foxlinecityfarm

We have quite the bounty out in the garden….!  Our autumnal crops are thriving.  The ground is dry again so the irrigation is running overtime but we are really pleased how this season has shaped up for all of us.  It is a time to reflect on the season as a whole.  I will have all the information in next weeks news letter as to our personal thoughts of this season and  the overall box weights for this summer.   It is pretty amazing how much food goes out of here!

We have several crops growing for the winter box shares and a few experiments too that we are working on for next Spring.  We are wintering over lettuce, spinach, leeks, and carrots.  Scott is getting all set to move the blueberries bushes and expand the production.  Our heirloom rhubarb patch we put in 2 years ago looks great and we should be ready for a nice Spring harvest.  Our 8 pear trees are 5 years old now and I think if it was not such an odd Spring this year we would have had our first big CSA harvest.  So next year we are excited to se what happens.  We have 2 sour cherry trees that should start producing next year as well. The Shiitakes we started last Fall offered up a few mushrooms this year and next year should be even better.  I have had logs produce for 11 years in the past so I am excited to see what these do for us.  Scott and are already spending time chatting in the evenings about next years garden….Crazy!

A few details….

Next week is the last box pick up of the season.  A big box to come! Lots of wonderful Autumnal treats.  Remember to bring back any extra white food boxes you have floating around at home and please take the time to write a few thoughts down with the survey too.  It is very helpful to get your feedback on the season.

Any members that special ordered turkeys for the holidays.   I will contact you when Anne the “egg lady” brings them here to our house.  She is bringing a few at a time when they reach your requested weight.  All will be here the week before thanksgiving at the latest.

For those of you signed up for the Winter Storage Box Share.  We have set the dates.  Monday November 12th and Monday December 10th.  Same time 3-6.   I will send out e-mail reminders the week before.

Bulbs just arrived too!  I will try to have them at least sorted by box pick up so we can get planting….

What is in your box

Winter Squash-Delicious!  A favorite around here at this time of year.  These will hold several weeks for you on the counter and sweeten up even more as they cure.

Sunchokes-Also know as Jerusalem Artichokes.  A nice big box.  Keep them unwashed in a ziplock bag in the fridge all winter long.  Excellent nutty flavor.  Great sliced and roasted with other root veggies, thickly chopped in soups and stews.  Also tasty thinly sliced or grated raw and added to green salads.

Dill- The herb of the week. I like to try and get a late crop of dill in every season as it is a nice flavor this time of year.  Add to salads or with baked fish.

Arugula-A great harvest.  Enjoy!

Sprouted Grains- I like it best added to hot cereal in the mornings.  Adds a great texture sprinkled on soups or salads too.

Sunflower Shoots-Place on the kitchen window sill with a dinner plate below. Keep moist.  Trim a few for a nutty flavor addition to any meal.

Pac Choi-Beautiful and juicy.

Potatoes-Everyone has a 3+ pound box.

Celeriac Root- Unique celery flavor.  Use as you would celery.  Keeps well in crisper drawer of your refrigerator.

Garlic-A German hard neck bulb.

Shiitake Mushrooms-Offered in the “extra” area.  Grab a few if you wish.

Have a great week!

Scott took a little time this week to make a few cool metal pumpkins to celebrate the season.  They are cut from big recycled industrial refuse containers. The stems are cut from old car hoods.  Each is unique and one of a kind!  We have several for sale….

Scott’s Pumpkin Patch.

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This week is Box 18….I have no idea why I wrote on the chalkboard 18 last week-everywhere else it was correct as week 17.  Sorry for the confusion.  2 more weeks to go.  Last box pick up will be Monday October 15th. Please take a look around your house if any extra white CSA boxes are hanging out and try to get them back to us by the last day.  Thanks!

We’ve been busy with getting the garden ready for winter.  Scott and Malachi worked hard getting the tomato patch cleaned out.  Not a small job. We like to get all the tomatoes off the ground and out of the garden so we do not have little volunteer tomato plants sprouting up everywhere in Spring.  We compost the tomatoes and vines separate from our “normal compost” in order to keep  the seeds out as well as the possibility of disease.  The eggplant has been cut down and the watermelon patch is cleared.  It looks pretty barren in this back areas of the garden that was such a huge producer for us all summer.  Scott will get some winter rye in this week as a “green manure” to be tilled in and replenish the soil for next year.

The City of West Baraboo drops off several loads of leaves to us each Fall and we compost them down for the garden.  When the trucks keep backing into the yard several times a day and the Mountain of leaves pile high it gets pretty overwhelming.  Scott moves them to the back of the garden with the tractor and they cook down to wonderful fluffy mulch for the garden the next year. It is worth it but I always have to have at least 1 huge freak out moment when I hear the beeping of the trucks as they start backing in the yard and wonder how we are going to deal with it all…..

We are still watering and irrigating our Fall and Winter crops as it is quite dry. We are also focused on giving all the berries bushes and fruit trees a huge drink in preparation for the winter.  The leafy greens are loving this weather and we planted one more rotation of radishes just for fun to see if they make it in time for the last box.

WHAT IS IN YOUR BOX

Sweet Potatoes-3+ pounds for everyone…..We have cured them in the warmth of the greenhouse so they are ready to eat.  Delicious.  Keep them at room temperature as they do not like to be cold.

Fennel-Beautiful!  We love the flavor of this tasty treat.  Great shaved with a tossed green salad or all on it’s own with oranges.  Adds great flavor to fish, chicken or pork chops.  I like to make a potato gratin with it as well.

Turnips-These pretty gems are back! We love to eat them raw.  The white ones are a favorite in our house.  Remember the greens are delicious too raw or lightly wilted.  Packed full of nutrients. Prepare as you would Spinach.

Arugula-The first cutting.  A spicy leafy green that loves the cooler temperatures.  We eat it on our sandwiches, in salad or wilted in soups or stir fries.  Tastes great on homemade pizza with fennel too.  Try it.

Pie Pumpkin-Cook as you would any winter squash. I made cookies last week with one and a creamy soup.  The flavor is sweet and rich.  Will hold will for several weeks on the counter.

Sage-The herb of the week.  A nice size bundle.  Dry it for the months to come.  Remember a little goes a long LONG! way.

Garlic-A few bulbs.

Cherry Tomatoes-Last pint of the season.

Paste Tomatoes-The last picking before the freeze.

Survey-We have included the 2012 Survey in everyones box.  Please take the time to fill out and return to us by the end of the season.  We love to read your thoughts, reflections and suggestions.

Scott packing the boxes.

The tomato and eggplant area of the garden all cleaned up.

This weeks project! See those tall green sunflowerish plants in the background???? Sunchokes or Jerusalem Artichokes. We will dig them for next weeks box.

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A wonderful week here in the garden…..As I mentioned this is the time of year I look forward to all summer long.  I love to be out in the chilly mornings with the cold hardy plants.  And then there is always that amazement of the plants that thrive at this time of year.  The cold hardy broccoli grows so quickly and looks so strong and robust.  Our Nappon Cabbage is lovely too right now.   The radishes seem to develop over night and the spinach looks juicy and thick.  Lots of crop harvesting and fun to finally see the yield of many vegetables we planted so long ago.  We have had 2 light frost here and 1 hard frost last night so many of the tender plants are done.  I know everyone is sad to see the amazing eggplant disappear from the boxes. I have honestly never seen eggplant thrive and produce the way it did this summer….The tomato vines froze hard and we had a flurry of harvest to get the last beauties in before the cold.  I think we will have enough tomatoes stored for one more week and then they too will be gone until next season.  We were very pleased with this crop and have made some notes as to favorites as well as “never again” for next year’s planting.  I always like to test a few new guys every year and see what we think.  The pepper plants got quite a chill and we harvested everything that was out there before the frost.  This will be the last week of this astounding crop.  Fun stuff is all set for the last few boxes and we are excited to share the Autumn Season with all of you.

WHAT IS IN YOUR BOX

Radish-Another snappy bunch.

Kale-It sure is a pretty.  Almost like a bouquet.  Delicious flavor as the temperatures cool.  We love to eat it on our sandwiches.  And I know I said it before Kale Chips/Crisps are better than potato chips!  Give it a shot this week-kids love them.

Acorn Squash-We lost many acorn plants when the zucchini plants went down in Spring.  So sadly this is it for acorn.  Never  Fear….Tons of other winter squash in the last few weeks of the season.  The butternut harvest is HUGE!

Cabbage-This is the sweet little single serving size that we love to grow.  Baseball/Softball size.

Green Tomatoes-The once a year offering that marks the end of the season.  Do try fried green tomatoes or explore a few recipes on the internet for tasty breads or cakes.

Cherry Tomatoes-Savor these gems, we are near the end.

Paste/Slice Tomatoes-Also near the end of the season.  What a great run.

Green Beans-We are thrilled to have beans this late in the season.  We kept the row covered through the frosty nights so hopefully more to come.

Peppers-The usual medley.  This will be the last week for these wonders.

Parsley-Flat large leaf is our favorite.  Great in soups.  Also, fun to make a pesto for pasta.

Onions-An assorted box this week.

Watermelon-We went through the patch again before the frost and HOLY COW!  harvested almost 50 melon!  Crazy!!!  It is funny to me to have winter squash and watermelon in the same box.

Ornamental Gourds-A fun treat for the season.  Enjoy!

Basil Snips-A basket on the table to grab what you want.  These are grown in the greenhouse-perfect and flavorful.

Thought you might like to see the sweet potato harvest.

Scott starting the sweet potato harvest. The plastic mulch has just been removed and the irrigation tape pulled up.

Hand digging the sweet potatoes.

A full basket.

Scott working his way down the row.

Laying out the sweet potatoes to cure in the greenhouse.

The amazing sweet potato harvest.  Next week’s box.

The winter squash and pie pumpkin harvest.

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A great box again this week…..Scott and I are beyond amazed and oh so pleased with the bounty and quality of this year’s garden.  With the hardships and stress of the drought, the hot early spring temperatures and extreme heat of the summer months I think we were fearful of how this season would play out for us as well as our fellow gardeners.  WOW! It has really been the best season we have had ever!  Thank you all for sharing the garden with us and making this time possible for our family….We are grateful for the life we have here at home with Maeve.

What is in this snazzy box!

Leeks-Big, plump flavorful beauties. Make a tasty potato soup this week or delicious with fried potatoes or eggs.  Last week Scott planted almost a 1000 little guys we started in the greenhouse for another winter experiment.  We are going to attempt to winter over this planting.  We are hopeful this will be a Spring treat in the boxes next year.

Potatoes-Delicious for all styles of cooking-mashed, baked, fried, or in soups.  Just dug yesterday.  Scott and Malachi got the last of the potatoes out of the ground and in the root cellar.  What a good feeling.  We had a great harvest this year, high yield per hill and very little cull do to “nibbles”.

Radish-Nice crisp snackers.  Pretty round red ones and those delicious long skinny french breakfast.

Beans-Fall green beans are the best. Snappy!  I am not sure I feel this way because  it is much more pleasant picking now opposed to midsummer when it is 100 degrees and the row seems 500 miles long.

Brussels Sprouts-We are sneaking the big guys off the bottom of the stalks for a early taste.  Delicious roasted in the oven.

Zucchini-A nice harvest from the new patch.

Pepper Medley-The beautiful Assortment we are all use to now.  All sweet/mild except for the small glossy green jalapeños.  With the cool nights and shorter days we are nearing the end of this amazing summer harvest.

Eggplant-Just a few!  With tons in the extra/trade box…..feel free to leave them behind if your family is feeling maxed out at this point. The harvest is beyond crazy!

Cucumbers-The vines still have not been pulled down and a few are chugging along.

Cilantro-Salsa!

Cherry Tomatoes-Please let us know if you have a favorite….we are taking notes for next years planting.

Paste/Slice Tomatoes-The slice tomatoes have almost slowed to a stop.  There are a few to choose from but the paste are available in abundance.

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Such a colorful box this week….enjoy the bounty!

WHAT IS IN YOUR BOX

Lettuce-This will be the end of the lettuce for awhile.  Surprisingly we had major bolting of 3 varieties last week in the few days of heat.  Very disappointing.  We tossed them in the compost after a field taste test and all was quite bitter.  We have more lettuce planted but it is a few weeks out.   That said, there will be no shortage of leafy greens.  The spinach is chugging along nicely and the arugula is around the corner too!

Winter Squash-The first gem of the season. A pretty little guy called Autumn Crown with beautiful and fragrant orange flesh. It is actually in the pumpkin family.  Prepare it as you would any favorite winter squash recipe.  It will keep several weeks on the counter so enjoy it as seasonal decor for awhile.

Celery-The robust flavor of homegrown celery is amazing!  I made a big pot of soup over the weekend and this celery sure enhanced the flavor.  We love to add the leaves to our sandwiches and salads too.

Beets-A colorful mix.  Remember the greens are edible and tasty too.  We add them to stir fry or as a side dish slightly wilted with garlic and onion.

Green Beans-Our final planting has just started to produce….it is a nice late season treat.

Pepper Medley-We picked these the morning after the heavy rainstorm so a few may need a quick rinse.  It has been a wonderful pepper year for us but I can tell the plants are now slowing down with the cooler nights.  The mix is our usual mix of the last few weeks.  All sweet or slightly hot EXCEPT! for the small shiny green jalapeños.

Chard-A mix of my 3 favorite colors….

Zucchini-The new patch is starting to really produce now if the temperatures hold.  Try making some zucchini fritters this week.

Cucumbers-REALLY!  Well, I said last week (again) was the end and then we never got the vines pulled down and cleaned up….and then I was out in that area of the garden and noticed they had one last hurrah.  A surprise to me but I am glad as we munch on these all day as a quick snack.

Cherry Tomatoes-A pint this week as the vines are slowing down with the cold evenings.

Paste/Slice Tomatoes-We have TONS! of paste tomatoes this week….and limited slicers.  The vines are loaded with tons of fruit but  slower to ripen with the days growing shorter and the cool nights.

The beautiful beet harvest this week!

It really is my favorite time of year.  I love the cold mornings, wearing a hat and thick socks and several layers of shirts that get peeled off as the day warms up.  I love the smell in the garden too with the seasonal change to autumn.  And my number 1 favorite activity is the winter squash/pumpkin harvest which we started yesterday.  It is so much fun finding all those beauties under the big leaves.  Always a surprise or 2.  We found some huge! heirloom pumpkins hiding  in with the brussels sprouts and I actually laughed out loud.  I think I said to Scott 5 times….”I’m so happy right now!”…..

Malachi helping with the start of the winter squash harvest. Note the cold season broccoli plants at his feet. Our experiment this year…these plants are suppose to handle a few light frosts.

Scott is way back there looking for some more winter squash hiding in the brussels sprouts…..

I had to show you the sweet potato row….all the way to the tree line…..we hope to start digging this week. Looks to be an amazing harvest.

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We had another enjoyable week in the garden.   Time to get some major weeding done that has been on the “MUST do” list for some time and it feels really good to see these areas cleaned up.  Our fall crops are coming along and I think we will start picking wonderful winter squash and pie pumpkins soon.  The spinach has germinated well even in the heat of the last 2 weeks.  We were a bit worried and now relieved.  Lots of fun stuff yet to come.  We are excited for the change in the season and really looking forward to the cooler temperatures and beautiful colors around the corner….

WHAT IS IN YOUR BOX

French Fingerling Potatoes-These are sure delicious.  Wonderful fried, roasted or in soups or stews.  One of our favorite potatoes.

Lettuce-That wonderful romaine is back and also a buttercrunch too this week.

Edamame-This is a fun snack.  We quickly boil in salty water-pod and all for about 4-5 minutes, drain and then eat by pulling the pod through our teeth to get the beans out.  We eat them hot or cold.  The beans can also be removed from the pod and added raw to salad or cooked in a stir fry or sauce.

Pepper Medley-It is a great pepper year!  A beautiful collection.  All sweet or mildly “hot” except for the those small pretty dark green jalapeno beauties for salsa.

Zucchini-A combo of patty pan and long slender varieties.

Cucumbers-I know week 3 of thinking they were done…..but really now it is done.  The end for the season.

Cherry Tomatoes-A Quart again this week.  If you did not try it last week do give it a shot this week.  Oven roasted cherry tomatoes are fantastic.  Slice in half, lightly toss with olive oil, put a bit of parchment on a cookie sheet and evenly spread the cherry tomatoes out.  Lightly salt and place in a preheated 250 degree oven.  2.5-3.5 hours until done.

Paste and Slice tomatoes-The usual bounty…..choose a few.

Garlic-A nice big head of a variety called Music.

Eggplant-STILL going…..beyond amazing.  I have never seen anything like it.

Basil-a new fresh juicy crop that was just trimmed for caprese salads.

The colorful pepper harvest ready to be packed in the weekly boxes.

Maeve helping with the pepper packing….

The tomato harvest…..

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We can feel the season shifting in the garden….cooler nights, heavy dew in the mornings and the days growing shorter.  It is fun to go and peek at the winter squash and pumpkins and wonder about the sweet potato harvest that we will be digging soon.

We planted the spinach, several varieties of  radishes, 2 types of turnips and baby pac choi last week.  All crops that like cooler temperatures and have a shorter growing time.  We started a variety of leeks in the greenhouse a few weeks back that are suppose to winter over well and we are going to give this a shot this year.  We will transplant these baby starts out into the garden this week and hope for jumbo beauties in the Spring.

We have not included any eggplant in the boxes this week….even though the plants are still producing like crazy.  We took the bounty to the farmers’ market to give everyone a break.  It is the year of the eggplant for sure.  There are a few in the extra box just in case a few of you want some.

A pretty box this week…..enjoy.

WHAT IS IN YOUR BOX

Corn-Another delivery from Scott’s relative this morning.

Lettuce-A head lettuce called Tropicana.  This will be the last harvest of this heat loving variety.  We have planted cooler lettuces in the garden for the remainder of the season.  I am excited for the Romaine to return and it looks like it may be ready next week.

Brussels Sprouts-These are the early little gems.  We have 3 varieties planted out in the garden.  Delicious roasted or sliced and sautéed.

Curly Parsley-Nice big bunch.  Try making a parsley pesto.

Pepper Medley-A wonderful assortment of sweet or mildly hot peppers.  Beautiful colors.  It is an amazing pepper year for us.  The plants are still loaded with fruit.

Jalapeño Peppers-A few called El Jefe to flavor your salsa.

Onions-All the onions have been dug and our drying on racks in the shed.  These are short season onions.

Zucchini-The new patch is really starting to produce and the other oddball thing is in 1 evening tons of little slender guys  just grew huge!  It was pretty amazing.  The rain and temperature must have been just perfect.

Cucumbers-I think this really is the end…..a few for everyone.

Cherry Tomatoes-A quart sized box for everyone.  Try oven roasting this week.  They are wonderful and sweet.

Tomatoes-A great harvest of paste and slice to choose from.

Cinnamon Basil-2 varieties to try out.  Really tasty with fruits or pasta dishes.

We have another smaller harvest of watermelon this week and they are in the extra box if anyone would like one….also, a few shiitake mushrooms have started to appear and we put them in the extra box as well.

A few photos of the autumn crops in the garden.

a pretty heirloom pumpkin in the garden

pie pumpkins ripening up.

acorn squash resting on the reflective plastic mulch.

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Another super box this week….it is the best season ever for us.  Enjoy the bounty.

Lettuce-A  juicy buttercrunch this week.

Leeks-We have a wonderful leek crop this year.  This is the early variety with 2 more harvests to come.

Potatoes-We created a nice medley this week. 6+ pounds for everyone.  All 3 varieties suitable for all types of cooking.  Bake, fry, steam, mash.  Adirondack Blues, Carola (the buttery whites) and Red Norland.

Cucumber-Snackers and Slicers-This may be the last week.

Green Beans-I thought last week was it for this rotation and then we had one more harvest….the plants have been pulled so this will be it until Autumn.

Summer Squash-Patty pans or assorted zucchini.

Celery-Enjoy the wonderful flavor in soups and stir fry.  We use the leaves on our sandwiches and salads.

Rosemary-The herb of the week.  Seems perfect for all those potatoes.

Eggplant-I know!!!! AGAIN!  I am shocked myself. We are sharing this bounty with you all…. Really we have decided that eggplant is the new zucchini around here.  When oh when will it end…..

Tomatoes-The usual box of pretty cherries and all the paste and slice you wish.

Jalapeño Peppers-For your weekly fresh salsa.

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WOW! Every day this past week when we thought about the box it seemed to grow and grow in quantity.  So, a super jumbo bounty box this week folks!  Lots of watermelon again ready for harvest in the patch and the never ending amazing eggplant is still just chugging away.  We were able to get all the Fall plantings in last week-I’m not really sure how that all happened as the week flew by but I am glad and all the little seedling beauties we transplanted have already started to grow in size. We picked the first zucchini out of the new patch and are amazed that the winter squash is coloring up.  There are even some pie pumpkins out there too that I think are ready to be harvested.  With the shorter days and cooler temperatures we are starting to really notice the turn to Autumn in the garden and our thoughts wander to planting spinach again and wintering over carrots and parsnips.

What is in your box.

Lettuce-A beautiful juicy buttercrunch.

Tomato Assorted-The Wonderful huge bounty that will be the norm for the remainder of the season. A box of cherries, all the paste and slice you would like….our patch is really thriving this year.  The trellised vines are now over my head and just loaded with fruit.  The Heirloom color variation is quite beautiful.

Eggplant-WOW! is really all I can say here.  I am astounded with the bounty.  3 weeks in a row.  I LOVE! those little mini guys.  Our perfect snack.

Onions-A collection of 3 varieties

Cabbage-The last of the cabbage until Fall.  These little tiny guys are the perfect size I think.

Cucumbers-A box of the snackers and a few long slicers too.  I did notice that the cucumber patch is starting to slow down a bit in production.  Fewer blossoms and the vines do not seem as vigorous to me either.  So enjoy them now-next week may be the end.

Collard Greens-A few leaves for everyone to experiment with.  I like to use them like a tortilla and make a sandwich or lightly braise and make a stir fry.

Zucchini-A few as we still are on rations….

Peppers-This is my other big surprise this season.  The plants are loaded with fruit!  There are several varieties out there we have not even started to pick.  All sweet or “mildly hot” except for a few little shiny green jalapeño.

Watermelon-Pick a Beauty.  Assorted size, shape, and color.

Green Beans-This really REALLY! is the last picking.  I was totally surprised we got 1 more picking out of this planting.  More to come in the Fall.

Garlic-A beautiful fresh head.

Greek Oregano-A nice big bunch for sauce with all those wonderful tomatoes. Remember you can dry it on the counter and store it in a glass jar once dry.

Basil Plant-This too, I could not help myself….for those tomatoes.

Have a wonderful week.  Enjoy the Bounty.

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A wonderful box this week!

Kale-A nice big bunch of 7 assorted varieties.  We have been eating bowls full of the kale crisps around here like potato chips.  Delicious!  Also, fantastic on sandwiches.

Cucumbers-Jumbo boxes of all the varieties and also a few of those long skinny guys.

Cabbage-The nice smaller sized head that is perfect for the week.

Pepper Medley-These beauties are making their appearance  and we have a great crop this year.  Lots to come.   The assortment this week are all sweet EXCEPT! everyone has 2 smaller sized dark green jalapeños.

Eggplant-We are thrilled with the crop.  HUGE!  Everyone has a pint box filled with cute little mini guys called Hansel, Gretel, and Fairytale and also 1-3 larger ones too depending on the size.

Green Beans-This is the last of our early plantings.  2 rotations more are in the ground now for Autumn Harvest.

Zucchini-We are still on “zucchini rations” but everyone has a few in their box.

Ground Cherry-A pint for everyone of this old fashioned treat.  Just keep out on your kitchen counter for a sweet treat.  The flavor will sweeten up even more as they ripen.  Maeve loves these!

Heirloom Cherry-A beautiful box of these flavorful wonders.  It is really surprising how they differ in flavor from sweet to spicy/tangy.

Heirloom Paste/Slicer Assortment- A Nice big bowl will be waiting here for you to choose as many as you wish.  From now on tomatoes until Christmas!  Crazy to think this.  It also is pretty interesting to me that I planted the seeds for these tomatoes 6 months ago.  I said to Scott the other night that we have been focused on Tomatoes for 1/2 a year…..that does not even include the time when we are looking through the catalogues in December.  So pretty much tomatoes are a year round thing in our minds…..

Zinnias-Loose colorful stems for you to take home.

The LuSa Organic Shipment is here and ready for pick up too for those of you who placed orders.

Enjoy the Summer Bounty everyone.

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