November 18th, 2021

We’re adding three more leafy greens to our verdant lineup this week: curly kale, Lacinato kale, and rainbow chard. And, we hope to harvest the first Napa cabbages next week! We’ve been working hard to increase the diversity of crops on the farm so it feels great to be able to harvest twelve different varieties of greens. Each leafy green variety differs in terms of taste and texture. We hope you’ll try them all so that you can expand your palate and perhaps find a new favorite! Here’s a handy guide featuring all of the varieties we’re currently harvesting:

• Kales (Lacinato, Curly, & Red Russian) -- earthy and vegetal taste; baby leaves are tender and perfect for salads; adult leaves are sturdier and perfect for sautéeing.
• Rainbow Chard -- mildly sweet and earthy taste; the soft-textured leaves and crunchy stems are great for sautéeing and adding to soups.
• Tokyo Bekana -- mild cabbage-like flavor; the buttery soft leaves can be used as a salad green or added to soups and stir-fries
• Arugula -- mild peppery flavor; the tender leaves are great for adding to salads, sandwiches, or a batch of pesto.
• Lettuces -- mild vegetal flavor; the tender leaves are great for adding to salads and sandwiches.
• Gai Lan -- earthy and sweet taste; both the leaves and stems are great for adding to stir-fries and soups. 
• Tatsoi -- mild spinach-like flavor; the tender leaves can be added to a salad mix or sautéed.
• Bok Choy -- fresh and grassy flavor; the leaves and stems can be added to stir-fries, soups, or used for a batch of kimchi.
• Collard Greens -- earthy and alkaline flavor; the leaves and stems are great for braising, adding to soups, and as a wrap for sandwiches and burgers. 
• Mustard Greens -- sharp and peppery flavor (this mellows when cooked); the leaves are great for braising, sautéeing, and adding to soups. 

It’s hard to tell who likes our flower rows more, us or the pollinators! These flowers serve a dual purpose: they provide a source of food for our local pollinators and they bring a bit of farm beauty to your home in the form of cut flower bouquets. In addition to all of the delicious veggies we’ll have at the farm stand this weekend (list below), we’ll also have the following cut flowers for you to craft your own bouquets: marigolds, zinnias, and sunflowers.

As a reminder, our farm stand takes place on the farm every Saturday from 10am-noon and every Wednesday from 4-6pm. We’re the perfect option for your holiday meal-planning and shopping and would love to see you there!

Currently In Season: Cherry Tomatoes, Slicer Tomatoes, Kale, Rainbow Chard, Tokyo Bekana, Arugula, Lettuce Mix, Tatsoi, Baby Bok Choy, Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Gai Lan, Hakurei Turnips, White Icicle Radishes, Shishito Peppers, and Eggplant.

November 11th, 2021

‘Tis the season for all things green on the farm! We currently have 9 different leafy greens in season at the moment, including the newest on our harvesting list, gai lan (pictured below). Gai lan, also called Chinese broccoli or Chinese kale, yields thick bluish-green leaves with thick stems. If you look at the image above, you’ll see all of these leafy greens laid out. Here are the varieties from left to right: collard greens, arugula, Tokyo bekana, gai lan, kale, tatsoi, baby bok choy, mustard greens, and lettuce.

Our slicing tomato varieties are just starting to yield mature fruits which means both slicing and cherry varieties are in season. Tomatoes can easily be preserved for enjoyment during the winter months through canning or the more simple route, freezing. When preparing them for freezing, you can either cook them down into a paste or sauce first, or roast them until caramelized. We highly recommend picking up extras at the next farm stand because they won’t be in season for much longer depending on how low our overnight temperatures get!

Our fall succession of snap peas is coming right along. Snap peas are yet another crop we can plant in both spring and fall in our growing climate. As you can see in the photo, the snap pea plants have just reached the bottom of the trellis. At this point, they’ll continue their vertical climb up the trellis using their tendrils. We expect them to start flowering within the next week or two!

Currently In Season: Cherry Tomatoes, Slicer Tomatoes, Kale, Tokyo Bekana, Arugula, Lettuce Mix, Tatsoi, Baby Bok Choy, Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Gai Lan, Hakurei Turnips, Shishito Peppers, Eggplant, Yellow Squash, and White Icicle Radishes

September 30th, 2021

Who’s ready for some fall vegetables?! Several different fall crops were transplanted over the last week to join our Monty broccoli. Song cauliflower, a more heat-tolerant variety, was planted in addition to White Russian kale, Green Glaze collard greens, and Jericho lettuce. Though there’s still a bit of a wait when it comes to the broccoli and cauliflower, the leafy greens will be ready before you know it. We plan on harvesting some of the kale in the baby stage for you to enjoy.

The melons we direct-seeded in the high tunnel are doing very well. They’re currently taking up the back half of the high tunnel and will be using every bit of that space as their vines begin to grow and sprawl. The front half of the high tunnel was cleared and renovated in preparation for planting more fall tomatoes and Bai Bu Lao pole beans. We grew these beans during the summer and loved them so much that we decided to plant one more succession this year.

We’ll have a new leafy green for you at the farm stand this Saturday: Tatsoi! This leafy green resembles spinach in appearance but is actually a member of the vast Brassica family. The leaves of Tatsoi have a buttery soft texture and a mild flavor that is both sweet and mustardy. It’s incredibly versatile in the kitchen as it can be eaten raw in salads or substituted in any recipe calling for spinach. If you’d like to try some, come see us at the farm stand on Saturdays from 10am-noon or on Wednesdays from 4-6pm.