(this second picture is of our kitten Butternut on a very hot day)

The life of a farmer is totally seasonal. All at once. “Make hay while the sun shines.” Right now is the peak of the season. In about the middle of August we begin to see the change of the crops and head more into fall mode. But, for now we are non-stop, dusk till dawn. Mostly, I am running around so fast I don’t notice the heat. This is not so for my crew. This time of year I am just trying to keep them holding on and dangling the prize of fall in front of them. Though they are wilting in the heat. And this week we lost one of our full time crucial employees, Zoe.

We love what we do. We are passionate. And the fruits of our labor are many. We have so many blessings we cannot count. And we cherish those of you who support us.

Along with the feast or famine come crops of plenty and crops, which fail. Failure comes from improper care, weather, disease, weeds or insects.

Our insect troubles this year come from the cucumber beetles and the squash bugs. They are small and numerous. The only way to truly combat them is to spray insecticide. Since we will not resort to that method we are at their mercy. The problem with these insects is not that they eat the crops. It is that they infect the crops with a disease. Our plants have been infected and are holding on for dear life. This disease is not harmful to your health and you would not even know when eating the fruits. However, it makes the plants weak and the fruits fewer.

The plants infected are: cucumbers, summer squash, winter squash and melons. This would be the reason for the unripe melons. The plants died back and showed all the signs of ripeness however, they vines are prematurely dying before the fruits are ripe.

And then that brings me to the winter squash. Some of them are ready now. This is very unfortunate because no one is feeling ready for pumpkins or buttercup squash. However we have them and the pumpkins are huge.

When we live by the rules of Mother Nature we take what we get and we are grateful.

Tomatoes are coming in full force now. And peppers as well. Eggplants are always slow to the finish line.

I think you will find your waiting for veggies in the spring will be paid off in the coming weeks.

We would be grateful for any volunteer hours now that we are short on help. Please contact me to let me know when you would like to come. Monday through Friday 6 am till 4 pm and Saturdays 2 pm till 5 pm.

Thank you,

Erica

This week's lunch:

• Unripe watermelon salad with feta cheese, mint and a miso dressing. Awesome!
• Veggies wraps- roasted carrot and beet quinoa wraps and sliced veggies with cheddar cheese and avocado.
• Tomato Curry salad with cucumbers and basil.
• Cantaloupe and nectarine sorbet with blackberries
• Spelt shortcakes with peaches.

This week's harvest: A real treat for you nightshade lovers.

Full share: ( you may receive any of these items)

• Red Gold potatoes 2 lb
• Lettuce- 3 - 4 heads or salad mix 1/2 lb bag
• Beets 1.5 lb
• Carrots 1.5 lb
• Melons - you will either receive cantaloupe or watermelon.
  
• Tomatoes - 2- 3 lb - you may order multiples of tomatoes. And some shares may receive 2 orders.
• Green or Purple sweet peppers 1lb or Eggplant (small purple, green or orange) 1lb
• Summer Squash 5 fruits
• 3/4 lb of chard, mustard greens or baby pac choi
• Cabbages- 3-4 baby heads of green or purple or 1 head of savoy

Half Share:

• Any of the above full share items.

Optional Items: (these count as an item in your share)

• Fresh cut flower bouquets
• Beans - there are very few. 1 lb
  
• Winter Squash- Giant pumpkins or buttercup squash. Super tasty and nutritious. 1 fruit.
  

Extra Items: (these do not count as an item) - Please let me know the quantity you would like.

• Mint 1/8 lb
• Anise Hyssop 1/8 lb
• Hot peppers - 6 peppers
• Basil 1/4 lb

If you continue to have trouble with your melons please let me know. We harvested lots and I would like to see them be eaten.
Have a super week,
Erica

This blog was written by our intern Zoe. It seems she has learned a bit more than the techniques of farming.

These past few weeks have really shown me how hard farm work really is. There is always an endless list of tasks to be done, from harvesting to weeding to pruning and everything in between. And this hectic.

Our busy schedule makes days slip by at an eerily rapid pace. I find myself constantly growing happier and happier to be exposed to the amount of effort that it takes to put food in my belly. This is a concept that I think has drifted far away from most people’s realm of consciousness. Farming is something that is so deeply rooted in human existence, a practice that we have utilized since humans became non-nomadic, and will forever utilize until our species becomes extinct. But it is a practice that we have altered so drastically in the past century that it is unable to be called farming. With human’s desire to make everything about this world as easy and effortless as they possibly can, we have lost sight of the importance of the quality of food we eat. Commercial farming practices are so centered on speed and efficiency and keeping costs low that the products they are growing are lacking in that which makes food so wonderful; taste and nutrition. I can’t wrap my head around why we have allowed ourselves to settle for these inferior products.

Why will we eat a tomato with next to no flavor or nutrients just to cut a few dollars off of the grocery bill? It is a never-ending conundrum, stemming from our desire to eat what we want when we want it (even if when we want it, it is far out of it’s growing season). But what people fail to realize is that although money may be saved at the super market, it will later be spent on doctor visits and other medical expenses. We get ill because of all of the pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and all those other scary chemicals that are applied to the crops.

I know that this problem that we’ve created for ourselves is one without a solution. There will always be people who are focused on quantity rather than quality, and this group of people will continue using detrimental practices in order to achieve their goals. So really the only thing that we can do is change our own personal habits, and by supporting this farm that’s exactly what all of you are doing!

Coming to work here this summer has done for me more than I will ever be able to put into words. I feel I am a new and improved version of the person I was when I arrived. The work that I’m doing in order to grow these crops makes me exponentially more appreciative of eating the food that is produced as a result.

I’m starting to think about the end of my stay here, for it is nearing too quickly for my liking, and I know that I will not be able to go back to eating tasteless produce from the grocery store. I’ve started to can some of the vegetables that we are growing which is very new to me and I’m having a lot of fun with it. It’s a really great way to be able to eat good vegetables in the off-season and to avoid those super market veggie-impersonators as much as possible.

Here is a recipe for a beet and quinoa salad with feta cheese and a lemon and honey dressing, it’s a fresh and light dish that’s really great in this hot weather.

Ingredients:

2 good-sized beets

3 cups of cooked quinoa

One red onion

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp honey

However much feta you want

Salt and pepper to taste

Roast the beets until they are tender (you can also boil or steam them but I prefer the taste of roasted beats for this recipe). Dice the cooked beets and the onion into fairly small pieces and toss with the quinoa and the feta cheese. Mix the lemon juice, honey, and olive oil together and dress immediately before serving.

Here are step by step instructions for roasting beets if you do not know how, it is very simple to do but it will take about 40 minutes for them to become tender so make sure you give yourself ample time.

http://localfoods.about.com/od/preparationtips/ss/How-To-Roast-Beets.htm

This week's harvest list:

Full Share:

• Beans 1 lb or cabbage 2 small or 1 large - most likely beans
• Yukon Gold Potatoes 2 lb
  
• Carrots 1.5 lb or Beets 1.5 lb
• Braising Mustard Mix, Komatsuna, Swiss Chard or Kale - 3/4 lb. Not very much kale.
• Lettuce 3 - 4 heads
• Salad mix 1/2 lb bag
• Cucumbers 4 each or Squash 4 each. We have more squash than cucumbers.
• Green or Purple Peppers, Tomatoes (heirlooms of various sizes) or Eggplant. These are all still in short supply I will do my best to spread them around.

Half Share:

• Honestly it could be any of the above items.

Optional Items: (This will count as one of your items)

• We have gorgeous bouquets of flowers. Just sunflowers or mixed bouquets.
  

Extra Items this week: (These are items which do not count towards an order. Please let me know the quantities you would like. These are on a first come first serve basis.)

• Head lettuce
  
• Hot peppers
• Basil
• Mint
  
• Anise Hyssop aka Korean Mint

A note on melons. I received your emails about melons. Mostly good but a few not so good. If you did not let me know about your melon please do so. I will be adding an additional item either this week or the next to make up for unripe melons. There are more melons on the way but I am too nervous to add them as an item. I may substitute melons for one of the items above if I truly feel they are ready.
Ideas from members about what to do with an unripe melon. Pickle it, feed it to the chickens or make martinis. I like the last idea best!!!!!!!!!
If in any case you feel an item is unacceptable please contact me and let me know.
A note about the peppers: I was taught by a farmer/mentor to harvest peppers with a blemish. He felt that green or colored they were sweeter with a small blemish. I have to agree and in his 30 years of CSA experience non of his members complained. So you probably will find peppers with a blemish in your box.
Thank you all and have a super week.

Dear Friends,

What an exciting summer. Like everything it has it’s peaks and valleys and so far this is turning out to be a usual summer.

Personally I like the heat. It is nice to seek shade but all in all I prefer this to winter. We are very blessed at the farm to have water for our crops. Our water comes from a mountain spring. It is the best tasting water I have ever drank. And all of our crops drink the same water. However, nothing substitutes for rain and the lack of rain is certainly taking its toll on quite a few of the crops.

We are careful to put down irrigation every time we plant. This insures that we will have water no matter what the weather conditions are. Mostly for us dry weather is a good thing. It keeps the weeds down and disease away. Did you know that wet years produce disease and dry years produce insects? I am sure you have noticed the holes in the leaves of the leafy greens.

Here is an update on some of our crops:

Broccoli: One of the most popular vegetables. I would say this has always been the most challenging for me to grow. Broccoli is plagued by at least 4 different insects. We have to plant broccoli under a cloth to protect it from insect damage. The cloth though produces extra heat, which the broccoli hates. And these hot temperatures are rough on the broccoli plants. We put a lot of effort into growing broccoli with very little results. The perfect heads of broccoli you see in the grocery store are a fantasy for me. It is actually more common to have misshapen heads. And then on top of the broccoli being miserable about the heat a family of groundhogs moved in and ate what was savory. They are smart creatures. We have been doing our best to get any broccoli in your boxes. We will continue to try. And with the help of 4 volunteers we were able to almost finish our fall broccoli planting.

Tomatoes: I would say this is the most popular vegetable. Tomatoes are plagued by disease in the Eastern part of the US. I am happy to report that our plants look fabulous and have no signs of disease. They are loaded with fruit. Now we are just waiting for them to ripen. Tomatoes need warm nights to ripen so even though the days are hot the cool nights do not ripen tomatoes. You should expect tomatoes by next week.

Garlic: This crop is not doing well for us this year. There are many factors leading to their demise. There will be garlic but it will be short lived.

Due to the slow spring our boxes were a bit meek in the beginning of the season. Instead of just giving you greens for 4 weeks I chose to give you small quantities of other items such as carrots, cucumbers and beets. Now that we are hitting the peak of our season we have been able to increase quantities. I will do my best to satisfy your needs. Everyday I wake up and I am grateful for what I have although it might not be what I need to fill boxes. Just wait; we will all be rewarded for your patience. Don’t forget to keep checking for our extras even if you don’t want to order.

I would like to thank our volunteers this week. We had 4 non -member volunteers this week to plant broccoli and weed. We had 3 members come and dig the rest of our spring carrots so that we can plant cover crops in that area. We are ready to accept Saturday work hours. The Saturday hours are from 2 pm – 5 pm. Otherwise, we are accepting work hours Monday through Friday 6 am till 4 pm. Please send me an email with a date you would like to volunteer. We will need help in the fall as well.

And one more note: please contact my cell number is you are having any issues or need to speak with me 484-955-1098. I rarely check the office phone number. Or you can email me.

Here is this week's list:

Full shares:

• Yukon Gold Potatoes: 2 lb
• Carrots: 1.5 lb
• Beets: 1.5 lb or Peppers 1.5 lb
• Salad mix : 1/2 lb
• Beans: 1 lb or cabbage 1 large or 2 small heads
• Kale or Chard: 3/4 #
• Cucumbers or Summer Squash: 4 fruits each
• Lettuce: 1 large or 2 small heads

Half shares:

• Yukon Gold Potatoes: 2 lb
• Carrots: 1.5 lb
• Salad mix : 1/2 lb
• Beans: 1 lb or cabbage 1 large or 2 small heads
• If you would like an item from the full share list let me know. Peppers are just coming in and in short supply. Don't worry you will get them next week. I will do my best if you want them this week.
  

Optional Items (these are items we have but in fewer quantities which you could order as a substitute for one of the other items):

• Fresh cut bouquets of Sunflowers.
• Fresh cut bouquets of arranged flowers.
• Arugula: 1/2 lb - It is strong but excellent if you like the taste of arugula.
  

Extra Items this week: (these do not count as an item in your boxes).

• Basil: we have Italian, Lemon or Purple. They make a nice combination for pesto. We normally pack them in 1/4 lb bags. I can give you larger quantities. This will be an ongoing extra item so let me know if you would like to make a large batch of pesto. This is a first come first serve basis.
• Herbs: 1/8 lb bunches: french sorrel, marjoram, oregano, lavender, peppermint or spearmint. We have large quantities of mint.
• Hot peppers: 1/4 lb - These are mixed from mild to hot. They come in all shapes and colors. The bag will be mixed.
  

Thank you so much. It is a real joy to have you as members,

Erica

Blog post from my assistant Miriam,

In the past two weeks or so, the farm has really taken off. Plants are visibly growing from day to day. Our spring plants are retiring, settling down to blossom and seed. Our summer vegetables are growing up. The tomatoes need pruning every week, sending out ever more branches and leaves, flowers and small, green fruit. The potatoes are flowering and the peppers. Beans are stretching out amongst their leaves and stems, making harvesting a game of hidden pictures. The cucumbers are here, overabundant, and the patty pan squash I didn't know I was waiting for. This is when the hard work of spring begins to pay off.

Farming is always about change. Priorities shift with the season, with the weather. One of my frustrations is that projects are sometimes abandoned in the middle, especially hand-weeding projects which take care and time, but often sink to the bottom of the to-do list. This season, though, we've been able to get a lot done and have lost sight of very little. We had a lot of help, from some dedicated volunteers, the first of our CSA members putting in their required hours, and our intern Katherine who is leaving us for her next adventure. We are grateful and the farm is flourishing.

Here is a recipe from one of our farm lunches:

Quinoa Risotto with kale and sweet sake

4 garlic scapes, chopped

1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped

2 carrots, shredded

2 cups quinoa, well rinsed

1 cup sweet cooking sake

3 cups vegetable stock

¼ cup soy sauce

½ tsp black pepper

salt

· Put kale in a bowl and add the soy sauce, black pepper, and ¼ cup of the sake. Mix well and set aside. Stir occasionally as you're preparing the rest of the meal to keep the kale from drying out.

· In a large saucepan, bring the stock, the remaining sake, and quinoa to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the quinoa is almost tender to the bite but slightly hard in the center, about 15 minutes.

· Stir in the carrots, garlic scapes, and kale with all the marinade liquid. Simmer until the quinoa grains have turned from white to translucent, about five minutes longer.

· Season with salt and pepper to taste.

· Serves 6 as a main dish.

This week's harvest:

Full share's can look for:

• carrots- with tops 1.5 lb
• beets- with tops 1.5 lb
• salad mix (1/2 #) or 2 heads of lettuce
• beans - 1 # or cabagge - 2 small or 1 medium head
• 3/4# or either: kale, komatsuna or chard
• 4 cucumbers
• 4 summer squash
• Radicchio - 2 heads
  
• or one of the miscellaneous items below

Half share's can look for:(same quantities as above)

• salad mix or lettuce
• beets or carrots
• cucumbers or summer squash
• beans or cabbage
• or one of the miscellaneous items below

Miscellaneous items:

• Fresh cut flowers
• hot peppers
• broccoli
• herbs: mint, cilantro, basil, marjoram
• kale, komatsuna or chard
• Radicchio
  

Our special lunch this week:

• Spring mix salad with an Asian Sesame dressing.
• Chilled summer green soup: spinach, zucchini, butterhead lettuce, basil, parsley, soymilk, lemon juice, and mint.
• Hummus with sliced cucumbers
• Cabbage and Carrot tacos with basil, salsa and cheese.
• Radicchio, Bean and Rice Salad.

Don't forget that you must let me know by Tuesday at 2 pm what you would like for the week. We will increase our quantities on lettuce (because they are smaller heads), summer squash, radicchio, beets and carrots.

If you would like to make pickles this may be the last week to order pickling cucumbers. They will be an extra item for this week. Please let me know how many.

I am sending this as an email just for this week. Otherwise, please check the blog on Sunday evenings for our weekly list.

Thank you,
Erica

This blog comes from our intern Katherine:

This past Friday was the biggest harvest so far this summer. It is so exciting to see how much produce there actually is after a harvest day! It definitely makes all the hard work worth it. Two new delicious items that are beginning to come in are squash, and raspberries. During one of my lunch breaks this week, I was very content with picking (and eating) some of the wild black raspberries we have growing on the farm. This weekend I tried a new recipe with the squash. I made an arugula pesto pasta salad with zucchini in it, and I was very pleased with it. I found the recipe on hogsbackfarm.com. Arugula Pesto Pasta Salad with Zucchini 1 bunch arugula? 1 or 2 cloves of garlic (to taste)? 1 zucchini? 12 oz. rigatoni or penne pasta? ½ cup olive oil? ½ cup parmesan? salt and pepper to taste Start the pasta water. Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise, and then in half again lengthwise. Do this a couple more times until you have long quarter inch wide strips of zucchini. Now chop them into inch and a half matchsticks. Add the pasta to the boiling water, while it cooks make the pesto. Cut the arugula above the rubber band, wash and spin-dry the leaves. In a food processor add the arugula, oil, garlic, parmesan, salt and pepper. Run the processor until you have a nice consistency, drizzling more oil in if it is lumpy. When the pasta is done, place your colander in the sink. Put the zucchini in the bottom of the colander and drain the pasta. This is my lazy approach to cooking some vegetables. Slice them into small pieces and let something else cook them. Between having the boiling water dumped on them and the hot pasta sitting on them the zucchini should be nice and tender. You can wait a minute and dig one out from the bottom and see how it is. When ready add the pasta and zucchini and pesto to a large bowl, toss and top with a more parm, salt and perhaps a drizzle of balsamic. Can be enjoyed hot or as a cold pasta salad. You could certainly add basil and peas to this dish as well We have been getting a lot of help from volunteers lately, which is really wonderful. It feels great to get so much accomplished in a day. All of the help is so appreciated! Last week we put oats down as a cover crop for a section of field 1. After fiddling with some hoses, and “playing” in the sprinklers, the overhead irrigation has been set up pretty well. I am sad to say that this will be my last blog entry of the summer. I have learned so much working at B&H, and wish that I could have more time here. On the 17th of July I will be leaving to work at a camp until I go back to college.

We were happy to entertain a member volunteer at our lunch this week. We ate:

• Cabbage, cucumber, cilantro, mint and kale spring rolls with baked tofu.
• Pasta salad with a raw Alfredo sauce (cashews and sunflower seeds)
• Spicy Mix salad with a dressing of roasted beets, greek yogurt and lemon juice. ( see picture above of the amazing color). Topped with feta cheese.
  
• Squash and Basil Salad mixed with black beans and brown rice.
  
• Black Raspberry turnovers.
  

Here is our harvest list for this week:

• carrots
• beets
• salad mix- we have extra if anyone wants more.
• beans
• lettuce
• komatsuna
• cucumbers and picklers too.
• summer squash
• fresh cut flower bouquets
• basil
• cabbage
• kale
• chard
• broccoli
• beans
• herbs: oregano, marjoram, mint, anise hyssop (Korean Mint).