In this week’s share:
- salad mix
- spinach
- speckled romaine lettuce
- kale
- rainbow chard
- kohlrabi
- broccoli
- fennel
- beets
- pac choi
- summer squash
Half share members: this week is a “B” week.
Farm News & Recipes
It’s during long hot and dry spells like this one that I begin to sing the praises of drip irrigation. Our entire farm is set up with drip, which is a highly efficient method of getting water to plants. The drip hoses run along the ground at the base of the plants, emitting water through narrow slits every 6 inches. This slow, steady drip allows the soil to absorb the water as it comes out, eliminating any pooling or run-off that can occur with overhead irrigation. It also sends the water straight to the plants’ roots and not the surrounding area, which helps reduce weed growth. Plant foliage also stays dry with drip irrigation, reducing the likelihood of mold, mildew, and other airborne diseases that can appear on the plants’ leaves when they get wet.
Different plants need different amounts of water at their various stages of development, so we plant similar crops together in the same irrigation zone. Each of our 28 zones has its own irrigation header, allowing those plants to get the appropriate amount of water without affecting any neighboring zones. Our little farm doesn’t use any timers or automated irrigation controls, so though it can get become a bit complicated to keep track of all the zones, irrigation days force me to look at every single row on the farm and check in on the health and well-being of our plants and soil.
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Swap the potatoes and onions in this roasted vegetable recipe for broccoli and beets, and roast together with your fennel and summer squash.
The tender bagged baby greens are especially tasty this week. Serve them simply with any one of these light vinaigrettes.
Chard and beets are actually different strains of the same plant so they go well together. Pair them with some goat cheese in a nicely balanced sauté.
