What's Happening This Week!

So much going on right now, I haven't had time to post much lately.   We are getting everything prepped for planting season, so between getting stuff ready and the actual planting, this is one of our busiest times of the year.  

We have planted snap peas, carrots and beets already, have tomato and pepper seeds started in the greenhouse.  Broccoli and some other things will be seeded this week so they will be ready to put out at the right time.

Got so much to do, I am spinning in circles.  Our organic certification renewal also falls around April, so I am crazy busy getting all my documentation and farm plan ready to submit. Sometimes it is hard to imagine how much effort goes into farming. There is something to do here all the time in the spring, whether it be planning and paperwork or tilling.  And we aren't even ready to think about busy we will be during harvest season!   You really have to LOVE what you do to be a farmer.

The Farm Store and CSA are advertised to open the first of June, which is Monday this year. Last year we started a bit earlier than that because of the warm spring conditions. Looks like it is shaping up to be much the same this year. I can't wait myself. Our opening dates are always dependent on conditions so what we publish is generally just an estimate.  And it could go the other way, if it gets cold and rainy again, although I checked the extended forecast for the month of March and that looks kind of iffy.  


We have a ton of things growing in our high tunnel right now and we are selling greens at the farm on Fridays. This Saturday, I am going to run a small impromptu "Farmer's Market" from 9-noonish so if you are missing visiting the farmer's markets, come out to the farm Saturday.  It is going to be a gorgeous day for it! 68 degrees and SUNSHINE, if you can believe it!   

Took these pictures in the high tunnel the other day...

Morning Dew on Red Russian Kale

Beautiful

Mustard bloom

Saturday, Feb 14th, 2015

Fun with Food X

 You now know the names of 90 different things to eat that you may not have known before.  

Have a Happy Valentine's Day, too.

82. Strawberries 

83. Blueberries

84.More Blueberries

85. Sweet Basil

86. Purple Opal Basil

87. Cilantro*

88. Dill

89. Lavender

90. Garden Sage

* Did you know that Cilantro and Coriander are the same plant?  In the U.S. when the plant is grown for its stems and leaves, it is called Cilantro. If it is grown for the seeds, it is called Coriander.  Also, there are varieties the produce more leaves than seeds and take longer to flower. Conversely, varieties grown for seed go to flower quicker and produce more seed. If you have had bad luck growing cilantro, you may want to make sure what the variety you are growing is mainly used for.

Friday, Feb 13th, 2015

Fun with Food IX. Good luck with this one, it is "berry" easy. Happy Friday 13th!  

You know where the answers are...

73. Campari tomatoes
74. Celery
75. Sweet Potatoes*
76. Wild Blackberries
77.  Blackberries
78.Red Raspberries
79. Golden Raspberries
80. Chandler Strawberries
81. EverSweet Strawberries

*Sweet potatoes, as a food crop, have been grown for over 5000 years and grow across the globe. Sweet Potatoes are not potatoes at all. They are members of the Morning Glory family. Athough the soft, orange sweet potato is often called a "yam" in parts of North America, the sweet potato is botanically very distinct from a genuine yam (Dioscorea), which is native to Africa and Asia and belongs to the monocot family Dioscoreaceae. To add to the confusion, a different crop plant, the oca, Oxalis tuberosa (a species of woodbind), is called a "yam" in many parts of Polynesia, including New Zealand. To prevent confusion, the United States Department of Agriculture requires sweet potatoes labeled as "yams" to also be labeled as "sweet potatoes"which are recognized as the state vegetable of North Carolina.    (NC is my home state and I grew acres of organic sweet potatoes on my farm there. ~Suzanne)

Thursday, Feb 12, 2015

Fun with Food VIII  Tomatoes & Abe Lincoln's Birthday today. Answers under the pictures.

64. Black From Tula
65. Hillbilly
66. Marglobe
67.Nyagous
68. Moonglow
69. Plum
70.Roma
71. Black Cherry
72.Green Zebra
And in honor of Abe's birthday, here is a picture of the tomato named for him.

Wednesday Feb 11, 2015

Fun with Food VII  Do I even need to say it? Answers under the picture.

55. "Black" Zuchinni
56. Yellow Straightneck Squash
57. Kabocha Squash
58. "Porchini" Mushroom*
59. "Chicken" Mushroom*
60. "Oyster" Mushroom*
61. "Yukon Gold" Potatoes
62."Viking" Purple Potatoes
63. "Pontiac" Red Potatoes

*The mushrooms were identified for me by a friend...

Tuesday, Feb 10, 2015

Fun with Food VI.  Red, Green, Go!  Answers under the pic.

46. Jalapeno Peppers
47. Cayenne Peppers
48. Shunkyo Radishes
49. Cherry Belle Radishes
50. Bloomsdale Spinach
51. Flat Leaf Spinach
52. Waltham Butternut Squash
53.Table Ace Acorn Squash
54.Spaghetti Squash