From the Farmer
Gratitudes of the week (the very abbreviated short list)
We are so very grateful for the replenishing rain that fell early last week. Over 3" dropped from the sky over the course of three days. Steady, gentle, ample. We had no wash-outs of farm roads, no standing water in our fields, and no crops were damaged. Just a gentle, deeply restorative soak. Enough rain to make me actually order the new rubber boots I'd been needing to replace my leaky old pair for about a year now.
May the parched and burning lands be so quenched.
Gratitude for the great abundance of food that is pouring forth from our rich soils week after week. More eggs, kale, and yes, still more summer squash than we know what to do with. May the hungry the world over be so blessed.
Gratitude for the few Monarchs that have graced our farm in recent days on their way southward. May they be protected and given safe passage on their way. Godspeed.
Gratitude for the peace and security here in Conway that we surely take for granted every day. May the weary and afraid find rest please.
May the nourishment of these gentle and abundant times fortify our souls.
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Leora, Gus, Tim, and Land scratch a fallow field one last time before seeding it down to a winter cover crop. In our calendar of cover cropping, May, June, and July are for buckwheat. August is for oats and peas, and September through mid October are for rye and clover. Late October is for rye alone. Once November rolls around, sowing seeds is a real gamble as they may not amount to anything before winter shuts the plants down entirely.
We have been hustling to till in spent crops and seed what bare areas we can as soon as possible.
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Land and George drill rye and clover seed to hold and protect the soil from erosion and compaction over fall and winter and to build soil and fix nitrogen next year. This field might also yield rye straw for horse bedding or tomato or garlic mulch and the chickens might graze here next year too.
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Harvest Report
Herbs: Basil, Cilantro, Dill, Parsley (Curly & Flat) Plus PYO Edible Flower & Herb Garden as always!
Roots: Beets, Garlic, Onions, Potatoes
Fruits: Eggplant, Peppers, Hot Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Summer Squash, Tomatoes
Greens: Arugula, Chard, Collards, Kale, Lettuce, Mesclun Salad Mix
Other Veggies: Broccoli, Broccolini, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Fennel, Kohlrabi, Leeks
NEW: Cauliflower
Coming Soon: Kabocha Squash
PYO: Green Beans, Flowers, and our Edible Flower & Herb Gardens
For Retail Sale: Everything! Some items may be limited
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Bulk Availability
At the risk of stating the obvious, it is just about the middle of September. Now is the time to freeze your greens for winter, and make your pesto and your hot sauce. This stuff will not last forever!
Curly Kale or Collards: $2.25/bunch for 6 bunches or more
Hot Peppers: $7/pound
Basil: $10/pound
Parsley: $2/bunch for 6 bunches or more
Please email us if you are interested in seed garlic this year. We are still determining availability, but will try our best to supply everyone who wants it! If you need help determining your planting needs, we can help you calculate. Seed garlic is $17/pound.
Other News
It looks like winter shares will be sold out once previous winter shareholders and our current waitlist are given spots. If you are not currently a winter share member, but would like to be on the waitlist for one, or may be interested next year, please email us - We may be able to fit in a few more people this year, but even if we can't, knowing the demand will help us plan for expanding next year more strategically!
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Lacto-fermented Hot Sauce
We do about 80% hot peppers and 20% other stuff. We also usually stick with one color theme per batch – so all greenish stuff or all red/orange stuff. Yellow & white things look good with either kind, but putting green with red makes for a not-so-pretty sauce. Other stuff might include carrots, onions, golden beets, sweet peppers, garlic. Trim the stems off the hot peppers and slice in half long-ways, then rough chop the other veggies. Cover with 5% brine (3T salt per quart of warm water), and make sure the solids stay under the brine as best you can. Ferment at room temperature for a month, more or less (we do less). Then put the whole mess in the blender and whir it up. Then into jars and into the fridge. Zing!
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Austin, Caroline (not to be confused with Caralyn), Magdalena and David prune and trellis the black cap canes. One of the last big tending projects before we dive headlong into the big harvests.
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CSA Pick-Up
(& Produce Buying Times)
Tuesdays & Fridays from 3 to 6:30 pm
Masks are optional.
Farm store is open daily, self serve, dawn to dusk. Some produce will be available in our new retail cooler during non-CSA times for purchase, but for the full selection of veggies, non-members should also come to shop during these CSA pickup times. |
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Seeking Housing
Anna, who many of you know from her years farming here at Natural Roots, needs to leave her current situation around Oct.1st and is looking for housing in the general Conway area. Anna comes with Amos (a good, sweet dog), plus son Gabriel (14), and daughter Leora (18) for half of each week. If Amos is a deal-breaker, she could probably make other arrangements for him. Low cost is helpful, and small spaces could work. Work-trades and longish-term house-sits or caretaking situations also appeal. Please email Anna at annatmaclay@gmail.com or call or text 413-475-2460 with any ideas or leads. Thanks very much!
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