foxlinecityfarm

The usual theme of another power house week!  The big deal-just over 2800 leeks went in.  Not a typo-really 2800…. Scott and I planted all in just under 3 hours. Scott created a perfect row marker and a fancy “hole driller” and I followed behind and planted our pencil thick leek starts.  3 different varieties.  Early, mid and late season wonders.  We’re excited to start harvesting this crop around mid September.  Obviously we love leeks and we’re excited to share with members (and others) starting late summer.   We did things a little differently this year and started the seeds in late Feburary in deeper containers and let them grow larger than past years.  MUCH!! easier to plant and a stronger start to the season.

Scott prepping the leeks for planting.

We started another round of brassicas and finished the melon and cucumber seed starting.  Our greenhouse is full-over FULL as the tomatoes are huge and taking up way too much space but with the projected cold temperatures the next 2 evenings we are keeping them warm, tucked in the comfort of the greenhouse and dance around all the flats of vegetables waiting to go in the ground. Our plant sale will be the last weekend of the month and then space will free up again.  Challenging but a happy challenge.

Our greenhouse.

View from outside the greenhouse.

This is the last week of Spring Share and Summer Main Season projected to start Monday June 1st.  The crops look strong and we hope to have a bumper pea crop this year.  The next round of leafy greens are are plumping up in the hoop house and baby carrots forming.  Our garlic crop looks great and I think the scapes are about to form.  An early surprise.

Rows and rows of garlic.

SPRING #4-FINAL SHARE

Rhubarb-Our pretty Canadian Red.   I always like to mention that I have my grandpa’s rhubarb plant from his garden so a few of you too will be enjoying grandpa’s rhubarb.  Special to me.  Grandma always made a custard rhubarb pie.  My favorite.

Harvesting rhubarb at dusk.

Scott washing and weighing out the Rhubarb.

Spinach-Another big bag of hoop house grown spinach.

Fennel-A tasty treat started early.  Great shaved in a salad or roasted.

Head Lettuce-An assorted mix this week in the shares.  A combo of a dark upright variety called Outrageous or fluffy butterhead named Nancy.

Leaf lettuce-A Spring mix.

Beta Mix-Our new favorite mix!  A pretty combination of baby beet and swiss chard tops.

Mizuna-Spicy Asian green that can be eaten raw in salads or delicious braised.

Arugula-A nice bundle of this peppery green.

Radish-Our first outside harvest of the season.  French Breakfast.

Your radish harvester this week.

Swiss Chard-A tender and colorful mix from the hoop house.  This is the time of year that chard is the best!

Cutting the chard.

Cilantro-Greenhouse grown as a nice fresh addition to dinner this week.

Honey!-A Sweet Treat as a happy “thank you” for sharing the Spring Season with us.  Enjoy!

Scott and Maeve extruding the honey.

Our hives.

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Hope everyone had a Happy Mother’s Day yesterday!

Another powerhouse week of crawling around on our knees.  We were transplanting fools out in the gardens and it felt great!  The early broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages, collard greens, kohlrabi and brussels sprouts went in.

Cauliflower transplanting.

A super long row of 9 varieties of kale transplanted out right as a rainstorm rolled in.  I wanted to get it done so a bit muddy as the downpour hit but job completed.

Just finished the kale transplants and the rain stops.  No comment on my styling “roomy” size large rain pants.

We are pleased with the rain this past week and all the seeded in crops are germinating strong…..along with a healthy crop of weeds!  This week’s duty is to stay in front of those ever present weeds.  Lots of hand weeding and hoeing ahead.

Greenery is poking up in the potato patch and the garlic looks strong and prolific.  The peas are loving all this rain and Scott will get the trellis up this week as they are ready to climb.

Peas!

We have had a strong Spring and staying in front of all the “to do’s” in our days. The hoop house is transforming again-now to  Summer mode with additional Summer share crops going in this week.  Our grenhouse duties will continue with the next round of seed starting-finish up the cucumbers, melons and squash and the next wave of brassicas and somehow find room for everything with the tomatoes and peppers taking up space as they grow wait for the warm weather of early June to transplant out.

SPRING #3

Spinach-A huge harvest this week picking off 3 plantings.  A big 1 pound bag!  This is the last of the beautiful red kitten spinach.  Scott will pull the crop as it is slowing down.  Enjoy.

Spinach ready to pick.

Hauling up the spinach harvest from the hoop house.

Spinach in the wash tank.

Scott spinning the spinach.

Asian Greens Saute Mix-A nice mix to add a bit of zip to fresh salads or my favorite braise with garlic and a bit of soy sauce and eat with eggs.

Leaf Lettuce Mix-Tender baby leaves for fresh eating.

Harvesting the leaf lettuce. Next week’s fennel in the forground.

Carlton (Asian Green)-A brassica.  Traditionally used in Japan in stir fries and soups.  Excellent braised and can be eaten raw in salads.

Head Lettuce-Either a fluffy lime green beauty called Panisse or a dark juicy head named Nancy.

Turnips!-We love LOVE! this Spring treat.  A nice big bundle for everyone out of the hoop house.  Remember the greens can be braised and eaten too.

Chives-A flavorful bundle.

Shallots-Held over in the root cellar.  Sweet!  Wonderful with Spinach either raw or sauted.

Maeve and I harvesting the onions and shallots last season.

Hauling the empty harvest crates back to the garden.

BEST GUESS FOR NEXT WEEK-swiss chard, lettuce, spinach, fennel, baby beets (fingers crossed-they are almost ready!), arugula, rhubarb and a special garden treat!

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A wonderful and needed rain last night.  A nice soaking 1/2 inch for the garden.  Perfect timing for all the planting that went in the fields last week. We had loftly planting goals for our week and hit them….I spent a good portion of my days hunched over getting seeds in the ground.

Planting the carrots.

Starting the 2nd bed of carrots. I teased Scott and told him that I decided to go with ALL purple carrots here because I thought it would be “pretty” in the boxes later in the season. You should have seen his face. Just Kidding! But, there are 2 different varieties of purple planted as well as yellow and red beauties in this bed.

We are going gang busters on the carrots this year.  750 feet went in this week with dedicated irrigation.  Another long bed planned too for next week.  Carrot madness is the plan.

Our other HUGE! goal this week was to get those onions in.  A long fussy duty which we finally finished on Saturday afternoon. We tripled our plantings from last year.  Lots of sweet summer onions, storage and a few interesting grilling ones too.  Scott likes firm numbers in our planning I tend to think in terms of “a lot” or “really long”.  For those of you that think like Scott 1600 feet of onions went in by hand 1 hole at a time….those that think like me….the rows are MILES long.  The job is done and we are pleased.

Onion Bed #1 all sweet summer onions!

That’s Scott way down there getting the job done!

A close up of onion planting.

We start our onions by seed in flats in the garage in Feburary and then to the greenhouse and then outside for a few weeks before transplant.

The focus this week is fill the garden with our transplants….broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, tons! and tons! of kale, collard greens and more are all on the list to be be planted.  In the greenhouse the cucumbers will be started along with zucchini, and all the melons. More lettuces and leafy greens are going into the ever changing hoop house…. It’s hustle time.

Beets and radicchio companion planted in the hoop house for future harvest….so pretty.

SPRING SHARE #2

It is a beauty this week.

Spinach-The springtime candy from the garden. A nice big bag.  3 plantings are in the mix this week.  And as expected we started our first harvest on the Spring planted crop planted in Feburary.  Thick, dark green juicy leaves.  Enjoy!

1st picking of the Spring planted Spinach.

Another bed of Spring planted spinach with pretty Swiss Chard in the background.

Head Lettuce-2 varieties to make a beautul salad this week.

Your lettuce in the hoop right before harvest.

Beta Mix-I think this is going to be our new favorite salad mix.  It is stunning and sweet and delicious.  Beautiful baby greens.  A combination of beet tops, kales and swiss chard.  Enjoy sauted or fresh eating in salad.

Beta Mix. In the wash tank. Beautiful!

Scott washing the Beta Mix.

Radishes-Pretty little round ones this week.  Crunchy Royale is the variety.  Pleasantly mild flavor.

Radish harvest for this week.

Pea Shots-Trim as a garnish for salads, soups or sandwiches.  Tastes just like fresh peas.  Keep in a bright window in the kitchen on a plate.  Water as needed and trim with a scissors to eat.

Pea shoots.

Arugula- A nice spicy bunch.  2 early cold tolerant varieties are in this mix.

Maeve helped bundle the arugula this week.

Mizuna-Another delicious Asian Green.  In the mustard family with a slight peppery flavor.  3 different varieties in this mix.  A Purple, a lime frilly green and a solid dark green.  Great addition to a fresh salad or sauted in a stir fry.

Spring Turnips!!-I thought there would be a “few” for us this week as an early sample of what’s to come…. and when I went to harvest last night-Holy Cow! They are ready.  Enjoy one of our favorite Spring Treats.  Maeve cannot get enough of these things….She eats them like apples.  Smooth buttery texture with a sweet flavor to these gems.

Maeve with the turnips.

BEST GUESS FOR NEXT WEEK

more turnips!, salad mix, baby asian greens mix, head lettuce, spinach, asian greens, chives and a few other surprise treats.  We can’t wait!

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