Fruits of our labor

After a May that reminded me of a visit to Seattle, we are finally getting summer.  Warm, dry weather makes life pleasant for all of us that work outside; for farmers this weather also makes us busy.  For the past two weeks we have been really running here.  Here’s a snapshot of my day on Monday (yesterday): 4:30am: out of bed and outside, set-up hand-washing station for first day of farm camp, measure out grain for pigs, chickens and lambs, assemble flats for the first harvest of strawberries. 6:00am: meet with farm crew, water greenhouse, head down to the fields to pick berries for 2 hours – 216 pints total.  8:30am: quick breakfast, four phone calls and a trip to the greenhouse to spray Koalin clay on the watermelon seedling to deter the cucumber beetles that are feasting on them. 9:30 am: work with farm campers to feed animals. 10:00am: prep beds with apprentices to begin transplanting basil into the high tunnel, 1176 plants in the ground by midday. noon: Quick trip to Lewiston for supplies.  1:30 pm: meet with researchers from UMaine Orono for interview on high tunnel production techniques. 2:15 : pick up the first load of 115 bales of hay  that Tom Settlemire is baling on River Road across town. 2:30-6:30pm, shuttle hay from river road to the farm crew who is rapidly stacking them in the barns to feed sheep over the winter. 6:45-8pm diner with the family and put kids to bed. 9:30 write this down in the newsletter. Phew.  Most days aren’t quite this nutty but this time of year you never know.

As American as Strawberry Shortcake.

Strawberries arrive this week. This looks like a really good crop. There is lots of fruit yet to mature and as long as we don’t get multiple wet days in a row I would expect a couple of weeks of berries at least. If your strawberries actually make it home, remember to refrigerate them and keep them covered. Ours are picked to be ripe or very close, so they they need a bit of extra care to keep, unlike the California ones that are picked almost green and ripened with ethylene gas when they arrive.

The Aliens Have Arrived.

Less well know than strawberries you will also find in your share an odd sputnik looking beast know as a kohlrabi. Don’t fret or frustrate over this vegetable. It is easy to use and tastes great raw or cooked. Here’s a simple way we use them: coarsely grate them over you salad and drizzle on the dressing of your choice. There are a few other ideas for enjoying  kolrabi under the “recipes by ingredient” sidebar on the website. Here’s a link to the kohlrabi page I love kohlrabi This vegetable is fun. Just look at it. Can you believe that color? Nothing says I like to laugh while I cook quite like a kohlrabi.

What’s in the Share this Week?

Strawberries

Endive/Escarole

Kale/ Chard/Bok Choi

Spinach

Lettuce Heads

Kohlrabi

Down to Earth Ideas About Greens

Greens are great. A couple of CSA members contacted us this past week with their praise and ideas for how to stay excited about the greens in their share. “We make pesto with kale, chard, and spinach”. Talk about easy, just throw the greens and a few table spoons of olive oil and a dash of salt in the  food processor. From  here you can add your pesto to sautéed onions and toss the whole thing with pasta or rice.  We also freely add greens pesto to tomato sauce. You can freeze you “county pesto” add find even more thing to do with it come the winter.  Another member has started a facebook group for CSA members to “share their favorite recipes, ask for help on a new-to-you share item, or inspiration on what to do with all those darn zucchini!”. Check it out by following this link  facebook . Thanks for the advice Emily and Joanna!

Volunteer weeding parties every Wednesday and Saturday morning from 9 am until 11 am.

Weeds and witty conversation, or contemplative solitude with fresh air. Come yuck it up with all of us while we free the farm world of undesirables.

Lobster!

We saw some beautiful lobster delivered last week here at the farm. Bring some home this week to your family and friends. Call the Interstate Lobster, our own Harpswell lobsterman’s co-op and they deliver your freshly landed lobsters to the Tuesday or Friday CSA pick-up 833.5516.

Port Clyde Fresh Catch

Maine groundfish shares available. This is fresh fish delivered to the farm each Tuesday during CSA pick-up. Check out their website for more info www.portflydefreshcatch.com

Tofu Tempeh, Mushroom share will start the first week of July.

Look for Maine-produced tofu, tempeh and mushrooms for sale and to taste at pick-up during the next couple weeks. We hope to get all of you excited about these great products and sign you up for a share that will start the first week of July. Each week you will get either a pound of tofu, a pound of tempeh or half a pound of mushrooms, all produced here in Maine. Whata great way to rounding out you Maine meals!