It’s been hot. We’ve been sweaty. And the summer-season plants have been loving it.

Cucumbers are continuing to produce beautifully.

Summer squash are joining in, with the harvests going all to our CSA for now. We’ll have enough for our market tables soon.

 We’ll have tomatoes available for our CSA members very soon, with small baskets of the cherished fruits being carefully picked (and then enjoyed!) by our excited children during the past week.

Green beans and sweet bell peppers are starting to tease us as well.

 

We hope CSA members are enjoying this magical time of late spring/early summer when we have the most diversity of vegetables available. Carrots and cucumbers and salad and kale! (Remember: roots and greens aren’t so abundant during the hottest part of the summer. Produce with seeds takes over: Tomatoes, Summer Squash, Cucumbers, Eggplants, Peppers of all kinds, Okra…)

Reality check part of this week’s update: We lost all of our potatoes in a super-rainy spell earlier this spring. They rotted in the saturated soil. So, no potatoes this summer. We’ve just ordered sweet potato slips, which we weren’t planning on planting, but we will now that there’s nothing growing where the potatoes were to be. So it goes, and all will be fine. Hopefully we’ll all enjoy sweet potato pie this fall thanks to an extra-rainy spring!

(Barn progress! The pink insulation is marking the new walk-in cooler location. Concrete floor is going over the insulation and gravel.)

And for those that haven’t seen Janet at market, we will share here that we are expecting another child in October. We promise this is the last one! However, accordingly, we are in search of a few things that we haven’t needed before, or which have been worn out by the previous children. We are happy to trade for vegetables, cash, and/or good karma! (See list below picture of belly and broccoli plant.)

Certified Naturally Grown Farm In Search of:
::Single Jogging Stroller (solid & strong – our rough terrain makes this necessary) ::Three twin mattresses ::Cloth diapers (inserts and/or covers)

This Week’s Harvest:

Our Farm Share Bag (consisting of a farmers’ choice medley of produce, in one easy to order option), Broccoli, Cabbage, Chard, Cilantro, Collards, Cucumbers, Garlic Scapes, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce (three varieties), Lettuce Mix (bagged larger leaves of head lettuce), Microgreens, Radish, Salad Mix, (Onion) Scallions, Squash…plus Pepper Jelly, and our Naturally Leavened, Hearth Baked Bread.     (Not all transplants can be listed in our online store. If you want a variety not listed, please indicate in the notes section.)

Enjoy ~

Janet, Dan, and the whole Broadfork Crew

Recipe Suggestions: (always cataloged on our Recipe Page)
Kale – favorite Kale Salad recipe with raisins, nuts, and cheese
Garlic Scapes – Garlic Scape Hummus, or try Rollerscapes – lasagna rolled around ricotta with scapes
Summer Squash – Grill it. It is fabulous. Seriously. (Or pretend your oven is a grill and bake it on a sheet. That is what we do.)
Carrots – Carrots Glazed in Balsamic and Butter
Beets – Roasted Beet & Fennel Salad
Broccoli – Broccoli with Mustard Sauce
Salad – Homemade Gorgonzola Salad Dressing

**

We continue at two farmers’ markets this Saturday: South of the James in Forest Hill Park, from 8am – 12pm, and the Brandermill Green Market in Market Square from 9am – 12pm.

2014 Market Share CSA Members: Choose your selection through our Online Store to order for pick up on Saturday at our farm, at the Brandermill Green Market , or at the South of the James Market in Forest Hill Park from.

Everyone else: Please sign up for our 2014 CSA and get first priority for the wonderful vegetables that we grow.

**

VABF Richmond Farm Tour
Richmond Biological Farm Tour Weekend: September 20 & 21, 2014

Shake the Hands that Feed You!
Saturday & Sunday, September 20 & 21, 1 PM to 6 PM

 

We will be participating in this inaugural weekend of farm tours in the greater metro Richmond area. Load up your car with friends and family (one ticket covers everyone!) and head out for a day — or two — of meeting farmers and seeing where and how your food is grown. Learn more here and stay tuned for the complete list of farms on tour.