Zucchini and New Potatoes are here!
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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.
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Action shot! Here Laura and Lance are moving insect netting over newly planted melons to protect them from cucumber beetles while the plants get established. |
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Farm Update
We are enjoying this slightly cooler, overcast day here after a few very hot weeks! As usual, there is lots to do, but as we work through the to-do list it’s interesting to see how the heatwave has impacted the farm.
Firstly, please feel welcome to pick raspberries and flowers from the patch along the driveway (north side) when you come to the farm! There is no charge for this, take what you need.
Fruiting crops in the field (especially zucchini, tomatoes, tomatillos and peppers) have absolutely loved the heat and made great strides in their development. Field tomatoes will still be a little while yet, but we will be harvesting hot peppers very soon. Tomatillos are starting to set fruit too.
Zucchini, on the other hand (if you know, you know) has totally exploded with fruit and now making us scratch our heads, questioning if we planted too much. This morning we brought over 20 bins of it in from the field… which is our seasonal que that it’s time for zucchini bread!
Some crops don’t love heat as much, so unfortunately we’re going to be low on arugula, radish and spinach for the next week or two. Spinach always struggles to germinate and grow at high temperatures, arugula and radish get really bitter and spicy in the heat. It’s usually not a huge problem because we plant them frequestly (every single week for arugula and radish) and can dip into the next planting if we have to. However, with extreme heat like last week, we have a planting or two that won’t be usable so there isn’t very much ‘jumping ahead’ to do.
Many other good things on the go though. The next green cabbages, including the pointed ‘caraflex’ cabbage are ready. Cucumbers from hoophouse 2 are looking beautiful. Cherry tomatoes in hoophouse 3 have started ripening. All the herbs are in production now. Long awaited, tender new potatoes start this week!
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Jorge harvesting salad mix. Pretend you can't see the lamb's quarters in this picture! |
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FARM STORE NOTES
FROM OUR FARM:
Zucchini and summer squash are here in full force. We love how fast they cook when we're busy in the summer. We are enjoying them cut lengthwise and barbequed, chopped and sauteed, baked in a casserole, grated into zucchini bread or muffins (chocolate chips optional, but recommended). Send us your best zucchini recipes!
New potatoes start this week. These first harvests have tender skin and texture. Roasting or boiling showcases these potatoes best, though they can still be mashed. One of our favourite ways to have them is in a French-style potato salad with extra herbs!
Marjoram has joined our herb lineup. It's a little less spicy than oregano with a strong floral taste and smell.
Field: Zucchini, summer squash, new potatoes, herbs (dill, cilantro, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram), salad mix, beets, radish, arugula, cabbages, kohlrabi, head lettuces, green onion, kale, and chard.
Greenhouse and hoophouses: Cucumbers, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, basil, eggplant
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FROM OUR SUPPLIERS:
PRODUCE
Bluegroves Farms (West Lorne): Blueberries!
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): Is off this week. 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.
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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)
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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 |
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