The crops are loving this rain, heat and humidity. They are growing like crazy. Good news for our shareholders. The peas are blooming and from these flower blossoms will grow our sugar snap peas!
Blessings come in many ways. This past week, we have had nearly 3 inches of rain with heat and humidity that encourages plant growth. The storms that came through blew down a few large branches, but thankfully didn’t damage the crops.
We were also blessed this weekend to go through the Living with the Land ride at Walt Disney World’s Epcot (sorry for my blurry photos…this was a boat ride with camera operator in tired mom mode). It was an interesting display on innovations in agriculture growing food using resources wisely while integrating new technologies to produce food sustainably to feed the growing world population. The farmers I know seek first to understand these technologies while striving for continuous improvement to pass family farms on to future generations.
For me, it was fun to see our kids interested in all that was shared on this ride. They were figuring out how we to could use what was learned to apply to Harner Brothers CSA.
Garden Science
Potato bugs have reappeared. So we are again spending family bonding time picking the bugs and the eggs off of the potatoes and tomato plants.
The potato bugs evidently appreciated the rain, humidity and heat. Their activity level increased dramatically. This week, we did need to spray an insecticide targeted to kill the potato bugs. Please know that we use this to protect the crop to grow the food.
We feel safe using the insecticide knowing the stringent testing and approval process insecticides go through in order to be approved to be used according to U.S. Government regulations. For example a wasp spray is an insecticide. We also have to be certified and go through testing and have a pesticide applicator license in order to apply the insecticide according to government regulations.
Our family will be out searching for the adult bugs that may have survived because of their hard outer shell which protects the adults like a coat of armor protecting than them from insecticides. We will pick them off the plants to protect the plant from completely being eaten by these insects that can devastate a crop.
Boxes of Produce
This list is prepared before we harvest your share. Some guesswork is involved! We do our best to predict which crops will be ready to harvest, but sometimes crops are on the list that are not in the share, and sometimes crops will be in the share even though they’re not on the list. Remember food safety in your kitchen when preparing, always wash your hands before working with your produce and always wash your produce before eating.
Asparagus from Chute’s Farm Fresh Gardens – delicious!
Asparagus – Fresh cut asparagus from the Chute’s Farm Fresh Gardens in Aitkin, Minnesota. These farmers are friends of ours who we know from Farm Bureau and also the Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership Program. We are nearing the end of this crop. Enjoy! Learn the history of asparagus on America’s Heartland.
Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce – One of my favorite garden crops. Some of the crops are ran under cold well water to take the field heat off of them so they last longer in your refrigerators. They are not washed – just cooled. So remember to wash your vegetables before eating. See how lettuce is grown throughout the year so it is available in our grocery stores even on our cold Minnesota days.
Prizeleaf Lettuce
Prizeleaf and Red Oak Leaf Lettuce – I love these beautiful lettuces – Prizeleaf is green with reddish tips and Red Oak Leaf is a red lettuce leaf. They add such a wonderful color to salads and sandwiches.
Spinach
Spinach – remember to wash before eating.
Beet – The beets are Dark Detroit Red Beets.
Beet Leaves – The beet eaves are Bull’s Blood Beets which are young plants that we are thinning out of the rows – eat the whole plant in a salad – delicious. It will add color and nutrition to your salads. Note: In the bag with the spinach.
Radishes – French Breakfast radishes this week – a taste for your salads.
Herb – cilantro – While we realize some of you have cilantro in your herb pots, we recognize some of you don’t and some of you simply love cilantro.
Fresh cut arrangement – Spirea flowers and hosta leaves
Recipe of the Week
Omelet
2 eggs
2 tbsp. milk
1/8 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
1 tsp. butter
Fillings: meat, cheese, garden veggies
Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper in small bowl until blended.
Melt butter in 6 to 8-inch nonstick omelet pan or skillet over medium heat until hot. TILT pan to coat bottom. Pour in egg mixture. Mixture should set immediately at edges.
Gently push cooked portions from edges toward the center with inverted turner so that uncooked eggs can reach the hot pan surface. Continue cooking, tilting pan and gently moving cooked portions as needed.
When top surface of eggs is thickened and no visible liquid egg remains, place filling on one side of the omelet. Cover the omelet for about 30 seconds until cheese is melted then fold omelet in half with turner as you flip it onto your plate. Garnish with parsley and cheese. Enjoy!
