Note to the Squamish membership! The smoke slowed down some tomato ripening so it's possible that your cherry tomatoes will need a day or two on the counter to finish up!
September on a mixed vegetable farm can sometimes feel like a bit of a crash landing after a long journey. Every season Bob Dylan's song "Everything is Broken" rattles through my head.
Together we trudge towards the finish line a of a successful but uniquely challenging season. We're tired, a bit battle worn and many things are broken. Winter is close by and will be our time to repair and recover. September is time for a slower heavier harvest and clean up.
With shorter colder days our workdays take on a different feel as we shift from the spring/summer 'build' phase to fall 'tear down' phase. Every year it's a bit of shock to me.. almost as if we've jammed a high speed vehicle into reverse... the change of gears is abrupt and jarring.
A frantic push to hide from the hot sun and to keep this farm wet will shift to extra layers to keep warm and an ongoing wetness that will never quite dry up in the shorter cooler daylight hours. Rains are predicted for next week and this will signal a pack up for the irrigation system. With 100mm in the forecast I don't see us need water anywhere until next May.
September has consistently been an interesting time emotionally... we have a pretty good feeling about what is to come in the way of vegetables, problems and victories. There are far fewer unknowns and this leaves a bit of space to start reflecting and looking forward. All of a sudden having time and space to think rather than constantly processing and reacting creates a bit of a void that demands a shift and it's oddly uncomfortable for a short time. Once shifted it's time to celebrate and enjoy the spoils of fall. It's time to fire up the oven and roast vegetables and simmer soup on the stove.
I see a squash in your future.. I can see leeks, sage and potatoes, bulk carrots, roasted cauliflowers and brussels sprouts. As long as fall holds off we will continue to add tastes of summer in your boxes but the change of season is imminent and we welcome it.
Brussels Sprout harvest has begun. They've had a great year.
What's in Veggie Box #13: A classic September box that has a bit of everything. September has a bit of Fall, a lot of summer and even a bit of spring in it. Melon: The green bowling ball in your bin is a watermelon. We did everything we could to make these happen. We love growing melons but wow it's a different game when June and July don't heat up. Better late than never! We've done our best to choose the ripe ones.. it really is so hard to know. Radish: Seems folks love em or hate em. It's a classic vegetable for our climate and we like to do it once at the start of the season and once at the end. It's amazing that these go from seed to harvest in 20 days! Broccoli: It feels great to be in the midst of a full scale Broccolanche. We have a bunch of Broccoli mature and more on the way so get creative and enjoy! I suspect you'll see another head in the next couple weeks! Lettuce: I have a friend who tells me that every salad you eat and every glass of water is the biggest favor you can do for yourself. I like to think of this when eating salad and drinking water. Black Kale: Our Kale is honestly perfect this year. We considered leaving it out this week...as I know we've done Kale a few more times than we typically do but it we needed a bit of padding to stop that watermelon from being a wrecking ball in the box. Google a recipe for Black Kale Saag or Palaak Paneer and I think you'll be pleasantly suprised with an easy way to get through a bunch and love it! Cherry Tomatoes: Summer Beets: Fall Carrots: Sweet