Sundog Farms

Sundog CSA June 22nd, 2026

Today (Sunday) is the Summer Solstice, the longest period of sunlight in the northern hemisphere this year. Of course, the clouds have to clear and the rain has to stop for us to see the sun! The first day of summer almost seems to come in the middle of that season as we have seen 80s and 90s and more rain than in the spring months. The rain gauge held 2.38 this morning and I saw pictures of clouds with rainfall on four days of the coming week’s forecast so totals for this week may continue to climb. The banks that hold all those raindrops are running high this morning and we could actually hear the rushing sounds of water in the nearby low water crossing as it hurried to empty into Dragoon Creek while we were coaxing cows to walk through the mud and put milk in the buckets. I think they are as tired of the constant rainfall as we are today. Maybe in a week or so, we could order a slow inch . . . . . .

The hard rains have made it difficult to get excited about working in the garden and I am concerned about the weak root systems since they are not digging in to find moisture. The farmers in the area are struggling to get anything planted due to wet, soggy ground. I did see wheat being harvested this week and some fields had the straw discards from the wheat harvest being burnt to be able to quickly plant a second crop of soy beans in the ground to benefit from the rains. Baling up summer grasses is also difficult when it is so wet. The huge alfalfa field down the road was being baled in large rounds Friday evening in an attempt to beat the rain that came Friday night – another .26 in the gauge Saturday morning.

In the weeds, we found a treasure of green beans, so the bag has something different this week. Green beans are not a favorite of the garden crew to pick but they are so good on the table that it is worth it! We continue to thin our beet rows and the thinnings are in your bag again this week. Our Asian turnips are in the bag again. Pests are marring the outsides of these nutritious root crops but the insides are still crisp and mild. My favorite turnip recipe is to peel and eat, maybe with the tiniest hint of salt. They are also great as a dipping vegetable. Lastly, today I decided to slog out to the potato patch and see if I could find a few new potatoes for the bag. I took the advice of a friend who said to stick my hand underneath the plant and pull off a few of potatoes, leaving the plant to continue growing spuds. I stuck my hand deep into the mud but it was impossible to “noodle” around in clay muck so ended up pulling a few plants. I did stick them back in after I harvested the bigger potatoes – keeping my fingers crossed that they will grow??

YOUR BAG THIS WEEK

  • Potatoes
  • Green Beans
  • Turnips
  • Beets
  • Onions
  • Kohlrabi
  • Chives with a sprig of Russian Tarragon

RECIPE SHARE –

Vegetable Information – “From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce

Potatoes – The potato is the leading vegetable grown worldwide, produced in 130 of the worlds almost 170 independent countries. The potato is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and minerals, particularly potassium, providing the skin is consumed. Potatoes are a fairly good source of vegetable protein as well. They will form a complete protein when eaten with meat, dairy or grains. There is no need to peel an organic potato. Most nutrients are in or near the potato skin. Do trim off any green spots and eyes and any damaged areas.

Green Beans – Green Beans are indigenous to Central America and the Andean regions of South America. The bean was an established staple in the diet of native Americans long before the arrival of Europeans. Nutritionally the fresh green bean is not as exceedingly high in protein as the mature, dry shell bean. However, generous amounts of Vitamins A, B1, B2, Calcium and Potassium, characterize the green beans addition to the summer’s wealth of health.

The Best Green Bean Salad from One United Harvest, Creative Recipes from America’s Community Supported Farms

1 ½ lbs. fresh green beans 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 cup diced red onion 1 cup toasted walnut pieces

Snap beans into pieces, boil for four minutes and plunge into cold water. Drain and set aside.

DRESSING:

¾ cup olive oil 1 tsp. salt

¼ cup white wine vinegar ½ tsp. diced fresh garlic

½ cup finely chopped packed basil freshly ground black pepper

Combine oil, vinegar, basil, salt, garlic and pepper. Shake and refrigerate. Keep all ingredients separate. Just prior to serving, toss beans, onions, cheese, and walnuts with dressing.

(Recipe compliments of Laurel Graney) submitted by Elizabeth Keen, Indian Line Farm, Massachusetts

The following recipe comes from Farm Fresh Recipes by Janet Majure

Vegetable Chicken Salad

2 pounds potatoes, gently cleaned so as not to remove the skin

1 pound fresh green beans, washed and trimmed

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes

¾ cup prepared pesto sauce

Bring pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, then cut them crosswise in ½ inch slices. Add potatoes to boiling water, cover and return to boiling; cook 3 minutes. Add green beans to pot with potatoes and cook four minutes; vegetables should be firm. Drain and set aside. In the same pot, heat olive oil over high heat and cook the chicken, stirring for 6 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Remove from heat; stir in pesto sauce. Stir in potatoes and green beans.

Two-Lined Spittlebugs also like Green Beans, or at least like the foliage. The tiny delicate flower on the right is the beginning of those beautiful long beans!

Looking at the rainfall yesterday morning as it made its way under a couple of our neighborhood bridges.

Seth spotted this double rainbow so Izzy and I took pictures of it from different angles – we did not find the pot of gold! Raindrops hanging everywhere started our day yesterday and Izzy’s beautiful end of the day sunset.

Above is “Batty Eloise” who is learning to like her halter – Izzy took this picture as Batty walked from the barn to the orchard without enthusiasm the other morning. Above is Katy’s helper as she made garden notes and below is the wheel bug who bit me last week when I pulled the weed that he happened to be sitting on!

My mud boots have sprung a leak and I realized that my sock has molded into sort of a “plaster of paris” piece of artwork as the cow lot mud has hardened around it– maybe something that would sell as original farm art?

Blessings of the farm to you – Izzy, Seth, Dan, Katy, Jen, Zach and Teresa