Reminders & Announcements
- This week, all Vegetable, Fruit and Egg Share members will pick-up.
- Next week is a pick-up week for weekly Vegetable and Fruit Share members.
This Week's Vegetable Harvest
- Cucumber
- Arugula
- Green Beans
- Broccoli or Carrots
- Savoy Cabbage
- Fresh Garlic
- Basil
- Kale
- Early Tomatoes or Sweet Peppers
- Zucchini
This Week's Fruit Share
- Peaches
- Early Golden & Methley Plums
- Blueberries
Farm Photo Journal Good morning! This week's featured picture (above) is from last Tuesday's garlic harvest. We planted our garlic last November and it was finally ready to harvest. The crew, including several helpers not pictured above, worked hard to dig, clean and bring in all of our garlic bulbs to begin their drying and curing process. It was a great harvest and we thrilled to have our fingers smelling of this delicious allium! 
Later that day (Tuesday night into Wednesday morning), we received a powerful set of storms dumping 8-10 inches onto our farm fields in under 12 hours (that's the equivalent of two typical Julys of rainfall!). The farm's water drainage system was unable to handle this amount of water in such a short time period, and thusly farm fields flooded from overflowing marshes and ponds, and our organic soils were washed out of parts of our fields. 
We spent the following hours and days clearing the drainage systems (sometimes in kayaks!), digging trenches and pumping water out of our farm fields to free plants from water, and relocating chickens to drier field spaces.
While several areas of the farm remain under water, we feel fortunate that people, animals and structures remained safe and sound. 
The chickens enjoyed nibbling on the freshly watered, green grasses after the storms. Portions of our tomato field were some of the hardest hit by the rains. In this picture, you can see the pond debris around a tomato plant. You'll also notice the patterns of mud and water on top of the protective plastic that illustrate how the river of flood water ran over them.
Some plants were submerged and we knew we would lose them. If you pick up at the farm, you may see the green bean field near the CSA pickup and you'll notice half is missing. This second and third succession of green beans was one of our losses. Other crops saw significant damage, like portions of our tomato and leek crops, however we are not giving hope that these crops will recover! 
We're practicing patience and striving to listen. Our goal as organic farmers is to listen, observe and work in concert nature. Each day, we review the fields conditions, assess plant health, and replan accordingly to be proactive and respond to each crops specific needs.
We're hopeful that your shares will remain unaffected and as always, we'll continue to share what we're seeing and working on in the farm fields. We're extremely grateful for the support of our CSA members, fellow farmers, friends and family. Please continue to think sunny thoughts!
~ The Miller Family and farm crew
Making the most of your share 
We're harvesting two kinds of green beans for CSA shares this week-- romano beans and traditional green beans. Romano beans are broad, flat-podded beans that are sometimes referred to as Italian flat beans. They can be prepared much like the more familiar green bean (roasting them with olive oil and salt is truly a treat!), and both will store in your refrigerator for up to a week. 
Savoyed cabbage is much like the more traditional green cabbage only its leaves are crinkled and curly. Just like green cabbage, it can be used fresh or cooked. Store in the refrigerator in a plastic bag and it will keep for weeks.
Members will also receive kale this week, as this year's kale crop is the best we've ever grown! We promise not to inundate you with kale! However we would be remiss not to share this lovely crop with you while at its peak. In the farm kitchen, we're blanching and freezing in freezer bags for quick additions to winter soups and stews. 
Most garlic that you are accustomed to using has been cured in a warm, dry place for some period of time to ensure that it stores well. Since we just harvested this garlic last week, it has not had time to cure. That is why it is called fresh garlic and it extra flavorful and pungent. As the season progresses you will receive garlic that has been cured and will store well for several months. Use fresh garlic within a couple of weeks. Your best bet for storage is to keep it in a cool, dry, dark, well-ventilated place. 
Gavin is proud to share with you many of the firsts from our late summer crops! Vegetable shares will include your first taste of late summer with a sample of tomatoes or sweet peppers. Fruit Shares will receive the first summer peaches and plums. Its the beginning of these summer treats, so you'll receive more of these delicious flavors of summer in the coming weeks. Enjoy! 
Farm Kitchen Recipes
Next Week's Harvest (our best guess)... fresh onions, broccoli, new potatoes, peaches, and more!