos, Bell Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Cornito Peppers, Lunchbox Peppers, Carrots, Basil, and Flower Bouquets and Stems

We are just beginning to see the first blooms in our flower patch! So far a couple of our sweet peas have bloomed (below) and they are both lovely and incredibly fragrant. We also spotted the first zinnia flower (above) and both our zinnias and sunflowers are covered in buds. If you’re a Jordan Ranch resident and would love to see these first blooms in person, we highly recommend signing up for the Farm Tour this Saturday, April 26th, from 5:30-7:30pm. Bella Burger will be in attendance serving delicious food and there will be yard games in addition to plenty of seating. Make sure to sign up here! 

The tomatoes are getting so incredibly close to the first harvest! We’re seeing blushes of color on both our cherry and slicing varieties. Once tomatoes start to gain some color, they’re typically ready for harvesting in about 1-2 weeks assuming the weather remains favorable. Due to their smaller size, cherry tomatoes will mature much faster than larger slicing varieties which means you’ll most likely see those hit the Farm Stand first. We’re hoping to have them for you at the Farm Stand next week but we’ll make sure to let you know as soon as they’re available!

We planted another round of summer crops recently that will thrive as the temperatures grow warmer. Two different varieties of okra were transplanted that have proven to yield reliable and delicious harvests in the past: Clemson Spineless and Carmine Splendor. We also planted a round of Crimson Sweet watermelon that will be a refreshing treat on super hot summer days. And, we direct-seeded the first round of long beans that are already showing great signs of germination. While we’re very much still enjoying springtime, we’re always planning (and planting!) ahead.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Romaine, Red Romaine, Zucchini, Fennel, Beets, Carrots, Curly Kale, Dino Kale, Scallions, and Salad Mix.

Coming Soon: Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Peppers

We planted several different warm season crops this week that will take us into late spring and early summer. This round includes the next succession of zucchini and cucumbers, basil, and the first successions of cantaloupe and butternut squashes. We expect to be able to start harvesting the basil within the next couple of weeks once it sizes up which should be right around the time tomatoes begin making their way to the Farm Stand! As for the cantaloupe and butternut squashes, you won’t see these for about 2 months as they have a much longer growing period until they are ready for harvesting. 

Our peppers are beginning to flower and set fruit! Peppers are in the same family as tomatoes so it should be no surprise that they also have self-pollinating flowers (below). Once pollinated, the flowers will wilt and eventually drop as the small pepper fruits begin to develop and grow. Depending on the weather and the pepper variety, it can take anywhere from 3-5 weeks for the pepper to reach harvesting size once it is successfully pollinated. Since we are just starting to see the first fruits, you can expect to see peppers make their way to the Farm Stand within the next month. 

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

Coming Soon: Zucchini, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Peppers

Remember the round of cucurbits and other summer crops we planted back in July? They are doing well and looking healthier now that the field has had a chance to dry out! We’re hoping these crops mature well throughout the month of August so we can begin harvesting them next month. Here are some of the crops that you can look forward to on the harvesting horizon: slicing cucumbers, zucchini, baby butternuts, banana peppers, and baby bell peppers. 

Every season, we plant multiple rounds or “successions” of the same crops. During the summer, these successions are spaced out about every 2-3 weeks. Succession planting helps ensure that we are able to harvest a continuous supply throughout the season. It also helps in the event of weather or pest related issues. A great example of succession planting is our two rows of long beans in the photo above. You can see the newest round ready to start producing on the left while the older plants on the right have reached the end of their life cycle. 

During the summer months, we intentionally reduce the footprint of the farm. This allows us to cover crop sections of the farm (above) and get them ready for fall. It also allows us to get ahead of weed pressure by tarping. Since we don’t use any herbicides in the field, every weed is dealt with by hand. A great way for us to tackle a large area is by placing a tarp on vacant beds. The tarps block out the sunlight which smothers new weed growth. You can see this process in action in the high tunnel below. In a few weeks, these beds will be primed and ready for fall planting! 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Poblanos Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Serrano Peppers, Okra, Long Beans, Cantaloupe (limited), Italian Eggplant (limited), Cucumbers (limited), Mexicana Squash (limited), and Baby Butternuts

We’ll have something new for you at the Farm Stand next week: the first cantaloupes of the season! These summer fruits will be available for a limited window for about two weeks. The variety we’re growing is called “Sugar Cube”. Just as the name implies, this melon variety has intensely sweet and aromatic flesh! We highly recommend putting a scoop of ice cream, sorbet, or yogurt in the hollowed out seed cavity for a delicious summertime treat. Or, you can take a cue from Farmer Reuben and enjoy it with a squeeze of lime juice and sprinkle of tajín.

Before the rain arrived we were able to plant a block of summer crops. We transplanted a row each of Asian cucumbers, Armenian cucumbers, and okra. Even though we’re already harvesting cucumbers and okra, we like to sow multiple rounds throughout the season. This is called succession planting and it helps to lengthen our harvest window and maintain more of a steady supply of produce throughout the season. It’s also helpful during the summer when the extreme heat can cause more stress on our crops and affect their productivity.

If you’ve visited the farm over the past few weeks, you’ve most likely encountered Nick and his welcoming smile! Nick is the Director of Operations for Agmenity and assists with the different farms in our region. He is out at the farm regularly to help support the team and loves to chat about the care and intention that goes into farming, especially when it comes to the importance of soil health. If you see him around, make sure to say hello and ask him about his favorite summer crops!

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: Long Beans and Melons

The arrival of February means it’s time to begin sowing seeds for spring in the greenhouse! We planted the first succession of spring crops this week and we couldn’t be more excited. Among the varieties planted are yellow crookneck squash, Dunja zucchini, and slicing cucumbers. We also planted herbs like basil and dill along with flowers that will eventually make their way into spring bouquets. We don’t know about you, but Farmer Anna is really excited for the cucumbers!

If you’re curious what else we’ll be planting for the spring season, we encourage you to join us for our next Farm Tour on Saturday, February 10th at 10:30am. Our tours are the best way to experience all of the seasonal shifts on the farm and ask us any questions you might have. They’re also a great way to experience new and exciting crop varieties like the vibrant purple cauliflower we just started harvesting. Our tours are open to the public and free of charge. We would love to see you there!

Calling all carrots lovers! Have you had a chance to snag any carrots from the Farm Stand yet?! We will have both bunches and clamshell containers of carrots for you at the Farm Stand this weekend. Our bunches are made up of medium-sized carrots while our containers are filled with petite baby carrots. These carrots are sweet and tender and ready to be added to all of your favorite recipes. Farmer Anna recommends roasting them in a honey glaze spiced with nutmeg and seasoned with salt and pepper.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Kale, Collard Greens, Salad Mix, Carrots, Fennel, Watermelon Radish, Kohlrabi, and Purple Cauliflower. 

We were able to squeeze in a round of planting over the weekend before the storms arrived! Some of our vacant beds were planted with a round of late winter crops that will be able to make the transition into spring. In addition to the Swiss chard you can see in the photo above, we planted Song cauliflower, kohlrabi, and lettuce. Our remaining vacant beds will eventually be prepared for the first spring crops in a few weeks.

Our high tunnel was sown with a few different quick-growing crops. We direct-seeded radishes, arugula, and salad mix and transplanted heads of Salanova lettuce (above). We’re focusing on quick-growing crops to ensure we have plenty of space for our tomatoes! A radish can go from seed to harvest in just about a month which will give us plenty of time to prepare for the first tomato planting.

You can find the first kohlrabi of the season at the Farm Stand! Kohlrabi (above) is a member of the Brassica family along with other winter favorites like cabbage, broccoli, and kale. It has a mildly sweet broccoli flavor with a crunchy texture and can be eaten raw or cooked. To use kohlrabi, trim away the greens (you can prepare them as you would kale or collards) then carefully cut away and discard the outer skin. You can see what a prepared kohlrabi looks like below! Farmer Anna loves adding it to salads while Farmer Reuben prefers to grill thick slices of it.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Brussels Sprouts, Kohlrabi, Swiss Chard, Kale, Salad Mix, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Turnips, and Watermelon Radishes. 

One of our favorite alliums has made its way back into season: scallions! This is one of Farmer Anna’s favorite crops because she loves to use them as a garnish on so many different dishes. Scallions can be enjoyed both raw and cooked and are a great way to add a mellow onion flavor to your favorite recipes. The white and light green portions of scallions have a stronger flavor and stand up well during cooking while the darker green tops have a more delicate flavor and are perfect for garnishing. Farmer Anna recommends using them in this salmon sushi bake. 

We harvested the first watermelon radishes in the high tunnel this week! You would never know looking at the exterior of a watermelon radish (above) that the interior is a brilliant shade of magenta (below). Watermelon radishes have a mild peppery flavor with a hint of sweetness. They can be enjoyed raw or cooked and are especially lovely when pickled. Farmer Anna loves adding them to salads for a beautiful (and delicious!) pop of color or using them as a garnish for homemade hummus. Make sure to stop by the Farm Stand this weekend so you can try some! 

Our carefully planned succession planting schedule allowed us to have an uninterrupted supply of cauliflower over the past month! We just harvested an abundance of beautiful heads of cauliflower from our second succession this week and are excited to share them with you at the Farm Stand. Farmer Reuben enjoys blanching cauliflower until tender and topping it with lemon pepper seasoning for a simple side dish. Did you know that you can easily freeze cauliflower to enjoy later in the year? Check out the simple method for freezing it here. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Watermelon Radishes, Scallions, Cauliflower, Broccoli (limited), Kohlrabi, Hakurei Turnips, Swiss Chard, Collards, Cabbage, Kale, Lettuce Heads, Salad Mix, Spinach, Cilantro, Dill, and Parsley.

Upcoming Farm Events:

• Monthly Farm Tour: Saturday, January 13th at 10:30am
• Pop-up at the Heights Mercantile Farmers Market: Sunday, January 14th from 9am-1pm
• Pop-up at the Heights Mercantile Farmers Market: Sunday, January 28th from 9am-1pm

Before the rain arrived, we were able to get the majority of our third round of fall crops transplanted. Each prepared bed receives drip irrigation to ensure our crops obtain adequate moisture. Once the irrigation tape is in place, it’s time to plant! This round includes interesting new crops like Purple Moon and Clementine cauliflowers in addition to trusted favorites like Green Magic broccoli and Dinosaur kale.

We’re excited to share that cauliflower is back in season at the Farm Stand! This member of the brassica family can be eaten both raw and cooked. Since cauliflower has a relatively mild flavor, it pairs well with a variety of spices and herbs. Farmer Anna prefers to give it a good roast in the oven until it begins to caramelize around the edges. She also loves to use it as a substitute for potatoes to make a cauliflower mash with butter and parmesan. Yum!

Tokyo Bekana (above) is another new addition to the Self-Serve Farm Stand. This loose headed Asian cabbage has incredibly tender leaves with a mild flavor that can be eaten raw or cooked. To use it in recipes, simply chop up the leaves and stems to your desired size. Or, leave it whole and grill it to draw out its nuttiness. For a simple side dish, try stir-frying it with some of our Hakurei turnips. Or, add some chopped Tokyo Bekana to your next salad.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cauliflower, Collard Greens, Napa Cabbage, Mustard Greens, Curly Kale, Dino Kale, Swiss Chard, Arugula, Tokyo Bekana, Bok Choy, Hakurei Turnips, Green Beans, and Dill

Coming Soon: Radishes and Lettuce Heads

We hope you’ll join us on the farm on Saturday, November 4th from 9am-12pm for the Live Well Health and Fitness Expo! Hosted in partnership with the Jordan Ranch Lifestyle Team, this event will feature 20 local vendors, live music, activities, food trucks, and of course, our Farm Stand. We’ll be offering special veggie kits and recipes at the event to inspire you to cook with our seasonal produce. This event is free of charge and open to the public so we hope to see you there!

Fall plantings continued this week as we prepared more of our beds. We were excited to direct-seed a row of snap peas in the field, and as you can see below, they’re already germinating! Just like with our bush beans, we’re able to sow both spring and fall successions of snap peas in our climate. These snap peas will take between 50-60 days to yield the first harvest. Assuming we don’t get a hard freeze before the end of the year, we should have some for you by mid-December! 

In order to have a steady supply of crops throughout any given season, we seed multiple successions in the greenhouse. It’s hard to believe we’re already on our third round of fall planting! This round included scallions (one of Farmer Anna’s favorites!), spinach, kohlrabi, fennel, lettuces, and Tokyo Bekana (pictured below). All of these crops will thrive in the cooler temperatures of fall and early winter and lend delicious diversity to our harvests.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Bok Choy, Swiss Chard, Arugula, Radishes, Eggplant, and Okra

Coming Soon: Bush Beans, Kale, and Turnips. 

Since we typically have warm and mild conditions in the fall, we’re able to plant successions of some spring crops. We’ll be growing a fall round of dragon’s tongue beans to lend some diversity to our harvests. Dragon’s tongue beans are a farm favorite for their lovely flavor and beautiful appearance. They’re a Dutch heirloom that produces flat yellow beans streaked with purple. We can’t wait to share these delicious beans with you!

Remember the bed prep process in the high tunnel we shared with you last week? This week it’s being planted for fall!  We’re able to plant beds in the high tunnel for fall earlier than in the field due to the shade cloth installed over the top of it. The prepared beds in the high tunnel will be planted with a mix of quick-growing crops that can be direct seeded. Curious what varieties will be planted here? We’re sowing arugula, radishes, Hakurei turnips, and a few different baby greens. 

We aren’t doing any major  planting in the field right now so that we can prepare it for the fall season. A major part of this process is staying on top of weeding! Eliminating weeds is important because they pull available nutrients and water from our crops. By getting on top of them now, we should be able to eliminate the amount of weed seeds in the future. Once we tackle the weeds, we’ll be able to move on to bed prep so that we have plenty of space available for fall crops! 

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