We are currently very grateful for all of the spaces on our farm we are able to irrigate. I was trying to think about the last time I've farmed such a long dry spell and I definitely can't remember. When we have all of our permanent irrigation systems in place, I'd take dry over wet any year, but right now, it is a challenge.

Our only water sources are open source (ponds) and town water. We use town water for all of our wash and pack and watering trays in the greenhouse, and we use the open source water for watering crops. It works really well for crops that are using drip irrigation, we don't have to worry about getting pond water on the food we are selling and eating, but crops without drip, that require overhead irrigation are a different challenge because we can't touch the plants with water from the pond for 2 weeks before harvest.

So, we have to be calculating and careful. Crops that are well away from their first 2 week harvest window get the most water. We've focused more on our onion crop than any other crop, since onions are a staple we like to have for most of of summer, fall and winter CSA and they are very thirsty. I accidentally mis-caluclated and watered the fresh onions last week, which means although I want to put them in your share this week, we need to wait the full 2 week window.

Plus, they could use a little extra time to size up. The new potatoes are coming along, but they too needed more water last week, so we went for it. We did a test dig of a few plants and estimated our average yield was just under 1 pound per row foot. For new potatoes we hope to harvest between 1.5 to 2 pounds per row foot, and there were lots of little marble sized tubers on the plant, so we gave them water and decided to wait.

But they are coming - next week, you will have them, they will be amazing, and this week you can revel in the fact that crops we are giving you, many of them have not seen more than morning dew in weeks. Green beans and tomatoes are on their way too!

(also, for everyone who is super into drip as a great ecological solution to water waste, think about how much trash it produces . . . drip irrigation uses little plastic lines that are easily damaged and that you are expected to put in the dumpster at the end of the year. It's an option right now, and we are using it, but it's not a very sustainable solution)

We've got a 60 percent change of heavy rain right for tonight - I refuse to be hopeful unless the prediction is 70 percent or more . . . but we could really use some rain.

For those of you who have been with me for many years, you've read the rain email, but I think it's amazing and worth reiterating. When it rains just 1" on an acre of land, 27,000 gallons of water fall. So our ten acre vegetable field would get 270,000 gallons (and we wouldn't have to do any work!).

Kevin does most of the irrigation work around here, and he has waded out into the pond at least 40 times this year to re-set the suction hose and make sure it's working. He gets up in the middle of the night to turn the pump on and off (we only overhead irrigate at night to prevent losing water to evaporation) and he came up with the great idea to pump water from the giant pond on our property across the street from our growing fields, into the little pond on this side (that has a watershed of just 64 acres and would be dry as a bone otherwise).

The really good news: we are working with NRCS to put in a well. We worked with their engineer this spring who helped us determine an appropriate test site and found water at just 50 feet. We believe we'll get about 100-150 gallons/minute from this source. Now we just have to be patient - our hope is that the well will be operational for next season.

(Reminding myself again that farms are measured in decades not years.)

Anyway - everyone do a rain dance for us and for your veggies and flowers!

We're feeling better, thank you for asking. Luckily we were able to keep anyone from our crew from getting sick as well, and although it wasn't fun, I can't help but feel grateful that it wasn't any worse.

We are working in N-95's now, tomorrow is the end of our 10 day of quarantine/masking, but if we aren't testing negative we'll just keep the masks on. It's not fun, I had forgotten what farming in masks feels like, but I want so, so much more to keep my crew healthy.

A big thanks to my parents, to Lisa and Melissa down in Holliston, our neighbor, Dennis and our crew for helping to get us through last week. It'll be a few weeks of catch up to get things in order, but we'll be ok.

I had a lawyer once tell me, "sometimes you just have to put work off a little while," I can't even remember why he said that to me, but I remember my response (at least the response I came up with after the fact): in farming, there are so, so many tasks that need to be done at a specific time to prevent them from increasing the amount of work that needs to be done exponentially. If you trellis tomatoes at the right time, you can zip through, it's actually pretty fun. If you miss the window and the plants start to flop over, it takes at least 10 times as long and it is not fun at all. It's not that same as just not writing a report and then writing it later when you have time. It's like saying, "ok, I won't write that report now, and I'm fine with the fact that it will multiply into 10 reports later."

We definitely let a few tasks slip through out fingers in the last 9 days . . . but we'll get back on track!

Hi Flower share members! You've got a big bouquet coming this week! Lots of sunflowers, snap dragons and some really cool beauties like amaranth, coreopsis and cosmos!

We're trying something new! Kerry, our flower manager, is also very interested in herbs, and is creating a new product: tea bouquets! A fresh mix of herbs and flowers that you can enjoy both as a bouquet and then as a tea! There will be information at pick up about the different uses!

This one, to the left, Kerry made for me with extras after packing for market on Friday: lots of calendula because I am always stressed out!

We're leaning on the crops that are thriving, and right now that's cucumber and zucchini. These few weeks are their peak on our farm, so we're getting them to you! Think: cucumber salad, fridge pickles, zucchini bread, zucchini fritters, grilled squash . . . !

Also, just a note - you haven't been eating your greens! Eating one bunch of greens per week is really good for you - I'd love it if you tried to work a little kale, swiss chard and/or into your diet this week!

3 pounds mix and match: cucumber, zucchini and squash

Choose one bag: lettuce mix or micro greens

Choose two: celery, fennel, basil, parsley, dill, scallions

Choose three: kale!!, chard, radish, beets, carrots, cabbage, (and maybe a few other choices as the week goes on like eggplant and green beans)

Hi - Jess Girotti here. If you have a recipe that you love that you'd like to share with other members, email me at jgirotti@live.com and I'll include it in the next relevant email. If you ever come across a link that doesn't work for you (I think some of the recipes that I put links for are for sites that require a subscription), you can always email me and I would be happy to send you any recipe. Don't forget to check out the recipe pages on the Upswing website if you need more ideas for your other veggies.

I love this grown-up version of grilled cheese. Multi-grain bread, raclette and parmesan cheese, caramelized onions with a splash of red wine vinegar and kale. Super flavorful and great for a quick lunch or weeknight dinner.

Pick Up Details:

34 Rogers Rd, Holliston

Tuesday, 1pm-6pm

Park beyond the farm stand (up the hill, past the yellow house)

65 Brookline St, Pepperell (parking is more like 50 Brookline on maps)

Tuesday/Wednesday 2-6pm or Thursday 2pm-6pm

Park in the lot near the greenhouses with the white 'Upswing Farm' sign

93 E Main St Hopkinton (but don't pull into the main entrance!, see parking info below)

Thursday, 1pm-6pm

Just west of the nursery is a traffic light. Turn up the hill onto Legacy Farm Rd North and then take your first right into the back gravel parking lot to park. You will see our truck and tents from the street.

Call 508-215-8378 with questions. If you text, please make sure to include your first and last name in the text.

Email brittany@upswingfarm.com with any planned schedule changes

Greens: In a plastic bag in the fridge, not near the freezer. (Ideally between 34 and 40 degrees with 98% humidity.) If they don't come in a bag, undo the twist tie when you get them home and put them in a bag. They will wilt without one.

Root veggies: All roots (even most potatoes) want to be in the fridge. Fresh onions will also want to go in the fridge. The whole green stalk is edible and delicious. You should twist roots like radishes, beets, turnips and carrots off of their greens before storing. The greens are all edible - so you can store them separately if you plan to eat them.

Herbs and scallions: Unless you are drying them, they can go in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Tomatoes: Don't like the fridge! Store on the counter at room temp.

Cucumber, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, beans: In a plastic bag in the fridge.