Do you ever wonder how we get it all done? Do you wonder how many people it takes to get the labor done to fill your boxes full of these beautiful vegetables? I’m the orchestrator of this symphony, and I still wonder how we pull it off every week. I’m the lucky gal who gets to take credit for it all, but really I’m just another pair of hands on this crew. Gettin’ that tomato trellising up!
The Small Family Farm is truly a family farm, run by Adam and I and Momma Jane. But we have 2 full-time employees, 4 baby-sitter shares, and over 18 worker share members. Our full timers, Joe and Todd are the backbone of the structure. They’re the compassionate and sensitive “big strong men” we hired because we knew we needed at least two hardy folks who were up for a season of endurance. Without their consistent, reliable and resilient nature we would only be half the strength we are today.
Since we have a 20-month old and I’m the one who runs the show and I wanted to continue to work, we needed some friends and neighbors to watch our toddler in the mornings in exchange for a CSA Share. These “sitter share” members add to the rich community aspect of a CSA farm. It really does take a village. We found four loving and playful folks who play with Ayla on Mon., Tues., Thurs. and Friday mornings so I can manage the crew.
By “crew” I mean our impressive numbers of worker share members. Over 17 people in the community drive out to our farm early in the morning in their rubber boots, their sun hats and their long sleeved shirts. They bring a water bottle and an inspiring desire to learn, grow and share. They show up week after week in the rain, the heat, the humidity, and the fog all because they made a promise to the farm that they would. They keep coming back for more and they work their 3 and a quarter-hour shift and I think they feel good about it.
There is a feeling you get when you walk out of a field with knats flying all around your head, ripped holes in the knees of your pants, the back of your shirt soaking wet from sweat and your leg muscles feeling worked and used. There is a part of you that wishes that no-one was looking at you because you look your worst, but there is a part of you that wishes that everyone was looking at you because you’ve just done something meaningful and peaceful and there is purpose to your stride.
Kohlrabi- We shipped out some really big white kohlrabis this week. Kohlrabis are almost out of style, enjoy them while they last.
Peas– This is likely our final giving of peas this spring. Three very generous givings of peas this season so far. Enjoy them raw for a snack, in a stir fry, or in salads.
Red Beets- Three nice sized red beets for all this week. The greens on these beets look beautiful. Beets are in the same family as spinach and swiss chard, so it’s no wonder that beet greens are so tasty for cooking and just as tender. 
Spectacular turnout for our Summer Farm Tour and Potluck! Thanks for coming out everyone!
Summer Squash, Zucchini, Patty Pans- We had so much squash to give this week, we actually had to save some back because we couldn’t fit it all in the boxes. About 6 squash per member this week. You may have received a mixture of zucchini, summer squash, or patty pans. We’ve started picking the squash a little smaller because of the sheer quantity we are harvesting. All of theser squashes can be grated or chopped and frozen without any blanching before freezing. Enjoy in the winter time in zucchini bread. Squash prefer around 50 degrees for storage temps.
Cucumbers- We’re off to a great start on the cucumber season. An average of about 5 cucumbers per member this week. See our simple and delicious cucumber salad recipe below. Cucumbers prefer around 50 degrees for storage temps. They could get a little soft from a cold referigerator.
Garlic Scapes- Our final giving of garlic scapes for the season. These little guys were fun while they lasted. Use them like you would use garlic all the way up to the little nodule.
Broccoli- Really nice broccoli for everyone this week. Keep it very cold if you don’t plan to use it soon, or else use it soon. Broccoli needs very cold storage in order for it to keep.
Cauliflower- A wide variety of sizes in cauliflower this week. Some were very large and some were a little smaller. But still some nice looking cauliflower none the less, especially considering the hot weather we’re having.
Green Onions- Another beautiful giving of green onions. Use all the way up to the tips of the greens. We topped some of these this week because we couldn’t fit them in the box.
Collards- The collards were looking so beautiful and perfect and large, we couldn’t help but to pick them this week. We knew you wanted at least one bunch of cooking greens from your CSA farm this week. 
Our Tuesday Morning Sitter Share, his son and Ayla playing around down in the barnyard.
Lettuce X3- Okay, the lettuce is out of control this year. We have more lettuce than we know what to do with for sure. We tried to pack 3 heads per member into an already full box. This is what you get when you’re a CSA member and you get to experience the bounty. Things are looking great!
Curly Leaf Parsley– An herb for your cooking delight. Remember that you can dry your parsley and keep it in a jar with a tight lid to be used this winter if you can’t use it all now.
