foxlinecityfarm

The last week of September and it finally hit us.  The Summer growing season is coming to an end.  This past week I had this odd anxious feeling that I really should be doing “something” or I am forgetting about some really important “have to do”.  The thoughts lingered all week long and then it occured to me…..since mid Feburary every week I start seeds and this past week no seed starting. We have a detailed seed starting schedule to keep our rotations on track.  Lettuce every 6-8 days, 120 cells over and over all summer long, fast growing leafy greens every 2-3 weeks several flats are planted. Early in the season all the tomatoes, peppers and eggplant seedlings fill the greenhouse and then 500+ brassicas then 3 weeks later again and then 4 weeks later again, bean seeds into the garden in long rows in June 2 weeks apart and then again a month later.  The carrot planting rotation….. and the seed planting list goes on.  Planting seeds has been my focus for a long time and now that duty is done.  A very strange feeling.

So, with all this odd free time we plug along with the last weeding duties, garden clean up and harvest schedule.  We are just dragging out the potato harvest as other duties present themselves and this week we will start the fingerlings and dig a few sweet potatoes to tuck in the last shares of the season.  I am excited to see these beauties and eat them too!  The hoop house is transitioning to Winter Share production and over winter spinach is slowly taking over any available space with hopes for an early Spring bounty. Wire frames were ordered for Holiday evergreen wreaths and every so often Scott or I will mention a fun winter art project we are looking forward to crafting.  Life is changing around here.

Watering in the Winter Share pac choi transplants.

SUMMER SHARE #18

The 2015 CSA Season Survey is in the shares this week.  We would love to read your thoughts and ideas about this year’s season.  Please return your comments by last share pick up/delivery-October 12th.  Thank you.

With the end of the Summer Season approaching please gather and return all share bags and reusable packaging material.

457 pounds of produce from the garden this week.  Enjoy the bounty!

Maeve kept herself very busy while we were packaging shares. She decided to make a natural deer repellent for the garden….dish soap, baking soda, mints and cinnamon. Think it will work?

SNACK PACK

Lettuce-A delicious head of juicy romaine.

Pretty romaine ready to harvest.

Romaine harvest from the hoop house.

Spinach!-A bounty bag of fantastic spinach.  2 varieties and they are great!  Enjoy this Autumn treat.

Beautiful Spinach.

2 rows of spinach cut 1 to go. Leaf by leaf by leaf…..we harvest each leaf individually to insure undamaged perfect future growth.

Asian green mix-A spicy blend of greens to eat fresh or saute.

Beans-An end of season treat! A flavorful romano bean called Capitano. Tender and delicious.

Romano beans ready to be picked.

Acorn Squash-The true sign to me that we are starting our Autumn Season.  Here comes the winter squash.

Radish-A snappy bag of thin French Breakfast and round red Sora.

Kohlrabi-A jumbo German variety that tastes great raw added to salads or fun to dip.

Kohlrabi soaking in the wash tank.

A quick brushing to remove any field dirt.

Sweet Pepper-We picked an assortment of the never ending pepper bounty and 1 will appear in each share.  What a great crop this year!

Zucchini-1-2 of the end of the summer squash harvest.  Funny to me to have summer and winter squash in the same share.

Slice Heirloom Tomato-Perhaps the end of the tomatoes for the season.  Enjoy this last taste of summer.

FULL SHARE

Lettuce-A delicious head of juicy romaine.

Cutting the romaine before it is crated up and hauled to the wash tank.

Asian green mix-A spicy blend of greens to eat fresh of saute.

Scott cut the outside crop.

And I cut the hoop house crop.

Arugula-A nice big bag to eat fresh or saute.  Spicy and delicious.

Arugula at harvest.

Mini Sweet Pepper Mix-Another great harvest this week of these pretty gems.

Beautiful…….

Sweet Pepper-We picked an assortment of the never ending pepper bounty and 2 will appear in each share.  What a great crop this year!

Jalapeno-Several hot jalapenos in every share.

Beans!-We just started picking this end of season treat.  Enjoy!

The last bean row of the season.

Green beans ready to be picked…..

Green beans chilled and ready to be bagged.

Acorn Squash-The true sign to me that we are starting our Autumn Season.  Here comes the winter squash.

Cabbage-A pointed mini variety called Caraflex. Sweet mild cabbage flavor.  Excellent fresh in salads or slaws.

Salad Turnips-We just started harvesting these cool weather treats and wanted to tuck a few in.

Cherry Tomatoes-This may be the end of these little beauties for the season.

Paste tomatoes-Enough to make a hearty chili or stew this week.

Slice Heirloom Tomato-Perhaps the end of the tomatoes for the season.  Enjoy this last taste of summer.

BEST GUESS FOR NEXT WEEK-swiss chard, fingerling potatoes, celery, winter squash, spinach, greens mix, radish, honey?, beans, leeks, and more….

LAST SHARE OF THE TUMMER 2015 SEASON IS OCTOBER12TH.