With over 100 types and varieties of vegetables growing in our fields over the course of the season, we know that each year some will really thrive, many will produce an average harvest, and a few might come up short. On a dry year the melons might be particularly sweet while the lettuce is bitter. An infestation of flea beetles might wipe out the arugula while the peppers in the next bed are unaffected. A newly learned growing technique could result in feast or failure. We learn new lessons about each crop every season, and bank on the fact that our extreme diversity will result in a well-rounded harvest no matter what.
This week we had an example of each end of the spectrum of productivity in our harvest. On the down side, after modifying the planting date of our pumpkins in an attempt to have them ripen closer to Halloween than they have in years past, we learned that we swung the pendulum too far and planted them too late. The result: total crop failure. We tilled under the beds after harvesting the few small pumpkins that had managed to ripen. Lesson learned. We were feeling pretty sad until the next day when we went out to harvest the sweet potatoes. Planted on black plastic to warm the soil and allowed to vine out over the neighboring beds, the plants thrived and we harvested 3,000 pounds of potatoes!!! We’ll take it! This was such a perfect back-to-back example of why we have chosen not to depend solely on any one crop, and why we are grateful for the flexibility of our CSA members to join us as we roll with each season’s punches and bounties.
Still a great harvest in store this week, and we’ll be happy to decorate our stoop with a pumpkin from another local grower this year.
Cheers, Norah and the Sweetland Crew
Week 22 Harvest, Brimming Basket
- Winter squash, 1 large (blue hubbard, kabocha, or red kuri)
- Sweet potatoes, 3 pounds
- Shallots, 0.5 pounds
- Garlic, 2 heads
- Carrots, 2 pounds
- Spinach, 0.6 pounds
- Brussels sprouts, 2 stalks
- Tomatoes, 3
- Pepper, 1 large
Week 22 Harvest, Half Pint
- Winter squash, 1 small (blue hubbard, kabocha, or red kuri)
- Sweet potatoes, 2 pounds
- Shallots, 0.5 pounds
- Garlic, 1 head
- Carrots, 1 pound
- Spinach, 0.3 pounds
- Brussels sprouts, 1 stalk
- Tomatoes, 2
- Pepper, 1 small
Recipes of the Week
- I plan on adding my squash, spinach, pepper and shallots to this thai pumpkin curry recipe (would be great with any of the squash varieties this week)
- I can’t decide if I’ll make sweet potato fries or sweet potato enchilladas…
- But I WILL be making these garlic brown butter roasted carrots and brussels sprouts!