Sundog CSA June 7, 2021
The weather has changed! And we and the gardens are adjusting to the fact that the temperatures have went from below normal to above or near normal and the rain is not falling as frequently. This morning there are misty drops that coat you as you walk on the paths to do chores but the roof is not playing “rain music”. There is such a difference in being outside and listening to rain hit the earth, trees and myself and then sitting in the barn and hearing it “drumming” down on a tin roof! With the changes we have abandoned flannel bed sheets and mud boots and have been hunting up shade hats and tennis shoes or in the case of the kids, abandoning any form of footwear!
Blooms of daises, coreopsis, spider wort and red clover decorate the pastures and side ditches and our feet tread on tiny chamomile plants that have escaped into the far reaches of the “40” over the years. The garden has grown so rapidly with all the water and we think that the liberal compost blanket that we laid down last fall combined with the moisture to host weeds as well as our rows of intentional plantings. Wheat that we planted as a ground cover is headed and maybe going to ripen in places as we are experimenting with interplantings - meaning that we are not removing volunteer plants such as clovers etc. or ground cover if they are not in the way of the intentional rows. Our gardens are planted in the same way that many farmers in this area plant – row after row of the same crop and after spending some time reading, we thought that we would like to experiment with varied plantings. This may be a one-year experiment? 😊 We are definitely removing the Carolina Bull Nettles that have sprouted in abundance and we also try really hard to pull bindweed that tends to “strangle” our crops as it climbs and winds. The “bull nettles” require leather gloves (with no holes preferably) and careful carrying. Katy and I and our volunteer team of Seth and Izzy worked at this task Friday evening until we said “uncle” to the mosquito attack and headed to the cow barn. It is very difficult to carry a thorned nettle while slapping at mosquitos – seemed like we were getting pierced no matter what we did!
So Zach has set up a website for us to store our newsletters and pictures on - it is a work in progress. We are really excited to be able to start collecting pictures and information that we want to share rather than including them in a lengthy newsletter and it is also nice to go back for us to go back and re-read as our memories tend to be a little shaky as to plantings and pests and other things! 😊
This week saw the last two cows being moved to the summer pasture. Both Slick and Uma have calves and we wanted to make sure that everyone was healthy and well started before leaving. Cow checks are done regularly at the summer pasture but it is not the same as seeing them lined up morning and night as we do chores. NEW additions to the farm or more specifically to Izzy’s turkey flock were a pair of Bourbon Reds from our good friend, Judy Huffman. She delivered them Friday. There was no welcome from the “home” turkeys, Linus and Biana who are Royal Palms and in fact, Linus has been rather hostile.
Today (Sunday), the moon is favorable to plant “fruit” seeds, so cucumbers, squash, beans and okra are being emptied into rows that were tilled yesterday in anticipation. Our pea experiment has worked “sort of well” - -we need to plant differently as far as rows but we are really happy to report that the deer find it too challenging to eat through the tomato tubes. Unfortunately, they are feasting on beets instead. Plan XYZ is being put into motion which is to string electric fence around the area. It is our last resort because even if it does not work for deer, it definitely gets our attention when we forget to unplug it! And that happens more often than we want to admit to and then there is yelling as to who is responsible etc? 😊
Bags are large this week since we skipped last week!
YOUR BAG THIS WEEK -
- Shell Peas -a great way to share together as you pull the “zipper” on pods and reveal treasure – kids and adults love it!
- Sugar Snap Peas - no shelling involved as you eat both pods and peas!
- Asparagus
- Lettuce
- Turnips - Turnip greens are an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), vitamin C, folate, copper, manganese, dietary fiber, calcium, vitamin E and vitamin B6. They are a very good source of potassium, magnesium, pantothenic acid, vitamin B2, iron and phosphorus. Additionally, they are a good source of vitamin B1, omega-3 fatty acids, niacin and protein.
- Onions – spring green onions
- Egyptian Onion Bulblets -The bulblets of the Egyptian walking onion can be eaten raw or cooked. They can be pickled or sliced into salads.
- Greens Bundle – Mustard, Kale, Arugula and some Asian Greens
Check this recipe if you decide not to eat your sugar snaps raw – https://cafedelites.com/5-minute-sugar-snap-peas/
In looking up a simple recipe for cooking shell peas, I found this link: https://blog.blueapron.com/a-trick-for-eating-your-pea-pods/ This is something that I have not done but it definitely looks interesting. Let me know if you try it! 😊
https://www.finecooking.com/article/peas-from-the-pod
There are really interesting recipes on this site for turnips — https://www.martinsgardenacf.com/turnip-recipes
And here is a recipe for pickled turnips – a real treat! https://www.davidlebovitz.com/pickled-turnips-turnip-recipe/
You can also pickle your Egyptian Onion bulblets.
The month of May is special for our family as we get to spend time with Zach and Jen, celebrating birthdays and planting their garden. This year we added backyard bubbles to the mix, something that Jen really excels at. The bubbles were huge and wobbly with their weight shifting as they rose in the air, rainbows gracing their outlines. Sometimes they hit natural boundaries and more often, Seth popped them as he raced from one to another. Every now and then one would escape him and head towards higher ground and I would celebrate that escape by watching it until it was no more.
I have spent more than a year wiping down surfaces, scrubbing my hands and breathing behind fabric so it was a little contradictory in this germ-free environment to eat 3 well worn mulberries handed to me with triumph by the harvester, Seth. Grubby hands extended, purple stains streaking his cheek, widest of grins and a sense of satisfaction as he watched me eat his present – life is not easily defined or explained sometimes. They were delicious!! 😊
Blessings from the farm - Seth, Izzy, Katy, Dan, Jen, Zach and Teresa
Pictures courtesy of Izzy -
Linus and his gorgeous new red rival…
Green wheat in the garden…
Potato Bug!!
Buffalo Burr - ☹
Spiderwort
Peas