Last week was packed with harvesting. We got more potatoes, carrots, and cabbage out of the field. All of our shallots were brought in. They’re now on racks in the drying shed. They’ll stay here until they’re fully cured, or until the temps get too cold, whichever comes first. 

The farm is starting to look a lot different this time of year. At the peak of summer, about half of the fields have cash crops on them (edible crops that we sell for money), and half of the fields have cover crops on them(non edible crops used to improve the soil). This time of year, the fields are quickly changing from cash crops to cover crops. The cover crops are a great way to improve and protect the soil before winter arrives. We still have a few summer crops out in the fields such as melons, green beans, peppers, canning tomatoes, and zucchini that are hanging on and fighting through this gloomy, and cool weather. 

The majority of what’s left in our fields are storage crops. We’ve been slowly bringing in more and more of these vegetables as we get closer to October. Every time we bring the vegetables in, they get washed before being put into our coolers for storage. Every round of washing requires a lot of rearranging of our pack shed to move all of the equipment out, and make room for our elaborate set ups. Each round of washing, we bring up how grateful we will be once the pack shed expansion is done. Once completed, the washing equipment will have room to stay out rather than being put away after each round of washing. 

Speaking of which, we haven’t given an update on that in a while. Big things have been happening with the construction! The siding and roofing went on about a month ago, so now it all looks like one cohesive building. The cooler door went on a few weeks go. Once the cooler door was installed, the refrigeration team was able to come set everything up. The electrician was out last week to get new wiring added. The garage doors are going on this week. This new space is really taking shape!

If you want to come see it in person, make sure to mark your calendar for our farm event on Saturday, September 27th. 

In your share this week:

Basil – Green Beans – Red Cabbage – Carrots – Cucumber – Garlic – Greens Mix – Lettuce – Onions – Peppers – Potatoes – Acorn Squash – Zucchini – Tomatoes

When Fall rolls around, I love to bake things. One of my favorites is this Winter Squash Coffee Cake. It’s warm, moist, and packed with flavor. Plus, it has a crumb topping. I can never say no to a baked good with a crumb topping. The recipe lists a few squashes you can use, but my favorite is using acorn squash. It adds a nice nutty and earthy flavor that pairs so well with the ginger caramel sauce.

Whenever I find myself with leftover cabbage, and no idea what to do with it, I make these Cabbage and Carrot Fritters. They’re an easy snack to make that’s loaded with texture, flavor, and lots of great nutrients. The recipe is written for you to fry the fritters, but check out the notes above the recipe if you want to bake them instead.