3rd Week of July

Notes from your Farm

This week we are harvesting a white potato variety called "Superior," tackling innumerable weeds like foxtail, redroot (one plant alone makes a million seeds!), and thistle over in the pumpkin and winter squash field both by hoe and by hand. Yes, organic growing can and does mean hand weeding with some regularity. By preventing weeds from going to seed and through the use of cover crops we are able to cut down on the weed seed population over time. The average square foot of soil has 204 weed seeds, meaning 8,976,000 weed seeds per acre.

We've been running the drip irrigation quite a bit to compensate for five weeks without significant rain and are hoping for a nice inch of rain sometime soon. The carrots are getting close to harvestable size--there is nothing like a fresh carrot from the farm. And of course we are watching the tomatoes and peppers every day to see when they will be ready--it won't be too long now! Update--it has been raining nicely: the crops are visibly growing since the rain started falling this morning!

Special Guest on the farm this week: We found a strange blue-gray bird "dozing" by the pawpaw trees yesterday morning. It turned out to be an injured Great Blue Heron juvenile which at two feet tall, a pipsqueak compared to the six foot stature of an adult heron. After taking some pictures, it is now at a wildlife rehab facility.

Improv at the Barn on Fridays: Noon to 1pm, bring your guitar, banjo, drum, dulcimer, flute or didgeridoo and make some music.

Pick Your Own Field: If you didn't pick last week, this week it's your turn. If you did pick last week, please forego this week to allow others the chance. Things to anticipate are: hot peppers from mild to wild, tomatillos, sunflowers, okra and more.

Pico de Gallo (a Central American salsa)

1 tomato, diced
2 scallions (or 1/4 Walla Walla onion), diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
small bunch cilantro, chopped
a capful each of lemon & lime juice
salt & pepper to taste

Combine and dine! Serve as a side dish to black beans and rice. Corn tortillas optional.
--from Lorena Breneman

About Some of the Characters

• Walla Walla Sweet Onions: best used soon--these are not good keepers, so use within a week or two or else refrigerate for longer storage.
• Beans: bring to a boil, then turn to low for 10 minutes or until desired tenderness.
  Potatoes: baked, boiled, roasted, they are excellent.
• Beets: see recipe below, grate raw into salad, roast, or steam until tender--the white ones are mild and non-staining.
• Kale: a super-nutritious green that can be added to salads, or sautéed and added to casseroles, soups, or omelets. The ribs are generally not used unless it is baby kale.

August 1st Summer Potluck and Bonfire 4:30 to 9pm

COME ONE! COME ALL! It's a summer potluck supper at The Farm! Saturday, August 1, from 4:30 until 9 pm. Sign up at the Barn and bring a covered dish item to share -- we'll supply the paper supplies, utensils, and some 'evening at the farm' magic.