August 5th, 2026
There is something about late summer on the farm that is marvelous. I marvel in the magic of it. The magical transformations that happen to us all, plants and animals alike at mid-summer. Watching my kids run barefoot around the farm in their ripped jeans. They have a wildness in their eyes and hair. My son always seems to need a haircut and a bath and my middle child runs around in braids that are three and four days-old and refuses to let me help her ‘tame’ it. My eldest is busy pursuing her own life’s dreams, passions and aspirations in her free time. Mom’s instructions in the summer are less clear, direct and enforceable. I’m working a lot, they’re free and they know it. The kids, outside of the structure of school, sports, and practice- grow when they experience freedoms. In un-knowable ways. Summer is so expansive and distracting with with it’s endless possibilities. We journey while we sweat in the heat. We aren’t aware that we’re being transformed somehow, metamorphosizing in our sleepy summer slumber. I suppose that I’m changing too-but I’m behind the veil still and I’ll only know who I am when summer’s dust has finally settled, the rodeo is over and the cool wind’s of fall bring us inward.
But on this day, the melons are ripening. The sweet corn is sweetening. The tomatoes are blushing. We’re still sleeping in the midsummer night’s dream. The bright orange carrots, tomatoes and peppers, ablaze with their color and flame are coming out of the fields as sun-kissed and sweet as ever. Even the plants are experiencing the loveliness of reaching their full, ripe, mature selves. Flowers and fruits everywhere we turn.
Adam and I feel like a few of our crops got in a little late this year because of a cool, dry May, and a wet June. A few crops so far have come in a week or two later than we initially expected them to. What this means to you is that a couple of our summer favorites like green beans and melons are just a week or two later than usual. Likely our late summer boxes will be heavier. But we are entering a new phase of the season with many of our classic summer favorites about to come on. We’re very excited about the entrance of sweet corn, tomatoes, and melons to share with you very soon.
We are escorted through summer by our senses with the smells of corn pollen in the air, the feeling of being hot, sweaty and tired, and the flavors of ripe tomatoes and sweet carrot at our summertime dinner tables. The plants narrate our summer story. They decorate our days. The chirping crickets serenade us through. I dare not say a malevolent word about summer, because soon enough it will be over and I’ll miss all of the lovely smells, flavors, feels and sounds that accompany me through these months. we grateful. Even if it is damn hot!
What’s in the Box?
Celery- One head per member. Third giving this season. Local celery has a much darker green color and a stronger celery flavor. You can cook with the greens! Celery keeps best in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Onion- One white onion per member.
Cucumbers- 3-4 Cucumbers per member. Cukes prefer 50 degree storage temp. We have a fresh planting of cucumbers coming on now so we should get another strong flush of cukes.
Sweet Corn- 2-3 Sweet Corn per member. Sweet corn is best when eaten fresh off of the stalk. The more time that passes from the moment a sweet corn is harvested, the sugars begin turning to starch. For maximum sweetness, eat your sweet corn as soon as you receive it. If you don’t eat it right away, store it in the fridge to slow down the process of the sugars turning to starches.
1-2 Fennel- The fennel bulbs this week were smaller, but some people got two. Fennel has a mild licorice flavor when eaten raw. Fennel caramelizes nicely like onions if you choose to cook with it.
Eggplant or Broccoli or Sweet Pepper- The broccoli is slowing down and the eggplants and peppers are just ramping up. We had just enough individual items to give everyone one of the three.
2lbs Carrots- A generous giving of the world’s best carrots.
Swiss Chard- We took a little extra time to harvest swiss chard for you this week because we know so many of you like it.
Hot Wax Pepper- Technically a hot pepper but these are usually very mild. Hot wax peppers can ripen from lime green/yellow the orange or red.
Jalapeno Pepper- Technically hot and usually packs some heat. A fun addition to your summer
Lettuce x 2- You may have received a small green leaf head of lettuce and a small head of romaine lettuce. The heads were very small, but we noticed these plantings all showing signs of heat stress so we decided to pick them young. A little lettuce is better than no lettuce!
Tomato- Either 1 Pint cherry tomatoes, 1 large heirloom tomato, or 2-3 smaller slicing tomatoes per box this week. A couple things that are pretty important to know at the beginning of tomato season. 1). We grow a variety of cherry tomatoes called Sun Gold which ripen Orange. I believe that they are the absolute best tasting tomato on planet earth-but that’s just my personal opinion. It’s important to know that they do ripen orange. Don’t wait for them to turn red, it will never happen. 2). We pick all tomatoes with a blush. This means any greenish tomato that is just starting to show signs of pink or red or orange or whatever color they ripen. They are still considered ‘vine ripened’ tomatoes this way. If you receive a tomato that is still not quite ripe, just leave it on your countertop or windowsill for a few days until it ripens soft to the touch. Never put tomatoes in the refrigerator unless they are so ripe they are going to spoil and you need to buy yourself more time. Refrigerators suck the flavor out of tomatoes.
Next Week’s Best Guess- Melons! (likely yellow watermelon or cantelope), sweet corn, green beans, cucumbers, summer squash or zucchini, tomatoes, celery, lacinato kale or collards, lettuce, basil, garlic.
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