Our Fields are Nearly Full for the Season!
|
|
Have a subscription with us? You are getting this email because you do not have a box scheduled for this week, but can still make a regular order through our store.
Order vegetables before Wednesday for pickup and delivery this week.
|
|
Picking some garlic scapes last week! |
|
Farm Update
After all the planting work we did in the spring, it is wonderful to see crops start to produce. Our third (and largest) planting of cucumbers is now in production, zucchini and summer squash have come in strong, and our early cabbage family crops (broccoli, cauli, cabbage, kohlrabi) are well underway.
The farm is feeling really full already. Last week we were feeling a little nervous about having enough space for planting in the rest of the season, so we did an accounting of the fields. The results are close, but we should have enough room for everything without over using any areas.
We generally only use each field section once a year, and leave one out of production to rest in a nitrogen-fixing cover-crop for the whole season. As crops finish, we mow the residual leaves and plants which adds extra organic matter to the soil. Then, we sow a cover crop to help suppress weeds, hold the soil together, add fertility and eventually, more organic matter.
We are re-using a small amount of area this year, but doing so with crops that don’t require heavy fertility and won't need more compost. We could add compost again for re-used areas, but even though compost has a lot of benefits, it is still a pretty precious resource. By selecting the succeeding crop thoughtfully, we should still see good yields from those sections.
It’s a little bit of a challenge to fit everything, but the side benefit is we have to practice using the fields more efficiently than ever! It's a problem we’re pretty thankful to have in growing this much food for our community.
|
|
Troubleshooting the weeding toolbar with moral support. |
|
FARM STORE NOTES
FROM OUR FARM:
Garlic scapes: Fresh, sauteed, roasted, barbequed, pesto-ed, fermented.... what can't scapes do?! Scapes are the immature flower heads of a garlic plant and we remove them because it helps the plant focus on using it's energy to make a nice large bulb. They are also delicious! Scapes have a milder flavour than bulb garlic and a texture like young asparagus shoots. You can use them any way you use bulb garlic, or get creative with this early-summer treat. They are here for a brief time every year, so don't miss out!
Zucchini and summer squash are here! We love having these on hand for quick meals on busy summer days. We have also heard they work as an extra veg in smoothies.
Field: Zucchini, herbs, salad mix, beets, radish, arugula, garlic scapes, cabbages, choi, broccoli, kohlrabi, head lettuces, kale, and chard.
Greenhouse and hoophouses: Cucumbers, basil, green onions, tomatoes, eggplant
|
|
FROM OUR SUPPLIERS:
PRODUCE
Field of Greens (Dutton): Strawberries! We are very excited to bring in strawberries from Kimber and Calvin, who share our love for fresh, local, and sustainable food.
HOPE Eco-Farms (Aylmer): Broccoli and sweet potatoes.
Forest City Microgreens (London): Fresh microgreens
Through Pfenning's: Ontario mushrooms. From further away; lemons, limes, ginger, turmeric.
DAIRY and EGGS
Mistyglen Creamery (Belmont): Non-homogenized and vat pasteurized milk, yogurt, and cheese curds. Seasonal special Strawberry Milk on this week.
HOPE Eco-Farms (Aylmer): Eggs.
Through Pfenning's: L'Ancetre butter and grass-fed cheese
Gunn's Hill (Woodstock): Brie, Handeck and Five Brother's cheeses
FROZEN
3Gen Organics (Wallenstein): Ground pork, sausage, bacon, ham, tenderloin, chops
YU Ranch (Tillsonburg): Pasture-raised ground beef, beef patties, stewing beef
New Leaf Foods (London): Plant-based beet burgers
BAKERY
Seth/La Houlette de vie (St. Thomas): Organic sourdough bread made using local grain that Seth mills himself.
Artisan Bakery (London). Sourdoughs and pastry made with local flour.
J&D Peters Tortillas (Aylmer): Corn, spelt, whole wheat and unbleached flour tortillas.
PANTRY
Aldred Maple (West Lorne): Amber, dark, or whiskey barrel-aged maple syrup.
Wildflowers Honey (St. Thomas): Unpasteurized honey from hives all over Elgin County, including our farm!
Mat's Fine Oils (Staffordville). Fresh, organic and cold-pressed, organic hemp and sunflower oil. Store in the refrigerator.
|
|
PICKUP/DELIVERY OPTIONS
Western Fair Market: Saturday 8 am to 3 pm / Sunday 10 am to 2pm
Farm pickup: Thursday 4 to 8 pm
Kitchener Farmer's Market: Saturday 7 am to 2 pm
Delivery: Thursday / Friday in London & St.Thomas and area, Saturday in KW / Cambridge (schedule will be sent out Wednesday night)
|
|
Why am I on this list? At some point you signed up for our previous "farmstand" list or our newsletter list. Want to get off the list? No problem: . Common Ground Farm 6986 Middle River Road St. Thomas, Ontario N5P 3S9 |
|
|
|
|
