This week sort of stretched itself out a bit in my head. Our kiddos went to their first overnight camp ever and were gone from the house for 3 nights. It was a strange experience to finally see these little chicks fledge. The house felt extremely quiet and there was, of course, extra time available for weeding and farm work :-)
This week, we all finally finished off re-weeding the onion beds. It was a relief to reach the end of this long-standing project. We planted about twice as many onions as usual so the weeding took about twice as long. Many hands played a part in keeping these little guys from getting swallowed whole by rampaging amaranth, morning glory and various other wild plants. Now.....for the leeks and shallots!
We have had a very cheerful bunch of farm helpers this season. Jeanne is back at it again weeding salad for probably her 5th (6th?) season. She's like a garden angel....showing up like clockwork and always bringing treats for Comet the dog or snacks for the kids. Colleen is also back at it, helping on an every-other week schedule or as her busy summer allows. This is her second season at Tierra and I am still amazed that she takes the time to drive up valley all the way from Wenatchee to spend time at our little farm. Emerson is a near-permanent fixture at the farm now....seriously, I don't know what we would do without his company.He puts everyone in a good mood. Mijanou is always a pleasure to have around. McCarthy and Taylor pop in from time to time and offer interesting conversation, Jenny and Ty somehow find a way to fit in a few hours to help each week even though their life is hectic, Jesse is new and has only just started to get his fingers dirty. Shreve reminds us that we should really get out and climb once in a while. Ruby who brings a smile along everytime she helps out. Carol is helping me for the 4th (5th?) year in a row at Plain Market and Jen is my company at the Leavenworth Market. And then there's Laura who is the anchor in this mish-mash crazy crew. It takes a village to raise a farm and I am thankful for every last minute of help that we receive.
In other farm news, the beans are starting to flower as are the second planting of sugar snap peas. It will be a little bit before they are available for harvest but it is always a good sign to see those flowers. We mulched and weeded the cucumbers this week. I pushed hard to include the first cukes in this week's box. They won't be huge and there won't be a lot of them yet but it will at least give you a taste of what's to come. Again, we are starting to see lots of flowers which is a really good sign.
Steve Foley checked on the bees and they seem to be doing okay still. Lots of pollination happening right now. The lavender is awash in buzzing.
That pretty much sums up the week. I hope yours was a great one.
In Your Share This Week:
Head Lettuce, Salad, Chard, Beets, Shell Peas, Cukes (kind of!), Garlic, Fennel, Zucchini, Basil and probably a few other surprises
Recipes:
Use those beet greens!
Roasted Beets and Braised Beet Greens
Garlicy Sauteed Swiss Chard
The 10 Best Leafy Greens for Smoothies
Raw Garlic Salad Dressing
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