Control the Controllables
This week’s melody on the farm was this:
Control the Controllables
It has a better ring to it than “ignore what’s out of control.” That’s the optimism we need to propel us through this tricky period, rounding the corner of our long CSA Season.
As late summer matures into autumn and our warm season crops lose momentum, it’s not unexpected to feel a bit of anxiety and uncertainty about the bridging of the two seasons. We’re getting all we can out of the summer harvest to allow for our fall crops to get established, ideally keeping consistently bountiful and diverse boxes packed week after week. This will be the final August harvest for half of y’all and will likely include the following varieties:
Cherry Tomatoes and Heirloom Tomatoes (Martha Washington, Moskovich, Pink Wonder), Fresh Basil, Zephyr bicolor summer squash, Mild Peppers (Bells, Carmens, and/or Shishitos), Hot Peppers (Jalapeno, Anaheim, Hungarian Hot Wax), Cucumbers, Red Okra, Eggs, and Flowers.
Our cucumber tunnel is dying back at this point. This may be our last week including them. Late season cucumbers can be tough and blemished, but they’ll remain juicy, crunchy, and refreshing however you crack into them. We’ll sometimes treat these like a squash-even peeling the skin, splitting them open horizontally, and scraping out excessive seeds.
Our older squash plants are petering out after a productive couple of months as well. Zucchini/Yellow Squash fruits and foliage are getting to be pretty funky-looking (excess rain didn’t help). We’re keeping a close eye on the winter squashes. Butternuts and Delicatas are right on the brink of sufficient ripeness. Immature Butternuts are striped with splashes of green. As soon as those stripes fade and all green has ripened orange, we’re good to go. Delicatas mature in the opposite way. Green stripes form as they ripen. When the rest of the gourd starts to yellow a bit, they’re ready to pull.
Better late than never, we’ll have some Basil for our shareholders this week! We had an unexpectedly hard time with this herb this year, but we’re happy to finally have some leaves to accompany this week’s tomato offering and add some fragrance to the ensemble.
We’re continuing to direct sow fall crops including various greens and root vegetables while nursing cool season brassicas like broccoli, kohlrabi, and cauliflower seedlings in the nursery. We were also able to get some cover crops sown into unused or cleared summer beds. Allowing our beds to be bare and uncovered for long periods is bad for our soil’s health. We plant cover crops to keep the soil microbiology active, to out-compete and suppress unwanted weeds, and to prevent erosion in rows not actively being used for whole food/cash crops. This month, we’re sowing peas and oats. In September, as other beds empty and clear, we’ll plant other cover crop varieties like Winter Rye and Wheat.
We’re grateful for you all. Thanks again for allowing us to grow for you and have a great week!
Erin & David
