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Writer's pictureVictoria & Randy Rogowski
Oct 24, 20215 min read

2021 Extended Season Week 26 of 32

Can you believe we're still planting? November is in just over a week and our crops are still going so strong. Maybe we're making up for the wacky summer weather we had. Granted, we'd most likely still be planting in the greenhouse anyway, but it feels extra weird to be planting in 70-degree weather. The crew planted head lettuce, tokyo bekana, and arugula in the raised beds. Our greenhouse is only heated by an oil tank if the temperature dips below freezing, so we don't do anything special with it until that happens.


 

Randy doesn't even have a solid to-do list for this week because it's been so nice out that there really isn't much cleanup to do right now. The bean field and pumpkin field will be turned under this week. First, Randy will brush hog the vines, which means he'll mow them down. Then, the crew will rip up the drip tape. Then, Randy will harrow the soil and disk in the rye cover crop. He reports that he's never had such more established rye at this point in the season than he does right now; he attributes that to the weather and being somewhat ahead of schedule on cleanup. This is the crew's last full week together, so we really want to make it count - but there's not much to do now that markets are over! We're also counting on quite a bit of rain this week.

 

Our Thanksgiving Centerpiece Workshop is happening Monday 11/22 and Tuesday 11/23 in our barn from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance here. We also have take home kits available for anyone wishing to complete the project at home; this option includes a video tutorial. This has been a beloved event in the past and we're excited to be able to host it in person again.

 

Thanksgiving week is one of our favorites here on the farm. This year we're doing a field gleaning the Thursday before in order to donate to those in need, and seeking volunteers to join us. In addition to these events, we also have Shaggy Coos Farm turkeys and our own produce available for that week. Visit www.laurelglenfarm.com/thanksgiving for more details about all of these happenings and for a projected list of produce we'll have available.

 

We've completed most of our final ordering of the season at this point. Our last order from Dash 'n Drizzle included some new sea salt, olive oil, and vinegar flavors, like porcini mushroom & sage oil, bacon oil, and mulled cider vinegar.


We also have new winter soap scents from Guardians Farm that will head to our shelves right after Halloween. We most likely won't be ordering any more honey, syrup, hot sauce, jam, tea, pickles, or cheese before the end of the season, so we recommend beginning to stock up on these items for the winter or for gift-giving season.

 

And now, for the really exciting information (sort of!). Randy's been really invested in planning for future fruit crops on the farm. As you know, we planted raspberries, blackberries, and table grapes, and all are progressing beautifully. There is plenty more space at Booth Hill where Randy would love to plant more fruit crops. He was recently talking to one of the consultants that he works with, who mentioned this new, very unfamiliar crop here in the United States. Randy took the idea and instantly ran with it, and we now have a check in the mail to Canada to ship 600 plants to us in the next couple of weeks! We'll plant 12 rows of this fruit bush, which amounts to half an acre.


To be honest, we are going to keep this under wraps for a little while, at least until we get the crop established. Because this is a super rare crop, we don't know how successful it will be, we don't know if it will catch on, and we don't know of any farm in this area that's currently producing it. But we'll give you two clues if you'd like to think about it: this fruit is grown in Poland, Russia, Japan, and Canada - it specifically needs a period of cold weather every year... And, they are NOT currants.


Here we were, prepping the row cover for them on a beautiful day this past Friday.


Certainly more on this to come. And you'll all be the first to know when we're ready for the big reveal!


Have a beautiful week.

 

In Your Share (In approximate order from shortest to longest shelf life)

Small:

  • 1 bunch of broccoli rabe

  • 1 small head of broccoli or cauliflower

  • 1/2 lb. of bell peppers

  • 3/4 lb. of leeks

  • Garlic

  • 1 butternut squash

  • 1 bunch of sage

Large:

  • 1 bunch of broccoli rabe

  • 1 large head of broccoli or cauliflower

  • 1 lb. of bell peppers

  • 1 lb. of tomatoes

  • 1 lb. of leeks

  • Garlic

  • 1 butternut squash

  • 1 bunch of sage

Caring For Your Share:

  • Most sources will recommend wrapping a head of broccoli in a damp paper towel in the fridge. We think the less air it's exposed to the better. Open air causes it to wilt fast. You can try putting your broccoli in a plastic bag in the fridge and using it within the week. Wash when ready to use.

  • Store broccoli rabe in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge. Or, trim the ends and store it in a glass of water, like a bouquet. Wash when ready to use (within the week).

  • Store butternut squash in a cool, dark place such as a pantry, cabinet, or cellar where it will get air flow.

  • Store garlic in a cool, dark place out of the refrigerator, like a cabinet or pantry. Ensure that it has air flow. We leave the neck on the garlic to prevent it from rotting at the base of the bulb.

  • Wrap sage in a paper towel and store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

  • Store leeks in a plastic bag in the fridge. Wash when read to use.

  • Keep tomatoes out on the counter and out of direct sunlight, where they will get plenty of air flow. Do not put them in the fridge; it will dry out the tomatoes and change their consistency. Tomatoes continue to ripen after harvested, so use within a few days. To ripen a tomato quickly, put it in a paper bag in a dark place, like a cabinet.

  • Store peppers in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge. Set the crisper drawer to low humidity to allow some of the ethylene gas that results from decomposition to escape. Ethylene gas will cause the peppers to rot sooner.


LGF Cooking Club (The Library of Resources is filled with TONS of ideas about all of these veggies.

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