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Writer's pictureVictoria & Randy Rogowski

2023 Main Season Week 4 of 20

Hi everyone!

Don't forget,

  • We will be closed on Tuesday, July 4th. All Tuesday pickups will automatically be shifted to Wednesday, July 5th.

Have a great holiday!

 

It was raspberry-palooza this week!

Every day the crew went through the raspberry bushes to harvest as many berries as possible. They absolutely flew out of the store.

Emily and Eric started their Saturday shifts in the field this past weekend, and we called them back to Waverly with a red alert to restock as many raspberries as they had ASAP!


Not only will we continue to harvest red raspberries this week, but Emily also noted that the black raspberries will be ready within the next couple of days, too. Exciting, right? It feels like just yesterday that I told you all that we decided to plant fruit but we'd have to wait years for a good yield. And here we are!



 

In addition to the raspberries, we've got more exciting veggies coming in now. We harvest a handful of greenhouse tomatoes every day. Those amounts will increase steadily and we think we should have a good offering in the store later this week.

Some of those greener ones fall off when we water. The greenhouse tomatoes will never yield enough for shares, but it will give us a taste of what's to come.


In your shares this week will be the last of the garlic scapes, so enjoy! We pull garlic bulbs to dry typically about 2-3 weeks from now.

 

Here are the field tomato plants making progress:


And a peek at the peppers:

Every now and then when you look down the row, a plant will have fruit on it.

 

Randy sent me some footage of him hilling the potatoes this week. This job is exactly what it sounds like - you use the potato hiller to mound more dirt on top of the base of the potato plant. This means more roots will be underground, and thus more potatoes will grow.

We usually harvest potatoes for the first time in the middle of the summer.

 

Cukes are here! In addition to those, we'll have yellow squash in your shares this week.


 

How do your gardens look? We received this photo of baby Harper with her mama's broccoli haul. Keep them coming - we love to see it!


 

We will continue to take your large boxes for packing produce, especially now that we are donating again to Sterling House in Stratford on a weekly basis (thanks to Nancy from Real Food CT who picks up from us!) On Mondays, we finish boxing up any leftover shares from the week, any leftover produce from our markets and stores, and it's distributed to folks in need that day.

No need to ask if we need the boxes - just keep them coming until we say stop. We're using so many per week. We prefer them NOT broken down so that we can pack directly into them. Ripping your address label off of the box also helps us to save a step because we always do that. Thanks so much for helping us to cut down on our expenses and also to recycle! The planet thanks you, too.

 

Stuff-a-Bag is happening on Saturday from 9 to 4! We provide the bag and you stuff it to your heart's content with as many veggies as possible. The bag will be $35.

Though this is me modeling the annual final Stuff-a-Bag of the season (fall edition), this one's offerings will obviously be different. I put up a poll in the Facebook group to ask if you'd like peas in your share this week. The results showed yes, but unfortunately now Randy doesn't think we'll have enough to cover everyone. To play it safe, we aren't including peas in your share, but bags of peas will be an option for the Stuff-a-Bag if you choose to participate. Other offerings will include: broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, Napa cabbage, lettuce, romaine, escarole, and more (TBD).

 

I usually try to write strictly about farming, but I appreciate you all asking about our kids when we see you. I'm falling asleep as I type because Janina is working on her THIRD tooth already... and is only turning 5 months tomorrow! Tomorrow she will also try her first solid food - Daddy's carrots. Randy tried to get his usual carrot seed but couldn't, so this is a new variety. I was out there today pulling those carrots and they look beautiful, and wow, are they sweet! I'm thinking those might be in your shares in the next couple of weeks. And now, I am off to get some sleep. We hope you have a very fun and restful July 4th weekend (and beyond if you're reading this after the fact).

 

In Your Share (Listed approximately from shortest shelf life to longest)

Large:

  • 1 head of broccoli

  • 1 small head of cauliflower

  • 1 bunch of arugula

  • 1 bunch of Tokyo bekana

  • 2 yellow squash

  • 1 lb. of cucumbers

  • 1/4 lb. of garlic scapes

  • 1 head of green cabbage

Small:

  • 1 small head of cauliflower

  • 1 bunch of Tokyo bekana

  • 2 yellow squash

  • 1 lb. of cucumbers

  • 1/4 lb. of garlic scapes

  • 1 head of green cabbage


Caring For Your Share (All of this information, plus long-term storage info, can also be found in our Vegetable Library of Resources).

  • Store your head of cauliflower in an open plastic bag in the fridge. Wash and use within the week.

  • Leave the outer leaves on and store the head of cabbage in the fridge. The outer leaves will keep moisture in the head and prevent it from drying out.

  • Store your cucumbers and yellow squash in the crisper drawer in the refrigerator.

  • Store garlic scapes in a plastic bag in the fridge. Wash when ready to use.

  • Store Tokyo bekana and arugula in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the fridge. Wash when ready to use.

  • 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.


The LGF Cooking Club (Recipes to try in addition to those in the Library of Resources!)

Large Share Additional Items:

 

Please note that Victoria does not work on Thursdays this season. Emails received on Wednesday night through Thursday will be answered on Fridays.


How to Change Your Pickup Day

  • If you need to skip your share for the week, or change your pickup day, you must provide us with 48 hours notice since we pack shares the day before pickup. Once your share has been harvested and packed, we can not cancel your pickup.

  • For Tuesday pickups being changed, we need to know by Sunday. Wednesday pickups, we need to know by Monday. Saturday pickups, we need to know by Thursday. You have the option to choose another of those pickup days: Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday. Or, you can skip a pickup and double the following week.

  • If you miss your pickup, we will hold your share for 24 hours after your pickup day (Monday for Saturday members), and then it will be donated to a local food pantry. With more members than ever before, we don't have the cooler space to hold onto shares longer than this. This is a great option if you accidentally miss your pickup - just come the next day.

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