foxlinecityfarm

The frost hit hard here but we were prepared.  Everything that needed to be covered was covered. We once again dragged those darn tomato plants all over the place to safe keeping and then back out when the coast was clear.  All is well and I do believe we are finally past the fear of a killing frost.  We finally can spread out a little bit as the greenhouse is packed tight with all the garden starts ready for outdoor planting.  The next wave of field crops go in this week and here comes Summer!

Other than tomato dragging this week the hoop house was a focus.  Compost was added and it has slowly evolved  into Main Summer Season Mode.  We are completely replanted with all our leafy greens for the start of early summer  CSA season.

Our outdoor crop are looking great.  Peas are starting to grab onto the trellis and beans are up!  Yes really!  How we pulled that one off in the cold is pretty exciting.  Our garlic looks to be the best crop ever and we had great carrot germination too.  Potatoes got a little nipped in the cold but are growing strong.  We have the bulk of our early cold loving crops in the field and they too are thriving this Spring.

This is our last Spring Share of the Season.  Thanks to all who shared the hoop house with us this year.

We will take a 2 week break to allow the outside field crops to catch up to the hoop house and then we are off for a 20 week run of great garden vegetables.  We can’t wait!

Main Summer CSA Season Starts on THURSDAY JUNE 9TH.  First Share pick up will be here at the house 3-6 on Thursday June 9th.  See you then!

WHAT IS IN YOUR SHARE.

Please remember to return your tote at the start of the Summer CSA season.

Fennel-Delicious sliced thin on salads. Fronds and all.

Fennel at harvest.

Asian Greens Mix-Enjoy fresh or lightly Saute.

Asian Greens ready to be picked…

Head Lettuce-A romaine this week Called Sparx.  Sweet!

Just cut head lettuce ready to be crated and taken to the washing station.

Leaf Lettuce-A jumbo bag of a pretty red/green blend leaf lettuce mix.

Swiss Chard-Hoop House grown Spring Swish Chard is so tender.  Fresh in salads is tasty or saute and enjoy with eggs.

Swiss Chard in the morning.  Beautiful!

Harvesting the Swiss Chard.

Honey-A sweet treat from our backyard bees.

Pouring honey last Fall.

Basil-BIG! Juicy basil plants.  This smell shouts Summer to me.

Basil Plants in the greenhouse ready to go to new homes.

Oregano-Fresh from our herb garden.  Rinsed and dried.  Perfect with the Basil to make a sauce with the last of the frozen or canned tomatoes.

Sun shining down on the oregano.

Choose a garden plant from our plant sale today as a treat too!  Thank’s Again for a Wonderful Spring Share Early Season.

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A fun week!  Lots of cucumbers and zucchini were started, more crops seeded in out in the garden, the wintered over spinach was pulled in the hoophouse (thanks Gwen) after the last harvest.  We weeded the peas that are growing tall.  We are constantly dragging those darn tomato plants around…too cold, too windy, too sunny, too wet…..it’s always something-but it is worth it as they look GREAT this year.

The tomato plant and other garden veggie plant sale starts today in our driveway and we are excited to see the plants travel on to good homes.

WHAT IS IN YOUR SHARE

Another fantastic share this week. A bounty of goodness!  We are thrilled by what comes out of our hoop house.  Enjoy every leaf of it.  We thank all our Spring Members for sharing our gardens with us.

Head lettuce (2 varieties)- Another head of that juicy Bambi that we provided last week and a snappy early crisp with a ruffled edge.

This week’s 2nd lettuce head with a future pac choi harvest interplanted.

Beta Mix- My #1 favorite mix.  It is delicious and beautiful.  A mix of baby beet tops and swiss chard. Fresh eating or saute.

Beta Mix at harvest.

Beta Mix with first rinse.

Arugula-A nice sized bag of this spicy green.  Great fresh added to salads,  on pizza, sauted or make a pesto.

3 varieties of arugula at harvest.

Italian Dandelion-Beautiful.  A spicy addition to your fresh salads.

Italian Dandelion washed and ready for the shares.

Pac Choi- A juicy green pac choi this week.  Mei Quing Coi. Misty green stems that are delicious fresh or lightly sauted.

A pretty green pac choi.

Spinach-A nice big bag! The last week of our wintered over spinach from the hoop house.  We planted this crop last Fall and enjoyed fresh spinach until Christmas and started picking again in early March.  A great crop for us.

The end of wintered over spinach.

Final wintered over Spinach harvest.

Turnips! x2-A big bunch of those amazing white spring turnips with the greens on and a bag of those long pointy japanese beauties with the tops off.

Scott harvesting the turnips.

Sorrel-A tasty leaf.  Bright lemon flavor.  Use sparingly in salads or generously in soups and sauces.  A treat!

Sorrel washed and ready to be bagged.

Rhubarb-Beautiful and tender…..enjoy!

Scott washing the rhubarb before we bundle.

All bundled up and ready to go.

BEST GUESS FOR NEXT WEEK-LAST SPRING SHARE!-HEAD LETTUCE, LEAF LETTUCE, ASIAN GREENS BLEND(S??), SWISS CHARD, FENNEL, BASIL, OREGANO, HONEY, AND MORE…..

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Life could not be better!  We are over the HUGE! Spring planting hump and have arrived on the other side.  300 pounds of seed potatoes went in before the rains hit with the help of Scott’s extended family and Maeve away enjoying a fun vacation in Madison with Grandma. We thank all who helped out this busy week…..  Scott and I plugged along with the very fussy onion planting and over 3000 went in the next day and the day after that 1500+ leeks.  All by hand and all done…..phew!  We could still stand so 500 broccoli, 300 cauliflower, and 200+ more cabbage starts were transplanted and then we put a long row of swiss chard and kale transplants in too.  We were on a roll so we seeded in the next round of Spring turnips, and refilled the hoop house with leafy green transplants looking ahead to our main Summer Season that is around the corner.   The usual Spring Season flurry of activity.  We have been moving the tomato plants out of the greenhouse for a bit of fresh air and exercise and then back in again for the chilly nights.  It a lot of hauling but worth it as they are growing strong and huge.

Sweet and Storage Onions all transplanted.

SPRING SHARE #2

Remember to return your Green Foxline tote the following week for reuse.  Thanks!

3 pounds of washed and ready to eat delicious Spring Greens from the hoop house.

WHAT IS IN YOUR SHARE.

Turnips-The Start of the turnip harvest from the hoop house.  2 varieties in the bunch. Delicious fresh or can be pickled.

Japanese Honona Kabu Spring Turnips.

Hakurei Spring Turnips.

Turnips all washed and ready to bundle.

Radishes-A nice big mixed bag.  This is the last of the harvest from the hoop house.

Scott harvesting the radishes.

Radishes ready to be washed.

Head Lettuce-2 completely different varieties.  A dense juicy dark green mini head named Bambi and a light green fluffy head named Panisse.  Makes a pretty fresh salad with complimenting textures.

Bambi at harvest.

Panisse at harvest.

Asian Green Medley-A nice big bag of assorted baby Asian Greens. Delicious fresh and added to salads or lightly saute.

Baby Asian Greens ready to be cut.

Spinach-Another flavorful offering of Spinach from the hoop house.  Nothing better than Spring Spinach.

Cilantro-We grow trays of Cilantro in our heated greenhouse for an early offering of this delicious herb.

Cilantro!

BEST GUESS FOR NEXT WEEK-more turnips, sorrel, head lettuce, beta mix (mini assort. beet and kale greens), pac choi, asian greens, spinach, arugula,  rhubarb???, and more

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