Are you a new member who hasn’t attended an orientation yet? Orientation dates and times can be found at the bottom of the newsletter.
THIS WEEK’S HARVEST
Spinach, Arugula, Mustard Mix, Green Komatsuna, Curly Kale, Assorted Zucchini & Summer Squash, Pink Little Gem Lettuce, Assorted Head Lettuce, Frisée, Cucumbers, Scallions, Carrots, Kohlrabi, Baby Fennel
U-PICK
Check the u-pick board in the barn for weekly u-pick limits.
Albion Strawberries: 1 pint per share this week | The strawberries are entering a vegetative mode and should produce more in a few weeks. Berries are most plentiful in the back right corner (close to Winter Sister and Cooper Rd.)
Herbs & Edible Flowers: Cilantro, Purple Basil, Thai Basil, Lemon Basil, Italian Basil, Tulsi, Parsley, Chamomile, Calendula, Nasturtium, Pansies/Viola, Garlic Chives, Tarragon, Thyme, Oregano, Marjoram, Lemon Balm, Lemon Verbena, Vietnamese Coriander, Shiso/Perilla, Catnip, French & Culinary Lavender, Sorrel, & Assorted Mints
Flowers! Our first sunflowers are planted along the edge of the parking lot. They’re for picking!
HARVEST NOTES
Baby Fennel: super sweet and tender! Baby fennel is great eaten raw on salads (you can incorporate some of the fronds too to add a little herby goodness), or roasted alongside other vegetables. If we ever find that we have a stash of unused veggies languishing in the fridge (baby carrots, turnips, and even radishes), the easiest way to use them up is to roast them in a hot oven (425 works great) with olive oil and salt. They make a beautiful accompaniment to any dinner.
Assorted Zucchini & Summer Squash: This week we’re starting to pick the first of our 2nd succession of summer squash and zucchini. Look out for new colors of squash in the barn, and do some taste tests to compare flavors — they’re all a little different!
Frisée: a member of the chicory family, frisée is probably most often seen as a component of salad mixes, but we like to harvest it as whole heads so that you can appreciate its versatility. This week consider cutting it up into salads (especially the blanched heart) but also cooking it. We love cutting the base as yo would a lettuce, then washing, tossing with olive oil and broiling in the oven til crispy. It makes a great accompaniment to herby beans with lemon and parmesan and can also be used as a substitute for escarole in recipes.
EARLY-SUMMER PANZANELLA SALAD
We came up with this early-summer spin on the classic Italian bread and tomato salad this week and enjoyed it so much that we thought we’d share it. It’s versatile, super fast to make and great way to eat a lot of veggies (and bread and cheese! but fancy).
Slice or tear bread (any kind, but crusty sourdough is great, and it doesn’t matter if it’s going slightly stale — the toasting will refresh it) into rough cubes and toast in a hot pan with olive oil and salt until nicely crisped, tossing frequently.
Slice zucchini or summer squash into thin rounds and sautéed in olive oil until nicely caramelized.
Peel and slice cucumbers into small rounds or quarters. Toss with lots of feta, sliced olives, the zucchini or summer squash and torn mint and basil leaves (a mix of Genovese and purple is beautiful and delicious). Toss with your choice of greens: raw arugula, or spinach or kale cooked with garlic.
Wait until just before serving to mix in the toasted bread chunks to preserve their crispness.
SONOMA MOUNTAIN BAKERY OFF SATURDAY
We’ll be missing their amazing croissants at the Saturday pickup this week and hope to welcome them back soon.
FARMER’S LOG
SETTLING IN
This week the farm really settled into our post-establishment summer rhythm: harvest and crop maintenance.
This week’s plantings included a modest 1,500 ft of watermelons, about 600 ft of fresh vegetables (escarole, fennel, and dino kale) and our Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin patch, which makes it official, the last long-season crop is in the ground.
Hurray!
Our fields are now 70% planted and our attention turns to weeding and caring for our precious babies as they (and the weeds) leap in the solstice-time sunlight.
We’re happy with how things are looking in the rows. Our potatoes are all 8-14 inches tall and seem to grow before your eyes. Our winter squash plants have 4-6 true leaves and are starting to turn (grow) toward the sun as it rises and falls each day. Magic!
Our popcorn is in the “V5-6” stage. Ear and tassel initiation is beginning internally — the number of kernel rows is being determined during this window. And it’s our last moment to side-dress and cultivate mechanically.
The ugly pictures behind the pretty pictures: The back of the irrigation truck this week.
We weeded a lot this week. The crew performed some important “rescues” in Farfield West and Centerfield. The pathways of Parking Lot Field are being worked on as we speak. Eric did a lot of work with Riley and Shanga on the Argus — a fancy analog weeding machine with hot-dog like rubber fingers that flicks weeds right around the crops in the row. Eric also did the first hilling pass of our potatoes.
I made a big push to get our drip-irrigated fields on irrigation timers — an important step to (somewhat) automate the irrigation of 3 acres. Those irrigation blocks must still be checked weekly for leaks and funny-business, and timers adjusted as crops grow — but it feels good to be out of the chaotic establishment season and cruising into the care and maintenance time of year on the farm.
See you in the fields,
David
Happy winter squash plants leaning toward the setting sun this evening.
FARM ORIENTATION TOUR FOR NEW MEMBERS
All adult members who will be regularly visiting the farm and picking up produce are required to attend an in-person orientation. We’ll go over farm safety, rules 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:
Friday, June 26: 1:00 pm. 3:00 pm, 5:30 pm
Saturday, June 27: 9:00 am, 11:00 am, 1:00 pm
Tuesday, June 30: 1:00 pm. 3:00 pm, 5:30 pm
You can come get oriented and pick up your first share on any of the 3 pickup-days (Friday, Saturday or Tuesday), whichever day and time works best for your schedule. Tours last about 30 minutes.
If you are alternating weeks with another household, one household should attend an orientation Week 1 and the other an orientation on Week 2, or something to that effect.
If you can’t attend a tour time above, please reach out to us to schedule a time that works for you.
THE BASICS
Check out our new Brief Membership Guide: A quick-reference on the essential guidelines and tips for your enjoying your CSA membership.
For new members, here are the essentials for your first visit.
What time is harvest pick-up?:
Friday harvest pick-ups run from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm 🌟 NEW PICK-UP DAY! 🌟
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.
2026 CSA program dates: This year’s harvest season will run from Friday, June 12th through Tuesday, December 8th this year.
Where is the farm? The member parking lot is located at 1720 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472.
Slow on Cooper Rd. Please drive slowly on Cooper Road — 20 mph. It's a neighborhood with kids, animals, and neighbors who generously share the road with us.
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 if you have it! You can grap a new one if you need one. (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 Newsletterspage of our website weekly.
