This is our view out the window when we sit at our table for mealtime.

It changes almost daily – vegetables are planted, they grow, we harvest them, and then it repeats. The white insect covers come & go as well, and move around the field. The railroad tracks are right there and trains pass by multiple times each day.

It’s a great view!

And here are some views of the farm we don’t get to see very often

Barns, houses and greenhouse to the left & bottom of the picture. Vegetable beds to the right.

Here are these same vegetable beds at ground level today!

This photo shows our entire growing area. The tomato & pepper patches are at the very right hand side of the picture.

It is fun to see the farm from above. We hope to do it again later in the summer and see how it all looks then. Thank you to Carter from Vacant Inn Productions (www.vacantinnproductions.com) for these drone shots!

What’s in the box?

Zucchini, garlic scapes, fresh herbs, beets, green onions, salad turnips, salad greens.

• The 1st zucchini are always special – a delicious change from all the salad greens of spring, and a sure sign that summer has arrived! As usual these first zucchini can be a bit wonky, like the plants are not quite sure how to form them yet. But no worries – in a few days they’ll be pros at pumping out a plethora of perfect fruit in shades of green, yellow and even stripes.

• First it was green garlic. Now there are garlic scapes. Scapes grow out of the top of the garlic plant and curl around in a loose coil. If we left them they would eventually flower and go to seed. But we prefer that the plant uses its energy to form large garlic bulbs underground instead, so we remove the scapes. They are delicious! Use them wherever garlic bulbs are used – raw or cooked. Their flavour is a bit milder. They are also great on the BBQ. Coat the whole garlic scape with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Grill for a few minutes on each side until well charred & tender.  Garlic scape pesto is also a good way to use the scapes. Here’s a link to an interesting article, “10 things to do with garlic scapes, the best veg you’re not cooking yet”.  https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/article/garlic-scapes

• Fresh herbs are a treat to use in cooking, adding a burst of flavour. Choose from cilantro, dill, parsley or mint bunches this week.
• Beets, green onions, salad turnips and several salad greens (lettuce, spicy salad, spinach, arugula, bok choy, baby kale) finish the box this week.

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Around the farm this week …

A mix of sunshine and rain creates good growth in the vegetables.

The winter squash is planted – and being decimated by cucumber/squash beetles. The white colour is from kaolin clay a natural mineral that is mixed with water and sprayed on the plant. It forms a barrier for feeding and egg-laying, and sticks to the bugs and irritates them. Of course it rained soon after application so I’ll have to repeat it when the weather clears.

Bumble bees in the flowers by the barn this morning.