You know, it’s very easy when you’re a busy farmer like I am that works from home and only leaves the farm one day out of the week to deliver and market your produce, to slip into a little world that is all of your own. My life and my mind are so consumed with what needs to be planted next, weeded next and harvested next that I hardly give a thought to all of the terrible or wonderful things that are happening out there in the world that I live in.
Sometimes in the morning, I’ll switch on the radio and listen for a while to the politicians hashing it out over national health care, endangered polar bears and the economic crisis, and then when my breakfast is over, I turn the radio off again and move on with my important tasks at hand such as feeding my pigs and chickens and getting out to the carrot patch that we’re weeding at the moment. As the day buzzes on the trucks and cars drive by our fields, people are going places and picking things up and dropping them off, and I’ve only switched a gear or two on our six-acre vegetable field from one project to another. The days become divided by large and small projects, sometimes great big project and sometimes small quick projects. But we are here to cross project after project off of a never ending list of projects. All the while as the gears are shifting from one project to another, I watch the sun and the moon take turns looping around me. I just watch them and the changing cloud patterns move across the sky as I carry on with my weeding and harvesting.
I tell myself that I aught to care more and do more about things like the declining value of the dollar, the changing climate and the exploitation of organic farmers. The truth is that I do care about these things, but one person can only do so much in their lives. My purpose here is to model and live sustainability. My purpose is to produce and deliver high quality, nutrient-dense foods to my local customers. I am here to exist and leave as small of a carbon foot print as I am able and influence others to do the same. In order for me to maintain a positive mind-frame and run this farm successfully, I simply cannot take on all of the worlds problems as my own every time. I am too sensitive and compassionate of a person, that I would be tempted to carry the worlds sadness on my shoulders.
So, I continue on with my life here on this very small farm planting food for people, honey bees and worms. I strive to find ways to use renewable energy to heat our greenhouse, cool our vegetables and fuel our family to continue on with the work we are doing. I will learn all that I am able in my short life about soil health, plant varieties, saving seeds, and food producing landscapes and share that knowledge with whoever shows an interest. I may not always know about what’s happening in the middle east, or even all of the current issues in America, but I will know how to save an heirloom tomato seed and plant it next spring.
Red Kale– Kale will be the leafy green of choice this week as lettuce has made an exit for a while. Stores best in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Green Cabbage– Large heads of cabbage. Stores best in a plastic bag in fridge.
Cilantro– Yummy cilantro! Stores best in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Cucumbers– Fun cucumbers. Summers way of helping you cool off. Stores best in plastic bag in fridge. You may have also received an heirloom lemon cucumber or an burpless asian cucumber.
Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers or Jalapeno Peppers– Sometimes these little guys are hot and sometimes they’re not. It’s a bit of a hit or miss. When they are hot, they’re one of the most mild of all of the hot peppers. Jalapenos are a bit hotter!
Green Peppers– A pepper for everyone. Stores best in a plastic bag in fridge.
Eggplant– Some members received eggplant. If you did not get it this week, look for it in your box next week.
Yellow Summer Squash and Green Zucchini– Their flavor is remarkably similar. Stores well in a cool place. Does not necessarily need refrigeration, but no warmer than 50 degrees. Hope you like to incorporate these veggies into your diet as there will be lots more where these came from!
Bunch Onions– Yummy onions. Keeps best standing up in water in fridge or just in a plastic bag in fridge. Green tops are edible like chives.
Green-top beets– More beautiful beets to color your lives. Stores best with tops removed in a plastic bag in fridge.
Next Week! A short list of items that we may have next week, but will not promise to have. Due to the unexpectedness of the season and perishable nature of produce, anything could pop up or go down hill unexpectedly.
Zucchini, Summer Squash, Cucumbers, cilantro, fresh garlic, carrots, potatoes, green onions, swiss chard, hot peppers, green peppers, eggplant, green onions.
