Sundog Farms

Sundog CSA July 7th, 2025

We need rain. There are days when it would be nice to have a little “shower” and then there are days when you need rain bad enough that you would enjoy standing out in the bean row and letting it pelt down on you, filling all the dry places from the last couple of weeks. I think that our rain gauge registered .07 out of all those days of rain chances and that was by putting two rains together! Water has been scarce here on the hill for about three weeks now.

Unfortunately, the worms are not scarce. Tomato hornworms have been leaving skeletonized stems as they work their way down our high tunnel plants. Katy spent some time looking up hornworms today and found out that they are used as a protein source for people as well as for chickens. They are also good fish bait so Seth laid claims to them as fishing is one of his current passions. Sounds better than roasting them for supper!!

We are seeing some signs of blight and hoping that it is nothing serious. Blight is one of the few disease problems that we have in the high tunnels. We spend more of our time fighting pests. For blight we removed yellowed leaves in the hopes that it doesn’t spread to other tomatoes that are susceptible. Last year we noticed that we had nematodes in the top tunnel so we spread plastic and hoped that the winter sun warmed the interior up enough to bake the soil as the temperatures in the tunnel can easily top one hundred on a sunny day. We are not sure if we were successful yet as we did not plant root crops in the same area where we noticed the problem last year and we won’t be able to tell on the other crops until we clear out the tunnel this fall. We are also thinking about sticking some of our chickens in the tunnel for a few weeks this fall to reduce some of the overwintering pest populations.

Two of the annoying weeds that we have been pulling this past week are below. Of all things, Katy looked up the first one and it is named “Aunt Lucy” and the second one is “Hophornbeam Copperleaf”. Hophornbeam is not really a big problem – doesn’t have stickers or deep, deep roots but it does have the potential to spread 12,500 seeds per plant and we can confirm that they are not picky about germination. We spend a lot of time pulling them! And who in the world would name a plant “Aunt Lucy@ 😊 The others are just summer beauty offered in the wild.

The big news on the farm this week is Pearl’s new heifer calf - - We are not 100% on her name yet but “Jemma” is in the running.

YOUR BAG THIS WEEK –

  • Squash
  • Onions
  • Potatoes
  • Pepper (sweet)
  • Beets, Carrots and Kohlrabi

BEET INFO – Beets are one of my favorite vegetables. Beets can be used both raw and cooked. They are high in nutrients such as vitamins A and C and also the carotenes. If you are using your beet greens, you can add in generous portions of vitamin C, calcium and iron. They are tremendously long storing, sweet and delicious and colorful.

COOKING TIPS: There is no need to peel, only scrub clean; trace minerals lie just below the surface of the skin. Grate into most any salad, cooked or raw. Cube beets into veggie soups or stews. Serve steamed beets sliced at room temperature tossed in olive oil with a dash of salt and pepper, or use a simple vinaigrette. To bake: cut off the leaves and wash roots. Bake at 350 degrees for 1-2 hours or until easily pierced with a form. Rub off skins and cut off roots. Serve whole or sliced. Or try your insta-pot – follow directions for a faster cooked beet. Beet greens can be steamed or sauteed or in any dish calling for a mild tender green such as spinach or Swiss chard.

STORAGE: To maintain firmness of beet roots, cut off leaves and stems 1-2 inches above the root crown. Store in a plastic bag and refrigerate in the hydrator drawer.

Information above from: From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Farm Fresh Seasonal Produce

Lemon Garlic Roasted Beets (Lemon and Garlic are a terrific combination)

1 lb. beets, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick ¼ teaspoon lemon zest

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons lemon juice ¼ teaspoon sugar

1 pinch each, salt and pepper

In an 8 inch square glass baking dish, toss all ingredients together. Rub a piece of parchment paper with olive oil and set oiled side down on the beets. Cover tightly with tin foil, and roast at 375 degrees for 40 minutes, shaking pan occasionally, to prevent beets from sticking to baking dish.

Recipe shared by Kelly Saxer, Desert Roots Farm CSA, Arizona

GLAZED BEETS (easy and delicious)

Chicken stock or water 2 Tablespoons butter or olive oil

Salt, to taste Beets, sliced

In a deep skillet, add about 1 ½ inch of water or chicken stock and salt to taste. Add sliced beets. Add 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil to the skillet. Simmer at medium high heat until all the liquid is gone. Serve immediately.

RECIPE NOTE: The liquid absorbs the flavor; the beets absorb the liquid and the butter/oil which will float to the top and glaze the beets. Add any of these ingredients to further the flavor of the beets: fresh ginger, soy sauce. garlic, onions or fresh herbs.

Recipe shared by Bill Brammer III, Be Wise Ranch CSA, California

The above two recipes are from One United Harvest, Creative Recipes from America’s Community Supported Farms, Collected by Julie Sochacki

This was one of those fast and furious weeks with so many things to do. We are hauling straw to different areas of the gardens because it is really dry up on top of the rock hill. Weeding and deep watering and trying not to think about the water meter spinning frantically! We have” painting the tunnel plastic” on the to-do list this week. It was hot in there today as we pulled weeds and planned out some new beds as soon as we can get the tiller down there. Still digging potatoes and trying to answer Seth’s questions as to why Yukon Gold potatoes are named that way if they are not gold as we peer into each shovel full. The back porch has now become our onion drying “station” with ladders and boards forming paths for the onion heads to sit on while the foliage hangs down and the onion cures to a point where it will keep – hopefully! We are hauling water to a few baby trees that have yet to establish themselves as well as to my two fig trees, hidden in among the berries and perennial onions.

Even with all that excitement going on, the best part of our weekend was Zach (Jen was not able to come and we always miss her) spending some time with us on the 4th. He did some chores with us, shot some “hoops” with Seth, hung out with Poppy (whom he named) one of our favorite goats, shot off a few fireworks and tried out our pie recipes with the strawberry rhubarb pie receiving higher marks from him than the gooseberry pie. However, Dan definitely chose gooseberry. My gooseberry bush is finally beginning to produce and it brings back memories of my grandparents making this pie. I will have to practice a lot more!

I looked at these two pictures – one of my perennial bee balm and the other of a beautiful fireworks from the fourth of July and I truly could not decide which was the prettiest explosion of color. One of the differences is that the fireworks, like falling stars are gone in seconds and my bee balm is there for me to enjoy for several days – so there is the time-factor. On the other hand, things that are fleeting are sometimes more valued for that very reason, which is why I love falling stars. Aren’t I lucky that I don’t have to make a choice – I can enjoy the pleasure of both as it is not an either/or situation. Maybe I need to apply that type of thinking to more places in my life? Like I can have both kinds of pie!! 😊

Blessings from a very dry hill - Seth, Izzy, Dan, Katy, Zach, Jen and Teresa