September 2, 2019

Box Contents:

1 bskt Cherry Tomatoes

1 Sharlyn Melon

1 1/2 lb Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes

1 bu Parsley

3/4 lb Mixed Sweet Peppers

1 bu Scarlet Queen Turnips

Field Notes: Because we plant 4 sequential tomato blocks, we will have tomatoes all summer. Tomato varieties can be determinate or indeterminate. The determinate varieties have 1-2 flower sets (the plants stop growing after they are certain size) and then they are done producing fruit.  Determinate varieties tend to product fruit sooner than the indeterminate types and they produce a lot of fruit all at once. The indeterminate types continuously grow and flower, setting fruit until the temperatures become too cold for them grow/flower. The majority of the tomato varieties that we grow are indeterminate, they continue to grow and flower for a long period of time (about 5 months in our climate). This is why we trellis the indeterminate tomato varieties, because they can become quite lengthy. Some of the trellised rows of tomatoes are currently 6 feet tall! Towards the end of the season, they start to look more like hedges of tomatoes rather than rows of tomato bushes. Some years, the tomato harvest has lasted until Thanksgiving. The length of the season depends on the first frost date that can happen anytime between early to late November.

Box Notes: We started to harvest fall roots this week. The beets are about golf ball size, we had them at market over the weekend so they will be appearing in the veggie boxes soon. The scarlet queen turnips are a first harvest this week. The tops of the turnips are great to eat too. Cook them like you cook spinach, either sauté with garlic in olive oil or blanch briefly in boiling water and then toss with lemon, vinegar, olive oil and salt.

Save the Date: Hoes Down Harvest Festival, Saturday October 5, 2019 from 11 am to 11 pm. For ticket and event information visit: http://hoesdown.org/. Ticket sales are limited this year and only available via online, advance purchase.

CSA Payment Schedule

Quarter 3: Wednesdays $312   Thursdays $312   Fridays $312

Quarter 4: Wednesdays $288   Thursdays $288   Fridays $288

Annual Payment (annual payers receive 2 complimentary veggie boxes): $1,152

We encourage you to consider making the annual payment for your veggie box deliveries. This helps support the farm by providing advance purchasing power for labor, seeds, fertilizers, and other farming expenses that are essential to the farm’s operations. Thank you for supporting the farm with your continued CSA subscription!