Two Feet in the Dirt

Despite last week’s cool, rainy weather, overall we have had an unusually warm fall. Normally, we would be preparing for our first frost of the fall in the coming weeks (our average first frost date here is around October 15). Instead, we’re looking at forecasts of temperatures as high as the 80s with lows only in the 60s until at least the end of next week.

Fall is always a tricky time for planting as the weather can vary in this totally unpredictable manner and the continued heat has provided us with both challenges and benefits. We’ve been able to add in a bonus outdoor planting of salad mix, a crop that we would usually just be planting in the hoop house at this point. And the heat-loving eggplant and peppers continue to produce well. However, the head lettuce has been less than fond of the hot fall, meaning we’re harvesting much smaller heads than we would hope for. But all of this is just the give-and-take of farming and is yet another reminder of why crop diversity is such a crucial component of the health and success of a small farm.

As new fall crops continue to roll in, keep your eyes out for the first kohlrabi this weekend! This beautiful purple variety is in the same family as kale, but is grown for it’s stem rather than it’s leaves. I’ve always thought of them as looking like mini spaceships and, once peeled, they add a great crunch to salads, sandwiches, and stir-fries. See below for our full harvest list and we’ll see you this weekend!

Farmers Katie & Mike

This week at the market:

• Salad mix
• Baby kale
• Arugula
• Scallions
• Radishes
• Cabbage
• Salad turnips
• Kohlrabi
• Rainbow chard
• Kale
• Collard greens
• Delicata squash
• Eggplant
• Sweet peppers
• Garlic
• Onions
• Potatoes
• Beets