Harvest Week 4 - Spacewalks

THIS WEEK’S HARVEST

Fresh Lorz Softneck Garlic, Pink & Gold Swiss Chard, Collards, Frisée, Green Zucchini and Yellow Crookneck Squash, Volcana Little Gem Lettuce, Romaine Lettuce, Rouxai Red Oakleaf Lettuce, Giorgione & Bel Fiore Chicories, Fennel, Pickling Cucumbers, Mini Tiara Cabbage, Carrots

U-PICK

Check the u-pick board in the barn for weekly u-pick limits.

  • Albion Strawberries: 2 pints per share | The strawbs are in their seasonal 4th of July lull. We’re keeping the limit at 2 pints this week but it will mean a little harder picking. Check out the middle and back of the beds for areas that are more abundant.

  • Sugar Snap Peas: The peas had a sudden drop-off in productivity last week, which meant that not all members were able to pick their shares. If you got your peas last week, please leave the gleanings this week to those who didn’t. We’ll have another succession coming soon!

  • Herbs & Edible Flowers: Italian Basil, Purple Basil, Lemon Basil, Purple Basil, Dill, Tulsi, Parsley, Cilantro, Chamomile, Calendula, Borage, Nasturtium, Pansies/Viola, Stridolo, Lemon Bergamot Bee Balm, Onion Chives, Garlic Chives, Tarragon, Thyme, Oregano, Marjoram, Culinary Sage, Lemon Balm, Lemon Verbena, Vietnamese Coriander, Shiso/Perilla, Catnip, Pineapple Sage, Sorrel, Assorted Mints

  • Flowers! Many perennial flowers and the first of the year’s annuals!

One Eric, one tractor, lots of potatoes, zero weeds.

HARVEST NOTES

  • Frisée: This is our once-a-year succession of frisée — a frilly, slightly bitter endive. While it’s probably most familiar as a salad mix component, it’s also delicious cooked as you would an escarole. Check out this recipe from last year’s newsletter for Herby Summer Beans with Garlic & Frisée.

  • Collards: Cooked slowly and for a little longer than you might cook kale, collards transform into one of the most decadently sweet and silky cooking greens. To truly revel in the transformation, try making Gomen — Ethiopian collards with onions and fresh ginger. We promise that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

FLOWER ARRANGING WORKSHOP

SAVE THE DATE!
Tuesday, July 22nd, 5:30 pm

Are you looking for some tips and inspiration on flower picking and arranging?

Are you a seasoned flower-nerd and feel like sipping bubblies and arranging flowers with like-minded friends?

CSA member Cassidy Blackwell fell in love with flowers and flower arranging on the farm in 2020. It’s since become a passion of hers. Cassidy will share her stoke and some tips she’s learned about arranging. This is a special annual farm event.

Please bring a bucket to pick into, a favorite vase, and clippers. Members are welcome to bring a non-member friend. Suggested $30 donation for non-members.

FLOWER HARVESTING BASICS


Here are some basic tips and tricks to help you make the most of the abundance in the flower garden.

  • Pick when it’s cool. Picking in the cool morning or evening hours will keep your flowers from wilting right away. If you do pick during a hot moment, dunking your flower stems in boiling water when you get home can help revive them.

  • Pick directly into water: Your flowers will last longest at home if they go right into water after being picked. Try bringing a 5-gallon bucket, filling with a little bit of water, and picking directly into the bucket for arranging later.

  • Strip the stems. Taking off any leaves that will fall below the surface of the water will keep it and the blooms fresh longer.

  • Clean your vase and refresh the water. Your flowers will appreciate being in as clean an environment as you can provide for them. This means keeping your vase scrubbed, and replacing (or at least topping off) the water as often as possible. You can also give the stems a fresh cut every few days to ensure they’re able to keep drinking.

  • Pick at the right stage: The vase-life of flowers is affected in part by how far along they are in the process of blooming. While we love the exuberance and ephemerality of a flower in full-blown glory, you’ll usually get a longer vase-life from one that’s just starting to open. For short-lived flowers like Cosmos and California poppies, picking stems that include unopened buds will extend the life of your bouquet, as you watch them come into bloom in your vase, changing before your eyes.

Chicken and Herb Salad With Nuoc Cham

By Yewande Komolafe

Nuoc cham, a Vietnamese sauce bright with lime juice and chile, is tossed into this simple, satisfying salad to give it a salty-sweet finish. Thinly sliced bell pepper and shaved cabbage provide crunch, while meat pulled from a store-bought rotisserie chicken — or any leftover chicken — soaks up the dressing. Serve this by itself, or alongside steamed rice or room-temperature cooked rice vermicelli.

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1 bird’s-eye chile or other small hot chile, minced with seeds

  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)

  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce

  • 3 loosely packed cups chicken meat (12 ounces, pulled from store-bought rotisserie chicken or roast chicken)

  • 2 cups thinly sliced red or green cabbage

  • 1 small English cucumber, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

  • 1 medium bell pepper (any color), thinly sliced

  • 1 1/2 cups peppery leafy greens, such as watercress with tender stems, arugula or mizuna

  • 1 loosely packed cup Thai or sweet basil leaves

  • 1 loosely packed cup mint leaves

  • 1/2 cup crispy fried shallots or onions, store-bought or homemade

PREPARATION

1. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water. Whisk to dissolve the sugar. Add the garlic, chile, lime juice and fish sauce. Stir to combine.

2. Add the chicken, cabbage, cucumbers and bell pepper to the dressing. Toss to coat. Add the leafy greens and the basil and mint leaves. Toss to combine.

3. Divide the salad among bowls, garnish with the crispy shallots and serve immediately.

FARMER’S LOG

Spacewalks

It’s a special time in the garden right now.

If the first few weeks of flowers were the lift off phase — the launch pad, the rockets pushing, gaining speed, and hurtling towards space — then we have now cleared the stratosphere.

It is quiet now. We are surrounded by a galaxy of glittering stars. Many flower beds are going supernova… the full mass of their energy erupting in a blinding display of blooms before the end; This week it’s the trailing amaranth, scented nicotiana, snapdragons, marigolds, angel’s wings, and Russian statice…

From left to right… Top row: Select Watercolor Nicotiana, Oeschberg & Emerald Tassels Amaranth, Schizanthus aka Angel’s Wings | Middle row: Summer Breeze sunflowers, Cupcake cosmos, Queen mix zinnias | Bottom row: Apricotta cosmos, Supercrest celosia, Russian Statice.

And new many new star clusters are flickering into existence this week. The zinnias — enticing in their endless variety and intricacy — are opening more every day; the celosia is pluming, cresting and crashing like waves; and the rudbeckia are going up like 4th of July fireworks, crisp golden balls.

Bees and pollen seekers of all types fly around like space craft all day — and land on soft little moons to sleep each night. Come in early in the morning or late in the evening to catch them in their little beds, or close your eyes in the warm morning sun, and listen to their hum.

We hope you enjoy your spacewalks. Just don’t forget a handful of dill when you return to your ship.

See you in the fields,

David and Kayta


THE BASICS

What time is harvest pick-up?:

  • Saturday harvest pick-ups run from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

  • Tuesday harvest pick-ups will run from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

U-pick hours: Oriented members can come to the farm any time, 7 days a week, sunrise to sunset, to u-pick and enjoy the farm.

2025 CSA program dates: Our harvest season will run from Saturday, June 14th through Tuesday, December 9th this year.

Where is the farm? The member parking lot is located at 1720 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472.

Slow on Cooper Rd. Out of respect for our neighbors and the many kids and animals that live on Cooper Rd., please drive slow (20 mph)!

Where should I park?: Follow our sign on Cooper Rd. down a short gravel driveway. Please find a parking spot under the solar panels to your left, or on either side of the road in front, or below, the greenhouse.

Where is the food? The produce pick-up barn is just to the right of the solar panels and above our big greenhouse. You can’t miss it!

What should I bring?:

  • Former members, please bring your WCCF tote bag! (New members will be given a new one.)

  • Pint baskets or small containers for strawberries and herbs (if you have some, we will provide a few pint baskets to be used as measures)

  • A vase, bucket, or water bottle to keep your flowers and herbs happy

  • Clippers or secateurs to cut flowers (if you have some)

  • Water / sun hat / picnic supplies if you plan to stay awhile!

Newsletters & email communication: All our important CSA communications are sent through this email address, which is sometimes spam blocked. Please make sure this email address is in your address book so you get important CSA communications. All newsletters and important updates, like this one, are also posted on the Newsletters page of our website weekly.

Harvest Week 3 - The Season of Power

Are you a new member who hasn’t attended an orientation yet? Orientation dates and times can be found below the Harvest Notes.

THIS WEEK’S HARVEST

Fresh Lorz Softneck Garlic, Mustard Mix, Dino Kale, Komatsuna or Purple Flowering Bok Choi, Green Zucchini and Yellow Crookneck Squash, Volcana Little Gem Lettuce, Red Butter Lettuce, Rouxai Red Oakleaf Lettuce, Giorgione Chicory, Baby Fennel, Kohlrabi, Scallions, Pickling Cucumbers, Mini Tiara Cabbage, Baby Carrots

A swarm of honeybees hanging from the branches of the big oak by the playground on Thursday.

U-PICK

Check the u-pick board in the barn for weekly u-pick limits.

  • Albion Strawberries: 2 pints per share

  • Sugar Snap Peas: 1 pint per share | We recommend walking to the back of the Sugar Snap Pea beds where the peas are fat and abundant!

  • Herbs & Edible Flowers: Italian Basil, Purple Basil, Lemon Basil, Purple Basil, Dill, Tulsi, Parsley, Cilantro, Chamomile, Calendula, Borage, Nasturtium, Pansies/Viola, Stridolo, Lemon Bergamot Bee Balm, Onion Chives, Garlic Chives, Tarragon, Thyme, Oregano, Marjoram, Culinary Sage, Lemon Balm, Lemon Verbena, Vietnamese Coriander, Shiso/Perilla, Catnip, Pineapple Sage, Sorrel, Assorted Mints

  • Flowers! Many perennial flowers and the first of the year’s annuals!

HARVEST NOTES

  • Baby Carrots: We are so excited to share the first carrots of the season with you! These are true baby carrots, planted at the beginning of May, as soon as the fields dried down enough to access. They are delicate, sweet and incredibly tender. Eat them raw as a perfect snack, or toss with olive oil and salt and roast alongside fennel, scallions and squash as an elegant early summer side. We’ll have carrots now until the end of the year.

  • Pickling Cucumbers: While we will have bulk Pickling Cucumbers available a little later in the season for pickling projects, this week we’re bringing you just a taste as the first cucumbers of the season. Like the first pancakes, these are a bit eccentric, but delicious, either peeled and eaten fresh, or made into a very small batch of quick pickles.

  • Giorgione Chicory: This Castelfranco Radicchio has fancy, frilled leaf-edges, delicate speckling and a flavor that’s mild enough to be enjoyed raw. Delicious and beautiful added to a lettuce salad or on its own paired with a sharp, rich dressing.

FARM ORIENTATION TOURS FOR NEW MEMBERS

All new adult members are required to attend an orientation their first time picking up their harvest share. We’ll go over farm safety and etiquette, give you your farm tote bags, show you the ropes in the flower and herb garden, and share the secret to finding the sweetest strawberries.

If you are new to the farm, please join us promptly for one of the orientation tours below:

WEEK 3:
Saturday, June 28:
9 am, 11 am, 1 pm
Tuesday, July 1: 1 pm. 3 pm, 5:30 pm

You can come get oriented and pick up your first share on either day (Saturday or Tuesday), whichever day and time works best for your schedule. Tours last about 30 minutes. All adult members of your share who will be regularly enjoying the farm should attend an orientation.

If you are sharing a share by alternating weeks with another household, one household should attend an orientation Week 1 and the other an orientation on Week 2.

If you can’t attend a tour time above, please reach out to us to schedule a time that works for you.

THE BASICS

What time is harvest pick-up?:

  • Saturday harvest pick-ups run from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

  • Tuesday harvest pick-ups will run from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

U-pick hours: Oriented members can come to the farm any time, 7 days a week, sunrise to sunset, to u-pick and enjoy the farm.

2025 CSA program dates: Our harvest season will run from Saturday, June 14th through Tuesday, December 9th this year.

Where is the farm? The member parking lot is located at 1720 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472.

Slow on Cooper Rd. Out of respect for our neighbors and the many kids and animals that live on Cooper Rd., please drive slow (20 mph)!

Where should I park?: Follow our sign on Cooper Rd. down a short gravel driveway. Please find a parking spot under the solar panels to your left, or on either side of the road in front, or below, the greenhouse.

Where is the food? The produce pick-up barn is just to the right of the solar panels and above our big greenhouse. You can’t miss it!

What should I bring?:

  • Former members, please bring your WCCF tote bag! (New members will be given a new one.)

  • Pint baskets or small containers for strawberries and herbs (if you have some, we will provide a few pint baskets to be used as measures)

  • A vase, bucket, or water bottle to keep your flowers and herbs happy

  • Clippers or secateurs to cut flowers (if you have some)

  • Water / sun hat / picnic supplies if you plan to stay awhile!

Newsletters & email communication: All our important CSA communications are sent through this email address, which is sometimes spam blocked. Please make sure this email address is in your address book so you get important CSA communications. All newsletters and important updates, like this one, are also posted on the Newsletters page of our website weekly.

LATE SPRING SALAD WITH FETA, HERBS AND SNAP PEAS

It’s salad season, and this week we hit upon a combination that we had to share:

  • Tear Volcano Little Gems (pink all the way to the heart and so special) and the blanched hearts of Giorgione chicories into bite-sized pieces.

  • Thinly slice fennel and sugar snap peas.

  • Chop or tear dill, lemon & Italian basil and mint (it’s all about the mint!) .

  • Crumble feta or goat cheese.

  • Toast some fresh or stale bread chunks in a generous amount of olive oil and salt to make homemade croutons.

  • Toss everything together with ranch dressing. (Check out this recipe if you’d like to make your own!)

  • Taste and add additional olive oil, lemon and salt if desired.

FARMER’S LOG

THE SEASON OF POWER

This week we settled further into our harvest rhythm and entered one of the most exciting and transformational times of year on the farm. The season of power.

With most of our plant babies out of the nursery and in their fields, waterlines set, the days at their longest, it is now time for our plants to do their thing.

The word power comes to mind for this time of year on the farm in the sense of the raw power of light, soil, and plant life. At no other time of year is this power more palpable, more awe inspiring, than the 50 or 60 days surrounding the solstice.

Take a look at these pictures of our winter squash field taken from the same place on June 18th and July 27th, 2023 (just 40 days a apart).

During the season of power our crops (who up till now have been vulnerable little things who needed us for everything) take their lives and their power into their own hands.

They seem to grow before our eyes, passionately devouring and transforming every drop of sunlight and water that falls. They mature, they flower, they sex, they start growing their seeds. Our fields transform from tranquil nursery plots into teaming, striving jungles.

It’s kind of scary.

And it is a humbling time of year for the farmer. At no other time do we feel more clearly the fact that we are not actually growers, we are shepherds.

Sure, we worked hard preparing the ground, moving things here and there. But this was all just setting the stage. This was all just setting out the dreamcatcher for when the real power enters.

And when it comes, boy, do we know it.

At this time of year the farm feels possessed with light, with growth, with spirit. All this energy is the heavy, nutritious staple food we’ll enjoy all summer and fall — all that corn, the potatoes, squash, tomatoes — they are here with us now, flowing through exploding green foliage, quick and bright, like high voltage electricity.

It’s best to just stand back and watch.

See you in the fields,

David

Harvest Week 2 - Weeding Wisdom

Are you a new member who hasn’t attended an orientation yet? Orientation dates and times can be found below the Harvest Notes.

THIS WEEK’S HARVEST

Fresh Lorz Softneck Garlic, Spinach, Mustard Mix, Arugula, Heart of Gold Swiss Chard, Komatsuna, Green Zucchini and Yellow Crookneck Squash, Green Little Gem Lettuce, Red Butter Lettuce, Baby Fennel, Hakurei Salad Turnips, Kohlrabi, Scallions

U-PICK

Check the u-pick board in the barn for weekly u-pick limits.

  • Albion Strawberries: 1 pint per share | The strawberries are in a slow production moment but we expect them to ramp back up in a few weeks. Until then, please savor the first berries of the season and make sure to respect the u-pick limits so that all members get some.

  • Sugar Snap Peas: 1 pint per share |

  • Herbs & Edible Flowers: Italian Basil, Purple Basil, Lemon Basil, Purple Basil, Dill, Tulsi, Parsley, Cilantro, Chamomile, Calendula, Borage, Nasturtium, Pansies/Viola, Stridolo, Lemon Bergamot Bee Balm, Onion Chives, Garlic Chives, Tarragon, Thyme, Oregano, Marjoram, Culinary Sage, Lemon Balm, Lemon Verbena, Vietnamese Coriander, Shiso/Perilla, Catnip, Pineapple Sage, Sorrel, Assorted Mints

  • Flowers! Many perennial flowers and the first of the year’s annuals!

Nothin’ like 7:30 am in the garden.

HARVEST NOTES

  • Sugar Snap Peas: These delicious peas can be eaten whole, pod and all — just make sure to snap the top and pull the little string from each side to get the tenderest bite. While edible at any size, the ones that have filled out to a half inch in thickness are significantly sweeter.

  • Herb Inspiration: This is one of the best moments of the season for fresh herbs on the farm — this week we opened up new plantings of Dill and a bevy of Basils (Italian, Purple, Lemon & Thai), and the Cilantro and Parsley continue to be at their best. To take advantage of their bounty this week, try chopping them and adding to your salads, or making an herby green sauce that’s a play on chimichurri, chermoula, or pesto. While you can use any combinations of herbs from the garden, we’ve been enjoying equal parts parsley and cilantro, with a little bit of mint, blended with raw garlic, lemon and lemon zest, olive oil and salt. Use as a zingy topping on any hearty food — grilled summer squash or the kohlrabi fritters from the recipe below!

  • Hakurei Salad Turnips: Not your Grandmother’s turnips, these sweet, crunchy snacks are mild and best eaten fresh, on top a rice bowl, sliced on a salad or popped straight in the mouth. They are also delicious sauteed or braised, as are their greens!

A snapshot of some of the annual herbs available this week in the North Garden. Top row: dill, parsley and cilantro. Bottom row: All the basils! Tulsi, Italian, Thai, Purple & Lemon.

FARM ORIENTATION TOURS FOR NEW MEMBERS

All new adult members are required to attend an orientation their first time picking up their harvest share. We’ll go over farm safety and etiquette, give you your farm tote bags, show you the ropes in the flower and herb garden, and share the secret to finding the sweetest strawberries.

If you are new to the farm, please join us promptly for one of the orientation tours below:

WEEK 2:
Saturday, June 21:
9 am, 11 am, 1 pm
Tuesday, June 24: 1 pm. 3 pm, 5:30 pm

WEEK 3:
Saturday, June 28:
9 am, 11 am, 1 pm
Tuesday, July 1: 1 pm. 3 pm, 5:30 pm

You can come get oriented and pick up your first share on either day (Saturday or Tuesday), whichever day and time works best for your schedule. Tours last about 30 minutes. All adult members of your share who will be regularly enjoying the farm should attend an orientation.

If you are sharing a share by alternating weeks with another household, one household should attend an orientation Week 1 and the other an orientation on Week 2.

If you can’t attend a tour time above, please reach out to us to schedule a time that works for you.

THE BASICS

What time is harvest pick-up?:

  • Saturday harvest pick-ups run from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

  • Tuesday harvest pick-ups will run from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

U-pick hours: Oriented members can come to the farm any time, 7 days a week, sunrise to sunset, to u-pick and enjoy the farm.

2025 CSA program dates: Our harvest season will run from Saturday, June 14th through Tuesday, December 9th this year.

Where is the farm? The member parking lot is located at 1720 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472.

Slow on Cooper Rd. Out of respect for our neighbors and the many kids and animals that live on Cooper Rd., please drive slow (20 mph)!

Where should I park?: Follow our sign on Cooper Rd. down a short gravel driveway. Please find a parking spot under the solar panels to your left, or on either side of the road in front, or below, the greenhouse.

Where is the food? The produce pick-up barn is just to the right of the solar panels and above our big greenhouse. You can’t miss it!

What should I bring?:

  • Former members, please bring your WCCF tote bag! (New members will be given a new one.)

  • Pint baskets or small containers for strawberries and herbs (if you have some, we will provide a few pint baskets to be used as measures)

  • A vase, bucket, or water bottle to keep your flowers and herbs happy

  • Clippers or secateurs to cut flowers (if you have some)

  • Water / sun hat / picnic supplies if you plan to stay awhile!

Newsletters & email communication: All our important CSA communications are sent through this email address, which is sometimes spam blocked. Please make sure this email address is in your address book so you get important CSA communications. All newsletters and important updates, like this one, are also posted on the Newsletters page of our website weekly.

Have you been thinking about taking your Spanish to the next level? California Bilingüe, owned by CSA member Carlos Mayerstein, specializes in one-on-one Spanish tutoring for all levels. In 2022, the farm received a generous scholarship to help us improve our Spanish proficiency to help us connect more with the skilled Spanish speaking agricultural community in Sonoma County. The program has been joyous, fun, and transformational for his Spanish and opened doors personally and professionally. We can’t recommend California Bilingüe highly enough! ¡Aprenda más aquí!

Zucchini Kohlrabi Carrot Fritters with Herb Yogurt Sauce

From The Foodie Dietitian

Arabella recommended these versatile and delicious fritters to us in the field as we were harvesting Kohlrabi and we can’t wait to try them. She says they work beautifully with any number of vegetable substitutions. This week we’ll likely make them with zucchini, scallions, kohlrabi and salad turnips, and lots of herbs from the garden.

Ingredients

For the Fritters:

  • 1 medium-large zucchini, grated

  • 1 spring onion, minced

  • 3 small carrots, peeled and grated

  • 2 small kohlrabi, leaves removed, peeled and grated

  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

  • 1 egg

  • 1/4 cup flour

  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • 1/4 tsp pepper

  • 3 tbsp olive oil

For the Yogurt Sauce:

  • 1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt

  • 1/2 tbsp lemon zest

  • 1/2 tbsp chopped parsley

  • 1 tbsp avocado oil

  • 1/8 tsp salt

Directions

For the Fritters:

Combine zucchini, carrots, kohlrabi, and spring onion in a cheese cloth and wring out any excess water. (Or, if you don’t have cheese cloth, add veggies to a strainer, sprinkle with salt and let sit for 10 minutes and then wring out excess liquid with hands.) Transfer to a medium mixing bowl.

Add egg, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper and mix to coat evenly.

Add olive oil to cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot enough, drop 1/4 cup of fritter batter into the pan and flatten out with a spatula. Depending on the size of your skillet, cook a few fritters at a time, leaving space in-between. Cook for a 3-5 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown and crispy.

Transfer cooked fritters to a paper towel to absorb some oil. Serve with yogurt sauce.

For the Yogurt Sauce:

Mix yogurt, lemon zest, parsley, avocado oil, and salt until combined. Serve alongside fritters.

FARMER’S LOG

SMIRKING AT PIGWEED

As we’ve written about in this log before, on the farm, time is like an echo.

Moments, days, tasks, seasons… they return cyclically, as if from a long distance, the long distance of a year.

Paying attention to the echoes breeds experience. And if you mess something up one year, you’ll get another chance next year when you hear the echoes coming back around.

Kayta and I were laughing this evening because last year’s Newsletter for CSA week 2 was a poem. You know when we post a poem in the Farmer’s Log it’s usually because that week was particularly crazy. Poem weeks are when we are too busy farming to write about farming.

This week was going to be a poem week… but here we are.

On the farm this week, we entered the tail end of our “establishment season”. (Establishment season being the two month period, wrapping up soon, where we establish pretty much all of our important crops and fields.)

This time includes, crucially, the initial one or two cultivation (weeding) passes on all our big field crops. The key thing about the weed killing part of establishment season, experience tells us, is that you only get a two or three day window where the weeds are small and easy to kill easily on acres and acres of ground. If you miss that moment in a field, which we are very experienced with, you’re in a world of hurt. Killing weeds gets exponentially harder as they gain strength and root mass.

We’re happy to report, dear members, that we are in better shape than we’ve ever been in at this time of the year weeds wise.

Mostly pigweed free carrots, spinach, celery root and leeks.

This is thanks to several factors: Eric, his wise disdain for weeds, and his hard work in the winter prepping our machinery for this moment; our fancy new Argus finger weeder (an ingenious contraption steered behind a tractor that kills weeds both in between and within plant rows); and, perhaps, most importantly, experience: We know what missing those moments looks like.

So this week saw us pushing ourselves hard, driving up and down our rows of corn, potatoes, winter squash, celery root, leeks, and carrots. We wanted to chill and catch our breath after opening week — but that’s what the weeds wanted too.

This week’s push was a gift to our future selves, free (or, at least slightly more free) of the told-you-so smirk of pigweeds casting their millions of seeds in your field as they scratch up your arms in September.

This week we were listening to the echoes of season’s past and smirking at the pigweed ourselves.

See you in the fields,

David & Kayta