Farm Notes
As the temperatures start to dip lower, our fall greens and root veggies are only getting sweeter! This week we picked our first harvests of big leafy collards and kale for our CSA members, and I’m so proud of how far they’ve come since they were first planted as tiny seedlings in the searing August heat + humidity. After a summer filled with tomatoes, peppers, squash, and eggplant, I hope that our CSA members are as excited about these leafy greens as I am… though I know they may not be the sexiest veggies out there! For anyone needing a little inspiration + information about cooking with dark leafy greens this fall and winter, here’s a great resource I found that’s filled with great ideas.
It looks like Tuesday night may be the first frost around here! October 15th is my rule of thumb for the first frost of the fall, so we’re pretty much on track for our area. A lot of our fall leafy greens like the collards and kale pictured above can handle a light frost without any problem, though I’ll definitely be covering our more tender lettuces, arugula, and baby radishes, turnips, etc with frost cover to protect them from frost damage.
Yesterday I checked on our main fall carrot crop, and as you can see (below) these beauties are ready! Carrots are always a tough one to grow – they are difficult to germinate (especially when they get planted in the heat of summer), they take 70+ days to mature, and they need loose soil rich in organic matter to get those nice, long, straight roots. Thankfully this batch of carrots seems to be a good one, and I’m excited to get to share them with our CSA members starting next week.
This week marked the halfway point in our Fall CSA – 6 weeks down, 6 weeks to go! Overall I’m feeling good about all the veggies we have still growing in the field to fill out the remaining weeks of the CSA… so many yummy greens, cabbage, broccolini, fennel, beets, carrots, herbs, etc still to come. I have one more big succession of greens, radishes, turnips etc to plant inside our tunnels, but after that, there’s really no more planting left for the fall (except our garlic, which is a whole other thing).
Today I’m also excited to announce something I’ve been working on behind the scenes, that Farmbelly Club members get to learn about before anyone else! Hopefully you all know by now that education is really important to me, and I’ve been itching to offer more gardening / farming workshops to focus more on the growing side of things.
So I’m thrilled to share that I’m hosting my first ever Beginning Market Gardener Workshop on Saturday, November 19th! This workshop will give beginning + aspiring market gardeners the tangible resources and hands-on knowledge to start a new farm/garden or to improve an existing growing space. This workshop is designed for current or aspiring market gardeners and/or home gardeners who are looking to take their growing to the next level – whether you are just growing for your family and friends or if you want to sell your produce. PLEASE NOTE: This workshop is not designed for home gardeners looking to grow in small raised beds or pots – as we will be focused on growing on a larger and potentially commercial scale.
Just in time for winter dreaming and scheming, this is a foundational class for beginning market gardeners. The entire workshop will be spent outside on our farm, digging into strategies for setting up a new farm/garden from scratch, as well as ideas for improving (and/or expanding) an existing garden space. Much of our time will be dedicated to demonstrating how to use key market gardening tools like the broadfork, tilther, and jang seeder – with built-in time for you to practice using all of the tools yourself! This workshop will be very intimate (max 10 people) to ensure that everyone has an intensive, hands-on experience.
The workshop will cover the following topics:
Strategies for starting a market garden from scratch on new ground (or expanding a current space)
How to build permanent raised beds (without a tractor or rototiller)
How to prep and/or “flip” a growing bed (ie using a broadfork, adding amendments, finishing with a tilther, etc)
Irrigation set up and strategies, with a focus on drip irrigation
Weed control and how to use landscape fabric
How to set up and use a jang seeder
How and when to use frost cover, shade cloth, and tarps to maximize your growing capacity
Wash-pack station set up tips and tools
Strategies (and access to my personal spreadsheets) for planning and mapping out your market garden space
Because there is only so much we can pack into a 2.5-hour workshop, this class will not be going in depth about soil science or deep-diving into how to grow specific crops (though I will be sharing a cheat-sheet on the spacing we use for various crops). A few days before the workshop, attendees will be asked to fill out a short survey asking about topics you would like to cover during this workshop, to make sure all of your questions get answered!
Space in this workshop is very limited, so secure your spot HERE. Farmbelly Club members get early access, and tickets will be open to the public on Monday.
PS – I just took y’all on a virtual farm tour, tune in HERE on Facebook to see what’s growing + get lots of tips for your own farms and gardens!
Kitchen Notes
This recipe is a perfect way to use up fall root veggies like beets, carrots, radishes, or turnips – turning them into something unexpectedly delicious. The sesame ginger vinaigrette is super simple to make, and gives the slaw a unique, asian-inspired flavor that pairs beautifully with the earthy fall veggies.
FALL VEGGIE SLAW WITH SESAME GINGER VINAIGRETTE
Photo Credit: Lavender and Macarons
INGREDIENTS
For the slaw
2-3lbs assorted winter veggies (carrots, kohlrabi, beets, turnips, radishes, etc)
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
Sesame seeds, to taste
For the vinaigrette
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 teaspoons finely minced ginger
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons yellow miso paste
2 teaspoons honey
5 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
PREPARATION
To prepare the slaw, carefully shred the vegetables with a box grater into a large bowl (or use the shredding attachment on your food processor).
One handful at a time, squeeze any moisture out of the shredded vegetables and place them in a separate bowl (this prevents the salad from getting watery).
Add the chopped cilantro to the bowl with the shredded veggies.
To make the sesame ginger vinaigrette, combine ingredients together in a small processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Pour the vinaigrette into the salad bowl and toss together to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Top with toasted sesame seeds and a bit more fresh cilantro and enjoy!
Today’s Stats
Low temp: 46F
High temp: 69F
Sunrise: 7:23am
Sunset: 6:42pm
Moon phase: Waning Gibbous
Additional notes: Clear skies and beautiful