Beet Seedlings in the Greenhouse

 

Spring farm work is finicky. We never know what we can do in March. Some years we can begin plowing the first fields at the beginning of the month. Some years we cannot get into the fields until April. This could be because of a late snow pack, frozen ground, or a prolonged mud season. With the plow and tractor primed and ready to go, I can assure you that once this snow has melted away and the south facing fields have thawed, we will be out preparing the first fields. After plowing we will remove the stones that winter frosts have helped move to the surface. Then once the soil has warmed just a little more, we will be seeding our first plantings of peas.

We harvested the spinach that we overwintered in our high tunnel. We now wait for more sunny days to grow the smaller leaves of spinach in the warmed climate inside. Outside, before the area was blanketed in white again, the spinach that we seeded last fall was looking like it came through the winter just great. Some years the spinach overwinters better than others depending on conditions. This spring is looking to be rich in nutrient dense spinach.

In the greenhouses we are continuing to seed like crazy. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, scallions, celery, celeriac, parsley, basil, and on and on. When the weather warms these large plants will be put into the open field and be ready to stretch their legs (roots) out and produce the season's bounty earlier than otherwise. The spring share's harvest continues in the protected environment of the greenhouses. This week abundant greens will combine with last year's potato and roots harvest for many healthy meals.

Farmer Dave

 

 

The following items may make an appearance in your shares this week.  The actual contents of your share may differ based on harvest conditions.  As always Mother Nature ultimately dictates what is available.  

 

 

Don't miss a single Vegisode! 

Subscribe to Farmer Dave's YouTube channel.

 

Here in My Jar...

In this Vegisode, Stacey and Denise will talk you through:

How to pack a mason jar salad (or "power jar") - for great make-ahead meals that stay fresh and crunchy! A variety of ingredients are spread out, and we mix and match to make salads and power jars to get you through your day.

Multiple bags of beautiful baby greens? Not sure what they are? We're here to help!

Here are a few recommendations to get you started:

• Produce ID Guide
• Vegisode: Spring Share Greens: Identification, Storage, and Preparation
• Vegisode: No Regret Vinaigrettes

You can also follow us on Pinterest for recipes for:

Thanks to generous donations by you (CSA members) to the Groundwork Share-A-Share™ fund, we were able to subsidize the cost of shares in 2016 for over thirty individuals and families, as well as shares for local food pantries.

Please consider helping us in our efforts to make the CSA accessible to more families by donating to Groundwork Share-A-Share.