Farm Notes

What a glorious week of fall weather here in the Piedmont of North Carolina! After a pretty brutal summer, these cool, clear, zero-humidity days remind us why we love farming in this part of the country. Right now we’re still harvesting the last of the summer peppers and eggplant, and the fall greens are really hitting their stride. Between collards, kale (including baby kale), arugula, and heaps of lettuces – there are so many gorgeous dark leafy greens coming out of the field right now, which are a welcomed sight after a tomato-filled summer.

Now for some farm updates:

Today we started harvesting our sweet potatoes! After first attempting to begin harvesting them a few weeks ago (when we realized they definitely weren’t ready yet..), we tried again today and were pleased to finally get some nice tubers out of the ground. I’ll be honest that harvesting sweet potatoes is pretty dang labor intensive – they break and scar super easily, so we have to carefully dig each potato by hand using trowels. We have about 150 row feet that need to be harvested over the next few days, and then we will set the potatoes out to cure for 10-14 days. After that, they will be ready to go into our CSA shares, and then hopefully get cooked up in some delish fall dishes.
Unfortunately, we’re dealing with a bacterial issue called black rot on some of our brassicas (ie plants like kale, cabbage, broccoli). Black rot is especially common in this region in the fall, when the weather is super hot and humid/wet. It’s incredibly frustrating to see our plants suffering, especially because we’re learning that our brassica seeds/seedlings were likely already infected with this bacteria before ever arriving at our farm, and once they were planted here the bacteria started showing up and causing our plants to wilt and show extensive leaf damage just a few weeks later.

Thankfully, we’re still able to salvage most of our brassica crops, though our broccoli has been hit the hardest. I’m hopeful that we will still be able to harvest some nice broccoli crowns for our members in the next few weeks… but we will have to wait and see. See below right for a photo of what black rot looks like – if you are dealing with similar issues in your home garden, make sure to remove damage leaves and discard them far away from your garden. Also, in future seasons make sure to plant your brassicas in different beds, because the bacteria can stick around in the soil for long periods of time and re-infect your plants.

And because I know everyone is eager for a baby update… sweet Sawyer is doing great! Last week we tried out our baby carrier for the first time, and I was able to bring him out to the field with me to “help” with a few light farm chores, and it was AWESOME.

It’s hard to believe that this weekend, he will already be 1 month old! I once heard someone say that these early days of parenthood are the “longest shortest time” and I’m already finding that to be profoundly true.

Kitchen Notes

I’m not exactly sure why, but I have such a soft spot for radishes. Whether it’s growing them or cooking them or eating them – I get genuinely excited whenever radishes are around. Alas! I’ve come to realize that my love for this petite and colorful root veggie miiiight not be shared by the general population. Lots of folks tell me that radishes just aren’t “their thing” – or that they don’t know what to do with radishes. And so! In this moment when fall radishes are having a moment, I’d like to dig into some tips + recipes for enjoying radishes, in hope that more of you will join me over in the radish fan club. :)

COMMON TYPES OF RADISHES

Round Radishes – Classic round radishes that can be red, pink, or purple in color.
French Breakfast Radishes – A special variety of radishes featuring a long, slender shape and a distinctive ombre color from white to pink.
Watermelon Radishes – Heirloom variety of radishes with a pale exterior and hot pink exterior.
Black Radishes – Just as the name suggests, these are a special variety of radishes with a black exterior and bright white flesh.

HOW TO STORE RADISHES – If the tops are still on the radishes, use a knife to cut them off (as the greens will draw moisture out of the radishes and leave you with sad, limp roots). Store the roots (and greens if you’d like to use them) separately in bags or containers in the crisper drawer of your fridge.

RADISH FLAVOR PAIRINGS & RECIPES

Radishes range in flavor from mild to spicy, and pair well with salty cheeses like feta or goat; bright citrus or white wine vinegar; refreshing herbs like mint, parsley, and chives; as well as alongside cucumbers, avocados, dijon mustard, and salted butter. Here are so go to recipes:

Today’s Stats

Low temp: 58F
High temp: 81F
Sunrise: 7:23am
Sunset: 6:42pm
Moon phase: Waxing Crescent
Additional notes: Glorious fall day!