Well, like a switch, the weather has taken a nose-dive toward fall. Although it does complicate the farming, it is not entirely unexpected. As I mentioned last week, we knew it could happen at any time. Temps are looking to dip close to freezing at night over the next week meaning that the basil will probably take a hit and production on squash, cukes and eggplant will start to taper. This is when I start proclaiming 'Enjoy it while it lasts!' because we all know it isn't going to last much longer.
Hopefully you feel like you are getting your fill of these things :-)
Lots of crops will make it through a bout of cold. As long as it stays warmer than about 29F, we are in good shape. One minor bummer is that the plastic on the low tunnel was ripped to shreds by a crazy, freak dust devil earlier this year and we haven't had a chance to order new plastic. This tunnel houses our roma tomatoes and our 'back-up' cukes. Although we have tried to cobble the plastic back together, it is too far gone at this point to be effective and we likely won't re-cover the structure until next spring. There is really no point in adding a winter's worth of stress to new plastic when it can be avoided by waiting patiently for an extra couple of months. A large sheet of greenhouse plastic is a sizable investment and we try to invest wisely to prolong the life of our equipment. So, with that being said, those two items (the romas and the cukes) will be hit by the cold long before the tomatoes, peppers and eggplant inside the high tunnel are.
Going into fall, expect to see winter squash and leeks in your box. It has been a number of years since we have grown nice sized leeks. This year's crop looks pretty good. I am still crossing my fingers that the Brussels sprouts will be ready before the CSA is over. It is always fun to add those to the boxes as a little cold-weather treat. And there will likely be one round of celeriac before the season is done.
Have a great week and enjoy the weather....to me, it is a welcome break.
In Your Share This Week:
Potatoes, Kale/Collards/Chard, Garlic, Onions, Tomato, Peppers, Cucumber, Squash, Leeks? And probably a few other surprises....
Recipes:
Potato Leek Soup
Potato Momos
Potato Gnocchi
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