“What new vegetables are you growing?”

This continues to be the question we get asked the most.

The answer is …

( Potatoes are not exactly a new crop for us – more like a revival of an old favourite. Check out our potato history at http://www.thiessenfarms.com/2022/02/25/whats-new-2 )

It’s always fun growing new vegetables!

We start small – don’t expect to see any of these new crops in your CSA box this year. The first year we grow just enough to see if we can indeed grow them, how much work is involved in raising them to maturity, what sort of harvest can be expected etc … Then if everything works out we might try and increase the amount we grow the 2nd year – enough for the farmers’ market perhaps or even for CSA.

Cauliflower was the new one last year. It worked out well so this year we planted enough for CSA – and not only white cauliflower but orange & purple too! We got them in the ground early. Then they were nipped by frost so we replanted. Then they recovered from the frost. So now (fingers crossed) we should have a good supply of cauliflower later this spring.

We also like to experiment with new varieties of familiar vegetables. On the list this season is a red/purple Chinese cabbage, purple spinach (we already know we don’t like it), a dark tomato called “brown sugar” and “wooly kate” – a tomato with fuzzy leaves as well as fuzzy fruit (like a peach). Our selection of edible flowers has increased with these violas. They are already a big hit at market!

Lastly are artichokes. We had some success with them again last year, and are growing them again to see if we can improve on our methods – and results.

What’s in the box?

Mini romaine lettuce, spinach, fresh herbs, salad turnips, green garlic.

• Mini romaine lettuce might be small in size, but it is big in flavour & texture & colour …

• Spinach is the other salad green this week.
• Grab a bunch of fresh cut herbs – choose from cilantro, dill or mint.
• Salad turnips were a hit back in the 1st box of the season. Enjoy them again this week. To review … salad turnips are small, round, and white. They resemble radishes, but without the bite (usually)! Mild in flavour, crisp, and quite tender, they are best eaten raw – simply wash, cut off the tops and enjoy! They can also be stir fried, sautéed, or steamed – both the turnips & the green tops.
• Garlic is always one of the most popular vegetables we grow. These pungent bulbs are still more than 2 months away so in the meantime we can enjoy green garlic. It is tender enough to eat like a scallion or green onion. Green garlic is milder than fall garlic bulbs. Use raw (sliced into salads or mashed with goat cheese for a spread) or cooked (sautéed with scrambled eggs maybe), grilled on the BBQ, or anywhere you would use garlic bulbs. Store green garlic in the fridge.

Coming soon in the CSA box – beets, green onions, early cabbage, zucchini …

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Around the farm this week …

Mulching, staking, pruning & tying tomatoes …

Weeds are a major issue right now. The abundant precipitation lately has been great for the vegetables but also the weeds! The expected sun this week should dry the ground and allow us to get busy weeding again. There are vegetables in there – somewhere!

Rapini went to flower quickly in last week’s heat. The bees & insects are loving them!

Seems everyone likes the golf carts – whether it’s driving or waiting for a ride!