Week 13 CSA Journal Post

What’s happening on the farm this week?
Week 13: The nice cool dry weather is welcome this week as we tiptoe into September. We are saying goodbye to some crops this week (which many have had their fill): eggplant (due to late blight), zucchini and summer squash (powdery mildew), corn, green beans, and sungold cherry tomatoes. The next crops of potatoes are ripening and we have are second crop of red potatoes for you today ( these are what we saved when we sprayed copper on the plants.) The potato plants have some blight on them but it is not as rampid as the tomatoes – the spraying of cooper has totally slowed it down. The potatoes that look iffy are the fingerlings – Adam is going to mow them down and harvest them next week. The celery likes this cooler weather and we hope to harvest this in the next few weeks. Adam has planted fall greens and they are doing well in the back field. With the help of Fiona we are weeding the fall carrots and basil. We will have sunflowers next week for all of you. Christine is hoping to plant some seeds in the greenhouse for a November harvest or have winter greens – an experiment – this week. Also this week, we are going to try to wash our sheeps’ fleeces ourselves and see how that goes. One of our sheep, Iris, is so sweet with Sadie – she bows down and lets Sadie pet and rub her. Iris also looks out for Sadie if one of the boy lambs is too playful – Iris head butts him to keep him in his place.

Yesterday, we were able to deliver 50lbs of our bodacious, reddish pink Rose Heirloom Tomatoes to the last pick up of Food For Thought. We have not been able to donate as much this year but we were able to donate some and have them pay through a local food grant for these tomatoes. It was really important to us that these families – these 91 children and their parents – got some good organic heirloom juicy tomatoes – especially with the prices of tomatoes so high to due the late blight throughout New England – they probably would not have bought these on their own due to the high price. Our goal is to make sure that our organic food is reaching anyone who wants to eat it. We also had in the back of our head that their might not be enough red ones today for all of you, and that some that you may receive in your share may be a little underripe – but then we thought that you will not mind – in sharing these large gifts of the hoophouse. It was with all of you in mind – that we delivered these tomatoes and placed them gingerly in each one of those boxes – all 34 of them – bound to homes in Grand Isle County. That is was our farm – yours and mine – that were bringing some sunshine to our neighbors. Our goal is complete – we have gotten out our heirloom tomatoes from the hoophouse to our CSA (48 families), our Senior Farm Shares at the Round Barn (20), and to the 34 families and their 91 children of Food for Thought – That sure is a lot of people. My sister says trust in the universe – it will provide. I also remember a bible story from when I was a child when there were all these people to feed after a talk that Jesus did, he only had a few loaves of bread and fish – and they multiplied and there was enough for all. I guess its just called faith – that there will be enough…

Christine has called around to see if we could buy in some watermelon and melons for all of you (because ours rotted due to weather) and there are none to be found – in such bulk – because many farms have had similar problems to us. We are also on the look out for winter squash – ours is not doing well at all…Also we will not be offering a winter share this year – but we will have things for sale at the winter farmers markets, in our farm stand and if we have anything in bulk for purchase (like potatoes) we will let you all know.
Thanks for being part of our farm, see you next week – Adam, Christine and Sadie J
What’s in the share this week: Green Beans, Clemson Spineless Okra, Red Potatoes, Red Heirloom tomatoes! Tomatillos, Peppers (sweet/hot), Red and Yellow Onions, Your choice of :Summer Squash/ Zucchini or Eggplant, Your choice of Chard or Beets, Pick-Your-Own Heirloom Mexican Midget Cherry Tomatoes (they are still holding on) and maybe some other treatsJ
Please note: this is what we intend to have in your share as of Monday morning, very early – sometimes there will be changes that day our difference between Monday and Thursdays pickups . I print all the newsletters at one time. Thanks for understanding.)
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Wool Roving for Sale:
From our sheep – we have Border Leicster Romney Crosses, Icelandic and Shetland Sheep. It is $15 for 6 ounces (special price for CSA members).

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
To help plant, trellis, and weed – please call us 372-3420 or email harmonyvt@yahoo.com. Thanks

Ode To Tomatoes
by Pablo NerudaThe streetfilled with tomatoes,midday,summer,light ishalvedlikeatomato,its juicerunsthrough the streets.In December,unabated,the tomatoinvadesthe kitchen,it enters at lunchtime,takesits easeon countertops,among glasses,butter dishes,blue saltcellars.It shedsits own light,benign majesty.Unfortunately, we mustmurder it:the knifesinksinto living flesh,redvisceraa coolsun,profound,inexhaustible,populates the saladsof Chile,happily, it is wedto the clear onion,and to celebrate the unionwepouroil,essentialchild of the olive,onto its halved hemispheres,pepperaddsits fragrance,salt, its magnetism;it is the weddingof the day, parsleyhoistsits flag,potatoesbubble vigorously,the aromaof the roastknocksat the door,it's time!come on!and, onthe table, at the midpointof summer,the tomato,star of earth, recurrentand fertilestar,displaysits convolutions,its canals,its remarkable amplitudeand abundance,no pit,no husk,no leaves or thorns,the tomato offersits giftof fiery colorand cool completene