I don’t get out much these days.

Some weeks I barely leave the farm.

And that’s ok.

Summer is brief and we only have a few months to do our thing. So the farm gets our full attention. We keep our heads down and get at it. As they say – make hay while the sun shines!

But by the end of the week we are usually ready for a change of scenery – and ready to see some new faces. For Lorie, CSA pick-up is her time to chat & visit with people. Amy & I get our fix at the farmers’ market.

Thank goodness for the farmers’ market! It’s our opportunity to visit with both customers and fellow vendors. This is our 29th year at the Downtown Georgetown Farmers’ Market so needless to say we have plenty of friends there.

It’s surprising how much news can be shared in the few minutes we interact with each customer – and if we aren’t too busy, we can visit longer.

Chatting with other farmers we realize we aren’t alone in both our struggles and our successes – something that is easy to forget when we spend the week isolated on our own farm.

The market is a great way to end our workweek and while it is certainly tiring, it also invigorates us and gives us needed energy for the following week.

Thanks Georgetown!

What’s in the box?

Green beans, fennel, zucchini, sweet peppers, spinach, cherry tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, garlic.

• We weren’t sure we would get any green beans picked today. The plants were too wet first thing and rain was forecast for much of the day. But by midmorning the plants were dry enough, and we were able to get enough picked before the rains came – a beautiful soft rain (only a couple of millimetres, but more beneficial & less damaging than the drenching downpour that areas near us received). Enjoy green beans in your box this week.
• The next planting of fennel is ready for harvest. Fennel has a beautiful anise or licorice flavour and is wonderful shaved into salads or sliced on a vegetable tray. Roasting or sauteing fennel results in a milder and very delicious flavour. Check out fennel recipes & tips on how to use it at http://www.cookwithwhatyouhave.com.

• After a couple of weeks without, zucchini is back. The new plants are healthy & producing abundantly!

• The bell peppers are colouring up nicely – yellow, orange & purple, and the red shepherds as well.
• Crisp & delicious spinach is the green this week. We have struggled to grow a decent quantity & quality of spinach all season – spinach hates hot, humid & dry weather. Finally, these last few plantings are doing well and there is plenty of spinach to go around.

• Tomatoes & garlic finish the box this week.

*** We have had a chance to sort and clean some garlic and will have it for sale starting this week – by the bulb or in bags.

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Around the farm this week …

Assorted salad greens growing.