What’s in the box?

Beets, Chinese (napa) cabbage, mini Romaine lettuce, zucchini, fresh herb bunches, garlic scapes.

• The first beets are ready. Freshly pulled, early season beets are tender, juicy and sweet. We often forgo the cooking and eat them fresh, usually shredded into salads. But whether you eat them cooked or raw, don’t bother to peel them! The skin is tender and full of nutrients that you don’t want to miss out on.
• Chinese or napa cabbage has a mild, slightly sweet flavor and a crisp, crunchy texture. The oblong heads have crinkly, pale green leaves and the inner leaves are a light yellow/white colour. Chinese cabbage is versatile and can be eaten raw in salads, slaws, and wraps, or cooked in soups, stir-fries, and stews. We are also growing a beautiful, dark purple variety called Merlot.

• Mini romaine lettuce looks like regular romaine – just smaller. It has the same crunch and the same great flavour.
• Zucchini loves the hot weather. We are getting good picks from our 1st planting and the next patch is almost ready as well.
• Choose a bunch of fresh herbs this week – either dill, cilantro or maybe basil.
• Garlic scapes complete the box.

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It’s enough to give a farmer nightmares!

The weed situation, that is. Right now, things are out of control in certain parts of the farm.

A combination of circumstances gave the weeds an unfair advantage over us – and they took over! Firstly, we have been short-handed. Until now there have only been 2 of us in the fields most days, which is not enough to maintain control. But with school out for the summer, our 3 students are back and the weeds will soon meet their match! Secondly, the weather – hot temperatures & periodic rainfall – has been ideal for weed growth.

And this is the result …

And here is our plan …

• Vegetables that will be picked soon such as salad greens, might not get weeded at all. Harvesting will be slower but the quality of the crop will not be affected.
• Vegetables that will be in the ground for awhile will be carefully weeded so they can continue to grow & mature without competition from the weeds.
• Other beds (such as beans & sunflowers) will be mowed instead of weeded. This gives quick results and is actually better for the health of the soil. The crops are not affected as long as we mow regularly.
• In a few cases we might even decide the crop cannot be saved and we mow everything down. But that happens rarely.

It is going to take some time and effort but we will regain control and get the weedy areas of the farm back in decent shape.

Of course other parts of the farm are looking just fine!

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Around the farm this week …

The petals are falling from the blackberry blossoms revealing the little berries.

Edible flowers adding colour to the fields.

The field where we grew vegetables last year is resting this year. It is planted to a mixture of cover crops – crops that cover the soil and will be worked back into the ground rather than harvested. There are clovers, radishes, oats, peas, vetch etc. Some provide nutrients to the soil. Others loosen the ground, or smother weeds. Each crop has it’s own purpose and all work together to improve the soil for next season when we will again grow vegetables here. Right now the field is swarming with butterflies, moths, bees and other insects.

Our stall at the Georgetown farmers’ market on Saturday.