HARVEST PICK-UP RESUMES TUESDAY, AUGUST 24th
We will be resuming CSA pick-up as normal starting tomorrow, Tuesday, Aug 24th. For folks who don't usually go to the Tuesday pick-up our hours are 1pm - 6pm. U-pick is open 7 days a week, sunrise to sunset as normal.
ROAD CLOSURES: Highway 116 from Forestville to Guerneville is currently closed due to the Wallbridge Fire and Green Valley road cannot be accessed from that direction. Use the southeastern Green Valley Rd. entrance closer to Graton & Sebastopol to access the farm.
WASHING PRODUCE: We wash our greens after harvest. We do not wash things like tomatoes, eggplant, squash, cucumbers. Because of the ash settling on the crops, we recommend washing all pre-harvested greens and produce again at home and washing your u-pick produce before consumption.
THIS WEEK’S HARVEST
Sarah’s Choice Cantaloupe Melons, Celery, Heirloom Tomatoes, Metechi Hardneck Garlic, Rainbow Chard, Kohlrabi, Carrots, Assorted Eggplant, Summer Squash & Zucchini, Lemon Cucumbers, Striped Armenian Cucumbers, Walla Walla Sweet Onions, Salad Mix (Arugula & Mustard Greens), Little Gems & Red Butter Lettuce
Rain or shine, fire or ash, the melons do not wait
U-PICK
Check the u-pick board for updated weekly limits. With the ash settling on produce, we recommend washing all u-pick produce before consumption
Albion Strawberries
Cherry Tomatoes: See Week 10’s Newsletter for variety descriptions
Frying Peppers: Shishito, Padrón / See Week 5’s Newsletter for harvest tips
Jalapeños: Located below the Padróns
Yellow & Red Thai Hot Peppers: Located next to the Jalapeños
Pickling Cucumbers: Could be the last week. If you haven’t pickled yet, now is the time! 5 gallon per share season limit. See Week 8’s newsletter for picking instructions and a pickle recipe
Wild Blackberries See Week 9’s Harvest Notes for tips on bramble locations
Husk Cherries: Located just above the gnome homes in the garden. See Week 9’s Harvest Notes for harvest tips
Herbs: Rosemary, Thyme, Tulsi Basil, Italian Basil, Thai Basil, Purple Basil, Oregano, Marjoram, Tarragon, Onion Chives, Garlic Chives, Vietnamese Coriander, Culinary Lavender, Culinary Sage, French Sorrel, Lemon Verbena, Lemon Balm, Perilla & Purple Shiso, Chamomile, Green Coriander
HARVEST DISTRIBUTION SCHEDULE
Saturday pick-up runs from 9:00am - 2:00pm (note longer hours on Saturday, old members)
Tuesday pick-up runs from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
U-picking is open 7-days a week, sunrise to sunset. Please close the gates behind you on off days.
FARMER’S LOG
Our thoughts are with our numerous members and friends who live North of the farm along the Russian River and Northeast in Healdsburg. We hope this finds you all safe and spared from the worst of these terrible fires. Your farm and your farmers are thinking of you, and we are here to nourish you now, when the smoke clears, and beyond…
It has been a surreal week on the farm. We had a restless night last Sunday, listening to an electrical storm and August rain that no-one can remember the likes of. After dozing off to rolling thunder, Kayta and I were awoken at 5am by the clap of a lightning strike on the ridge across the street. Our astute neighbor tracked down the stricken tree and firefighters put out a smoldering blaze in a matter of hours.
On Monday, Kate, Sora and I harvested Torpedo Onions in our rain jackets and watched forks of lightning ripple in the Eastern sky. We thought of taking cover but the lightning stayed far away. Because of the rain and the level of moisture in our onion beds, we thought (hoped) maybe Sonoma County had been spared the worst.
Watering in the last big Fall transplanting of the year
Smoke and news of the myriad blazes begin to roll in Tuesday. On Wednesday we heard news of neighbors and members to the North and East being forced to evacuate. We ran to Harmony Farm Supply to get electric solenoid valves so that in case of evacuation the crops would still get water. On Thursday the crew powered through the last large field translating of the year: Beets, Dandelion, Collards, Kale, and Cauliflower in the thick smoke of the Wallbridge Fire.
Friday morning around 10am, mid-harvest, our “zone” was placed on Evacuation Warning, with the fire moving slowly down just 6 miles to the North. We decided to halt harvest to prep our house and the farm for evacuation.
Mind you, this is all while going through the regular motions tending future food — seeding lettuce; watering the greenhouse, direct seeding, checking moisture in the fields. We have been through this before, with the Tubbs firestorm of 2017, 2018’s camp fire smoke, 2019’s evacuation. We’ve done the work in masks, replaced the music with KRSO, watched the fine ash coat the leaves. But in truth, we’ve never farmed through something like this so early in the season, with so much left to do, with so much still to be tended and enjoyed: The tomatoes just starting to explode; potatoes approaching harvest; winter squash coloring up vividly; corn ears swelling; baby transplants going in the ground.
A lot is unknown. I would be lying if I said we weren’t scared. When will our members be able to return home? When will the smoke clear? How can we take care of the farm and our lungs?
Some things might be a little funky on the farm as we sort through these questions: Less items to choose from at pick-up as we cut out early to avoid hazardous air; collapsing cherry tomatoes as we prioritize other things; ash on the dahlias.
But one thing we do know is that this community is immensely caring and resilient. Flowers will still open; the cherry tomatoes will ripen in great clusters; bees will still forage; and great abundance and great friendship still await us in the fields.
See you out there,
David and Kayta
