Spring Week 8: Spring….Whooosh!

Because. Carrots.

THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:

• Green Shallots (filling the gap between Spring Onions and the first Scallions)
• Baby Carrots
• Beet Greens with Little Beets
• Salad Mix
• Spinach
• Pea Shoots (Running out of pea shoot ideas? Check out the Pea Shoot and Green Garlic Pesto on the Pea Shoots page, at the link)

Click on the links above for information and recipes about these crops.

COMING SOON: Lettuces, Dill, Scallions, Radishes

The first of the Garlic Scapes to appear! Two weeks until we start picking! Early, just like everything else.

This season is speeding along! We have heard so much about California’s drought, and Eastern Washington will soon be thirsting for the limited water availability. We still have access to water, both from wells and from the city, if necessary. And we have been irrigating already. Crazy how dry the soil is. It’s still wet several inches below the surface, but by the time the surface is prepped for planting, it’s nearly dust on top, where the seeds or transplants go. That means they need to be watered right away so they’ll sprout and grow. Rain has been unusually unpredictable this spring, with our 70° average in May. So strange. So wonderful, as well, for the early plantings and early harvest, but still…so strange.

Chickens love bolting escarole as much as grass, so a quick rotation stop before we get ready to plant something else in this spot. Their job is to clean and fertilize, and turn whatever is left into eggs.

With the warm temperatures come pests. We’ve had to till-under our recent planting of arugula and salad mustard due to Flea Beetles. Usually we don’t run into problems with them until June, but there they are. We may try one more planting for summer, but otherwise, no arugula until fall. The Beetles thrive in hot, dry conditions, so we won’t plant until the night-time temperatures drop.

We got the first planting of cucumbers going in the greenhouse.

We’re pushing crops through our greenhouses, right on schedule. The first of our Cucumbers went into the ground, with their trellises waiting for them to clamber up. The tomatoes are in their cozy plastic beds where the early radishes and turnips were, and basil is where the first rows of carrots came out—we are speeding along.

Yesterday, this lady popped out of the bushes with her brood of 7 ducklings. Looks like they resemble their black and white dad!

We love the little surprises of spring: Hens with chicks, and Ducks with ducklings! Stop and visit them, but don’t mess with mom—she’s very protective.

Oh! Our Summer Season starts in just THREE WEEKS! If you’re interested in joining us for a bountiful summer of amazing food, let us know right away! We still have some space available.  Click Here for our CSA application.