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July 13, 2015
Week #6
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Letter from a Farmer,
When we bring summer squash and zucchini to the farmer's markets in early June customers always ask us if the squash and zucchini are actually from our farm.  Which of course they are.  We work hard to have fruiting crops early in the season.  We learned from past CSA member surveys that a month of greens is just too much for most people.  In order to add variety to the shares we had to create the right growing environment for those heat loving crops like cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes.

These summer crops don't like cold soil, their roots need warmth to grow and take up nutrients.  Other crops like peas, radishes, and arugula like cool weather.  For that reason you only see peas in the spring and arugula and radishes in the spring and fall.  It is much more difficult to create cool growing conditions in the heat of July than warm growing conditions in the months of May and June.

We call the summer fruiting crops our "plasticulture" crops.  (Which is now a misnomer as we no longer use plastic but we use the name anyway.)  Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, etc want to grow in warm soil.  If we waited for the soil to warm up enough for these plants you wouldn't get tomatoes in your share until late August.  In order to get zucchini in June and peppers in mid-July we need to ramp up the soil warming process.  We do this with a layer of black biodegradable "plastic-like" product made of non-GMO corn starch called Biotello.  We have a tool pulled by a tractor that lays down the sheet of Biotello and buries the edges with soil so it doesn't blow away.  The tool also lays a thin plastic tube for watering the crops under the Biotello. 

(Disclaimer in the U.S. Biotello is not one of the products listed as a certified organic material.  Biotello is a certified organic material in Canada and Europe.  Here in the U.S. certified organic farmers are still required to use petroleum based real plastic mulch.  This product has to be picked up and thrown away.  Biotello breaks down in the soil.)


The black surface of the Biotello holds onto the heat from the sun and therefore the soil underneath is warmer than bare soil.  We plant the crops into the Biotello and then cover the beds with wire hoops and a white fabric cover.  This creates a little mini greenhouse out in the field.  The fabric lets in light and water but keeps out the cold and any harmful insects.  Once the plants begin to flower we remove the row cover for pollination.  By this time the plants are also so tall they are pushing the row cover off anyway.  Then we cultivate the soil in between the rows followed by a thick layer of straw mulch.

This straw mulch serves a number of purposes.  One, it helps control weeds in between the rows.  Two, it covers the soil preventing any erosion during hard rains.  The straw also keeps the vegetables clean.  No soil can splash up on the tomatoes or cucumbers so we don't need to wash these vegetables. 

Using Biotello also makes irrigation much more efficient.  We put the water right at the roots, under the plants, and a layer of Biotello.  There is little or no evaporation during irrigation.   Plants like tomatoes are also very sensitive to diseases that develop on wet leaves.  Watering the tomatoes under the ground keeps the leaves dry.  We can also add nutrients to the irrigation water that help prevent disease and improve the health of the plants.  

Six to seven acres of this system is a lot of work.   But, considering the amount of vegetables that we harvest from these crops it all weighs out in the end.  We pick veggies from this field from the first week of the CSA deliveries to the first frost which is almost five months of harvesting.   This system has other benefits, too.  We use less water to irrigate during hot & dry periods.  We are able to recycle nutrients from our fallow fields through the use of the straw mulch that we make from these fields.  Most importantly, the soil is covered for most of the season. 

This kind of farming creates the conditions for improved soil health.  Constant tillage to keep the weeds under control causes organic matter to burn up and breaks the soil's natural structure.  With the thick layer of straw and the Biotello the soil doesn't need to be disturbed to keep the weeds under control.  At the end of the season we work under all of the straw and seed a cover crop adding a tremendous amount of organic matter to the soil.  We see this field as a way to maintain or improve our soil health while providing all of you with an abundance of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cukes, onions, summer squash, and zucchini.  It is a win-win for everyone.                                                                            ~ Jody


 
Laying row cover on cucumbers.
Green Beans with Pecans & Maple Vinaigrette

3/4 cup pecans
kosher salt and black pepper
2 pounds green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Directions
  1. Heat oven to 400º F. Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing once, until toasted, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool, then roughly chop.
  2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the green beans and cook until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the green beans and pecans and toss to combine. (real-simple.com)

 
Green Beans with Almond and Lemon
Brown Butter
 
1 pound green beans, trimmed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup unsalted roasted almonds, chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl.
  2. Meanwhile, brown the butter: Melt the butter in a skillet or small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl or stir the butter with a wooden spoon as it starts to foam and sputter. Remove the butter from the heat as soon as it begins to turn golden brown and smells nutty, about 1 minute.
  3. Add the lemon juice, almonds, and salt. Swirl skillet over heat for 30 seconds more to toast the almonds. Spoon the mixture over the green beans. (realsimple.com)

Garlic & Herb Sauteed Bell Pepper Strips

This garlic and herb sautéed bell pepper recipe can be used as an appetizer, as part of an antipasto platter, or a colorful side dish. The bell pepper strips cook up quickly, and are at their sweet and savory best paired with the garlic and herbs. This sautéed pepper recipe is a great way to enjoy this nutritious summer vegetable.
Ingredients
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 large red bell peppers, seeded, cut into half-inch strips
  • 2 large yellow bell peppers, cut into half-inch strips
  • 2 cloves finely minced garlic
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp chopped basil
  • 1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
  • toastd Italian bread to garnish, optional
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the pepper strips, and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until the peppers begin to soften. Turn down the heat to low, and add the garlic, salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes more. Turn off the heat and add the vinegar and herbs. Toss to combine. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Toss again, adjust seasoning and serve with toasted bread if desired.                 (americanfoodabout.com)
                                                                                
Summer squash
COMING NEXT WEEK: sweet corn, green beans, head lettuce, onions, scallions, salad mix, kale or chard, beets or carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, summer squash, parsley, and cilantro.

FRUIT: Peaches

 
 
GARLIC HARVEST PARTY: Join us on Saturday, July 18 for our garlic harvest and BBQ.  We will start the day at 10:00 am and share in a potluck lunch with our own BBQ grass-fed hamburgers at 1:00 pm.  Wear clothes that can get dirty and bring gloves, water bottle, sunscreen, and a dish to share at the potluck.  Please sign up at your CSA site so we know how many burgers to prepare.  Hope to see you at the farm!
- 2343 State Route 9H, Kinderhook, NY.  If the weather is questionable, please check the website or facebook.
CSA SHARES AVAILABLE:  We need 50 more members to reach our goal of 1100.  Tell your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family to sign up.  (The share price will be pro-rated for the weeks they missed.)
                  Harvesting onions.
Chicken Shares - the first chicken share will be delivered next week - July 21- 24. Look for the cooler with the list of names. Please check off your name so we know that you picked up your share. Each share is one frozen chicken.  Mike and Shelly work hard to produce a high quality product, we hope you enjoy it!

Please let the farm know if you can’t pick up your share and we will deliver it another time. Contact us at info@roxburyfarm.com or 518-758-8558.

Beef Shares - the first beef share will be delivered the week of July 28 -31.

 
POTS OF BASIL: We seeded pots of basil for all of you.  Later in the summer when we can't grow it any more, your own basil should be ready to use.
 
INSTRUCTIONS: If you keep the plant inside, put it into a larger pot, place in a sunny window and keep moist.
Or plant it outside in a sunny spot and keep moist.
To harvest - snip off the tops or side leaves and it will continue to produce until frost.