Sometimes, the vegetables get fancy.
Sometimes a lot of them die, and we don’t share many photos of that. Luckily, they are always delicious. Here is this week’s Farm Share bag:
We will keep saying it, for those new to us or the message: We harvest more food in November than we do in August. August is the height of stress for cultivated plants here in the central Virginia Piedmont. Bugs thrive in this hot, humid climate. Fungal and bacterial diseases thrive in this hot, humid climate. Sounds lovely, eh? We were lured down here after being in the farming community in New England. The high concentration of small organic farms, plus the high price of land, plus the long winters of the northeast made us really excited about Virginia for farming. We didn’t realize the extent of the difficulty presented by the bugs and disease as a product of the warm climate. But it all evens out. We have produce almost all year, we have cucumbers in May, and tomatoes in June. We also have tomatoes in October. Sometimes we even have tomatoes in November.
In August, most of our northern farming peers are in a race to get in the last bit of the season before shutting down under the freezing temps. Here at our farm in August, due to the summer stressors, we harvest just a small percentage of the crops that we plant. The loss is currently so high this time of year that we can’t plant triple in order to get harvests consistent with other times of the year. Instead, we continue to research, test, ask questions, and work like crazy to figure out the best way to have delicious, nutritious vegetables thrive in this climate while also using all Certified Naturally Grown, biological/ecological growing practices.
Thus, we have a bit less than usual to sell you for these August weeks but we are preparing for the next three months of abundant harvests. Peppers and tomatoes continue while we aim for as many root crops as possible (beets, radish, sweet turnips, carrots) and greens galore (lettuces, arugula, collards, kale, spinach, etc.) Therefore…
We are taking sign ups for our Fall Farm Share CSA – weekly shares for all of October and November. We have two new Farm Share CSA pick up sites for the fall and we are spreading the word: Wednesday afternoons at Perk! Coffee and Lunchbox in Bon Air, and Sunday mornings at First UU Church of Richmond, beside Byrd Park. We will continue to have Wednesday afternoon Farm Share pick up at our farm and in Church Hill. Current CSA members: Thanks for helping to spread the word! Future CSA members: Thanks for considering us to be your vegetable growers!
Reminder: As schedules change with autumn activities, if you can’t make it to Saturday farmers markets, don’t fret. We have our cold produce now in our self-serve farmstand! Come visit and see what our refrigerator case has to offer. We occasionally post descriptions of the inventory on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter but the offerings can change daily.
* Mark your Calendars! *
Our 2015 CSA Member Farm Party will be on Sunday, September 27th, from 2-6 pm.
CSA Members: Please join us on the farm to share food, drink, a members-only farm tour, and a celebration of the 2015 season. Bring some food to share and sit with us for a spell. Drop in for just a bit or stay the whole afternoon. Driving directions and information (including tour time, tba) found here. All CSA members are invited – including our new Fall season Farm Share members!
Available for Market Share CSA members to choose from this week: Chard, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Garlic, Green Beans, Kale, Lettuce Mix, Okra, Peppers (jalapenos, sweet bell, carmen, lunchbox, padron…), Salad Mix, Summer Squash, Tomatoes.
2015 Market Share CSA Members: Reserve your selection online to pick up on Saturday, August 22nd at our farm, at the Brandermill Green Market.
Vegetables not ordered by our Market Share CSA members will join us at the Brandermill Green Market this Saturday. Anyone may order select goods from us through Fall Line Farms, Richmond’s online farmers’ market. You can use discount code “broadfork” to earn a complimentary 6 month subscription.
Notes about the upcoming weeks, for your planning purposes:
– We will not be at South of the James market or The Market at Magnolia Green on Saturday, August 29. We will be at the Brandermill market like usual.
– We will not be delivering to Good Health Herbs on Wednesday, September, 2nd.
– We will not be baking bread on Saturday, August 29.
– Good Health Herbs is moving! Market Share orders for pick up there after September 1 will be at their new location: 13601 Genito Rd. Midlothian, VA.
Enjoy ~ Janet, Dan, and the rest of the Broadfork crew
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