Now open Mondays & new crops are in
- Victoria & Randy Rogowski
- 12 minutes ago
- 6 min read
STORIES & UPDATES
So many new crops are starting to trickle in, and we're happy to be able to share them with our members this week!
Peas are ripening more abundantly, which means a greater quantity in your share
Broccoli and cauliflower have arrived for a short time. It's fleeting though, especially with this heat...
We harvested the first of the squash and zucchini, which will continue to grow until the first frost. We grow 9 succession plantings to keep them coming!
What do we have our eyes on for the future?
Green and red cabbage
Beets
Carrots
Raspberries & blackberries
With the heat wave coming this week, we have to stay on top of our crops. This means irrigating greens, like the Asian mix in shares, keeping them cool so they don't start to flower. We also need to harvest often. Broccoli can flower within a day, so we have to be diligent about cutting the heads that are ready. Squash and zucchini can quickly turn to baseball bats, which means from now into mid-September we'll be harvesting it every other day.
My job is to walk through the fields daily to keep an eye on all of these crops. Making predictions for the following week can be tricky. For example, the broccoli rabe is too small now to make nice big, fully-formed bunches. But due to the heat, we will most likely lose it to flowering and getting woody before we'd be able to use it in shares. I've learned over the years not to predict availability for certain crops like sensitive greens because our share pickups span across a week and a lot can change even overnight!
It's officially summer, but we experience a slow changeover in crops. Greenhouse tomatoes are still green, and field tomatoes are still about a month away. Peppers are staked and tied but won't be ready for another month as well. Strawberries are officially done for the season. We had an awesome first year's yield! We harvested about 400 quarts.
Our flower fields are starting to produce a few handfuls. Make sure you're following our account on Instagram @thefieldsatlgf for updates on our pick-your-own location at 475 Booth Hill Road in Shelton. We are on watch for pick-your-own raspberries and blackberries to begin in July...
Many hands contribute to harvesting our crops. Steph comes in on Tuesdays and Fridays to help with share packing. Emily has been washing our crops when they come in from the field, being sure to pack and label the crates with care. Cousin Danielle and neighbor Frannie even contribute to the bagging and weighing of items in your share, like this week's peas and Asian greens mix. One thing I'm always very serious about is instructing our crew to provide quality control. We reserve items for shares (like this week's broccoli) first and then put them into the store. The only time you'll find items in the store first is if there are very small quantities that can't be used in shares. When our crew harvests, they're told to "only harvest something you would purchase for yourself." And when our crew weighs items like tomatoes in 1 lb. increments, they're always told to go over - never under.
Emily took this lovely photo of Steph holding a massive head of romaine. Members will find them in shares this week!
One of my best-kept secrets is that I like the "Just a Crush" sauce better than the Sunday Sauce. While I love the Sunday Sauce, there's something about the fresh flavor of the Just a Crush that's unbeatable - it's like summer in a jar. Here's what I do: I warm it slightly in a pot with no herbs, garlic, or anything. This week, I added meatballs until they were warmed through. Just before serving it over pasta, I stir in a little bit of cream and sprinkle fresh basil on the top. I truly don't think enough people realize how delicious this product is!
Finally, I'd like to challenge everyone to share their creations with the Asian greens mix in our Facebook group. This is a medley of mizuna and tatsoi. Randy's mom likes to serve scallops on top of it, and drizzles a homemade Yum Yum Sauce (like this one) over it.
I enjoy it with ground pork. It takes about 2 minutes to cook down when you add it to a stir fry. In all honesty, I also love it in ground pork soup, but I don't think that's a great suggestion for this week. Why not try topping it on a burger or another sandwich, or grilling some chicken and making a mandarin orange salad? The possibilities are endless and I don't think this mix is appreciated enough.
Bonus: one winner will be chosen at random to win a prize! Post a photo of what you cooked with the mix and we'll pick one winner by Wednesday, July 2nd. All you have to do is caption it with what it is - no recipe sharing required. Good luck!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Pick-your-own flowers, raspberries, and blackberries are anticipated to begin in July. Watch our social media and open our email messages to receive details.
The Shelton Farmers' Market runs every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 100 Canal Street.
The Monroe Farmers' Market runs every Friday from 3 to 6 p.m at 7 Fan Hill Road.
The Peak Season subscription program begins Thursday, July 10th and runs for 13 weeks every Thursday.
STORE INFORMATION
We have resumed our Monday store hours. We will be open on Mondays from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Here is the fresh produce we plan to have in stock while supplies last (through Friday, 6/27):
Arugula
Asian greens mix
Basil
Beets
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Broccoli Rabe
Cauliflower
Collard Greens
Dill (ask if you don’t see it – we may be able to cut some)
Escarole
Hakurei Salad Turnips
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mustard Greens
Napa Cabbage
Radishes
Romaine
Scallions
Snap Peas
Swiss Chard
NEW HOURS:
Monday: 10:30 to 4 p.m.
Tuesday: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday: 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
​​Saturday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
VEGETABLE SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
MAIN SEASON WEEK 3 of 20
(Tuesday, June 24th through Saturday, June 28th)
Share Contents (Listed approximately from shortest shelf life to longest)
Large:
1 head of broccoli or cauliflower (farmer's choice)
1 pint of snap peas
1 head of romaine
1/4 lb. of Asian greens mix
1 bunch of hakurei salad turnips
1 squash or zucchini (farmer's choice)
1 bag of garlic scapes
1 free choice item: escarole, kale, kohlrabi, napa cabbage, lettuce, Swiss chard, or collards
Small:
1 head of broccoli or cauliflower (farmer's choice)
1 pint of snap peas
1 head of romaine
1/4 lb. of Asian greens mix
1 squash or zucchini (farmer's choice)
1 free choice item: escarole, kale, kohlrabi, napa cabbage, lettuce, Swiss chard, or collards
Storage tips and recipes for all of the vegetables in this week's share can be located on our website, here.
Vegetable Subscription Pickup Policies
All pickups must take place within store operating hours. For many reasons, we can't leave shares outside the store. Pickup days are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
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 change or 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 pickup day in a given week: we offer share pickup on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday only.
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. Please send us an email to laurelglenfarm@gmail.com 48 hours before your anticipated pickup in order to make a change. A paper trail is always best!