This is the earliest that we have ever had this amount of tomatoes since Randy and I have been farming. For years, we've been advertising our CSA program by saying that tomatoes typically don't arrive until early August. Technically, we were able to offer small quantities of them as a free choice item this past week - week seven of the program!
Early in the week, I did a field walk to check in on the crops for this coming weekend. I was a little unsure about the quantities of grape tomatoes in particular. Then, suddenly, they came in fiercely, and by Thursday we were inundated. It's a little unexpected because this week has been so rainy and cloudy.
Normally we grow our greenhouse tomatoes to be ready about a month before the field tomatoes. We've been harvesting the greenhouse tomatoes for about a month, but ironically they peaked around the same time the field tomatoes started and it was almost like we barely needed the greenhouse tomatoes. Now we're harvesting a ton of tomatoes every few days and we'll even start selling to Roseland Apizza soon.
It's definitely been one of the better growing years since we can remember. We've had a nice mix of rain and sun, and obviously it's been hotter than normal. Overall this is a good thing for the summer crops, but it does make harvesting leafy greens trickier. This is the time of year when we have a lot of summer favorites in stock, but the variety stays pretty consistent. Until the cooler weather returns, we won't see a great abundance of greens, cabbage crops, and root crops. However, we will see peppers, potatoes, and cantaloupe soon. (We hope!)
Our subscription program members have SO many great ideas for meals that they're sharing in our Facebook group.
We're admiring veggies that we haven't previously appreciated:
We're sharing awesome ideas about stocking the freezer for the winter time:
We're experimenting with success:
And just generally having fun:
If you're curious about participating in the future, follow along by reading about each week's share contents, always at the bottom of the newsletter. Consider challenging yourself to buy and cook with all of the items on the list and see how it feels. Enrollment opens in mid-October each year, and we invite you to think about what this opportunity could offer to your mealtimes.
A huge thank you for your generosity to everyone who contributed toward our staff ice cream party. We expected to receive enough spare pocket change to purchase a little bit of ice cream, but in reality we were able to order a buffet lunch from Mattei's as well as host an ice cream party with money to spare. We decided to put the remaining money toward an extra hour of pay on everyone's check this week.
At the time of this writing, the party is tomorrow, so we'll be sure to share photos and updates on social media and in next week's newsletter. I know I speak for everyone on staff when I say thank you for showing the crew how valued they are.
Believe it or not, we're still seeding and planting almost daily. September 15th usually marks the end of the planting and seeding, and it's when Randy feels that he can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Now that our land restoration project is complete, we are planting more than ever for the final weeks of our season. Most of these crops are cabbage family crops like broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, etc., but in the photo above, Eric was punching holes in the plastic mulch in order to transplant Swiss chard seedlings. Randy also direct seeded beets and beans recently. Succession plantings remain so important to ensure we have a steady harvest through early to mid-December when we close for the year.
Build-a-Bouquet will take place again on Saturday (9-4) and Sunday (10-3). As a reminder, it works like this:
Visit the farm and the display of flowers is out front
Each bucket is tagged with instructions: limit X amount of sunflowers, or take any 10 stems from this row, etc. We provide a basket and you can fill it with your selection of blooms.
Head to the nearby table to do your arranging. We have clippers and rubber bands there.
After you make your bouquet, come into our store to pay: $20 plus tax.
At this time, we don't offer pricing on individual stems so that we can reserve all inventory for build-a-bouquet.
Bulk boxes of pickling cucumbers are still available! Boxes are 25 lbs. for $32. Walk in each day that we are open and ask for a box - no pre-orders. We have never run out, and it is peak cucumber time, so plan to get yours within the next week or two. Bulk boxes should be available into August, but will be slowing down soon.
We also have boxes of tomato "seconds" - 25 lbs. for $35. Walk in each day that we are open and ask for a box - no pre-orders. Now that we are harvesting field tomatoes regularly, these boxes are readily available. For your planning purposes, plum tomato boxes will be available beginning within a week or two.
An update on our fruit crops...
Blackberries are on their way out now, and our next planting of raspberries should be ripening soon. We're in an awkward gap of time where there is a lull in raspberry harvesting. Hang on - they'll be back! We may be able to harvest some blackberries every few days while supplies last, but we wouldn't expect to have them daily anymore for 2024.
If you're new to the LGF crew, in 2021 we planted a 3-acre field of fruit consisting of table grapes, peaches, apples, plums, honeyberries, raspberries, and blackberries. This is the first year we expect to get a yield of peaches, and we're so excited as we wait for them to ripen! We won't have PYO peaches, but you can bet we'll be stocking these in our store as soon as they're ready.
Our table grapes are in great abundance also. Those should be ready for harvest in September, so we'll hold our breath until then.
And now for some bad news...
The other night Randy let me know that we shouldn't expect to harvest much for watermelon this year. Unfortunately, coyotes have been ravaging them. I took a walk up there myself to survey the damage.
Everywhere you walk, there are busted up yellow watermelons that have been eaten. The coyotes are waiting for them to ripen and picking them off one by one.
When we posted this on social media, two things happened. One, we were flooded with messages from people saying they had no clue that coyotes would eat crops. We honestly didn't either! We have deer fencing around the perimeter of this property, and we don't live there, so we don't have a presence at night. Coyotes can squeeze through the fencing, which seems to defy all logic. Neighbors have told us they hear the coyotes howling all night.
Two, we were flooded with messages from other farmers saying that coyotes destroy their melons, too. We think that the coyotes discovered the melons in the past, and once that happens, they'll keep coming back stronger. We're hoping to salvage what we can this year (hopefully the red watermelon will be better off) and next year, switch the melons to our Waverly Road fields.
It's so disheartening that this happened - a huge loss for the farm and to our community who loves the melons so much.
Thank you for all of the box donations! We can still use more! As we head into bulk tomato box season, we are actually in need of medium-sized boxes. Think wine boxes, diaper boxes, etc. We don't need anything smaller than this, but we'll always take boxes larger than this, too. No need to break them down - just rip off your address label first.
WHAT'S IN STORE
Here is the fresh produce we plan to have in stock while supplies last (through Friday, 8/2):
Beets
Bell peppers (green only - limited quantities)
Blackberries (very limited quantities)
Cabbage (green)
Carrots
Collard greens
Cucumbers (slicing and pickling)
Eggplant
Fresh herbs (sage, thyme, parsley, rosemary, mint, and basil)
Grape tomatoes
Green & wax beans
Kale
Napa cabbage
Onions
Scallions
Shishito peppers
Swiss chard
Tomatillos
Tomatoes
Yellow squash
Zucchini
Plus:
Silverman's Farm blueberries Bread is on hold for the foreseeable future
STORE HOURS
Monday:Â 10:30 to 6
Tuesday:Â 10:30 to 6
Wednesday:Â 10:30 to 6
Thursday:Â 10:30 to 6
Friday:Â 10:30 to 5
Saturday:Â 9 to 4
Sunday:Â 10 to 3
So sorry, but we can't accommodate early or late arrivals even if we are around. Our staff is scheduled to work on prepping the store with the freshest products right up until we open. We also try to honor personal lives by closing promptly.
** Vegetable subscription pickup occurs during all open hours on members' scheduled pickup day and we hold shares for 24 hours afterward.
MARKET HOURS
Shelton Farmers' Market -Â Saturdays from 9 to 12 at 100 Canal Street.
Monroe Farmers' Market -Â Fridays from 3 to 6 at 7 Fan Hill Road.
THIS WEEK'S VEGGIE SUBSCRIPTIONS
MAIN SEASON WEEK 8 OF 20
(Tuesday, July 30th through Saturday, August 3rd)
Biweekly pickup occurs on all odd-numbered weeks - 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19. (Next week.)
Share Contents (Listed approximately from shortest shelf life to longest)
Large:
1 pint of grape/cherry tomatoes
2 lbs. of tomatoes
1 eggplant
2 green peppers
1 lb. of onions
2 free choice items: cucumbers, beans, cabbage, eggplant, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, or tomatillos
Small:
1 pint of grape/cherry tomatoes
1 lb. of tomatoes
1 eggplant
1 green pepper
1 lb. of onions
1 free choice item: cucumbers, beans, cabbage, eggplant, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, or tomatillos
Caring For Your Share (All of this information, plus long-term storage info, can also be found in our Vegetable Library of Resources).
Store eggplant at room temperature, like out on your counter, but keep it away from other fruits and vegetables that will emit ethylene gas, as this will cause it to rot faster (tomatoes, melons, bananas, etc.)
Store your cucumbers, squash, and zucchini in the crisper drawer in the refrigerator.
Store beans in a plastic bag in the fridge. Wash and blot dry when ready to use.
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.
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 grape or cherry tomatoes in a bowl with lots of airflow on your counter. If stems are still attached, don't pull them off until you're ready to eat the tomatoes. Wash before using and enjoy within a few days.
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.
Keep tomatillos in a paper bag in the fridge. Peel the husk and wash when ready to eat. Can be stored for a few weeks.
The LGF Cooking Club (Recipes to try in addition to those in the Library of Resources!)
Additional Large Share Ingredients
How to Change Your Vegetable Subscription 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 for any of the options below. This is because 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 in a given week: Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday.
You can skip a pickup and receive a double the following week.
If you miss your pickup, we will hold your share for 24 hours after your pickup day, 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.
You can always send a guest to pick up in your place by simply notifying us of their name.
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