This spring my farm crew arrived from all over the country and all different walks of life. They arrived pulling mobile coffee trailers from Utah and horse trailers from Rhode Island.
They arrived with backgrounds in growing apples and programing computers. They arrived with their own horse fencing and heirloom seeds and bug nets and musical soundtracks.
What brought them to Sweetland and has unified them over the course of this season was a desire to build and hone their skills at growing food; to learn the intricacies of a diversified farm business with an eye towards someday starting their own. A day, let alone a season, on a farm is full of hard work, challenges, discoveries, disappointments and rewards.
This crew has met each day with curiosity, patience, durability, compassion and strength. Not to mention hilarity and exuberance! I’ve been so happy to work with such a great team this summer, and am excited and grateful to be turning the farm fully into their hands for the next couple of weeks.
In the school of farming, I guess this is like the culminating experience! While I don my Alaska gear for an arctic river trip, these guys and gals will take the reins and drive the farm on their own for a spell.
They will make decisions about harvests and haying and projects to be completed. They will be the face of the farm at markets and in the CSA barn and by email. They will cheer each other on and help each other out and whip this place into shape! I can’t wait to come back to stories and photos of two of the most bountiful weeks of the summer, and the triumphs and tribulations of a truly awesome farm takeover! Thanks, team. Happy farming! And thanks, shareholders, for being the reason we farm!
Cheers, Norah and the Sweetland Crew
Now, on to this week’s harvest!
Week 14 Harvest, Brimming Basket
- Sweet corn, 6 ears
- Tomatoes, 10
- Fennel, 2 bulbs
- Eggplant, 2
- Onions, 2
- Rainbow chard, large bunch
- Lettuce, 1 head
- Cucumbers, 2
- Zucchini/summer squash, 2
- Lodi summer apples, 3 (WHAT?!? The first from our young orchard!!!)
- Sungolds cherry tomatoes, 1 pint
Week 14 Harvest, Half Pint
- Sweet corn, 4 ears
- Tomatoes, 5
- Fennel, 1 bulb
- Eggplant, 1
- Onions, 1
- Rainbow chard, small bunch
- Cucumbers, 1
- Zucchini/summer squash, 1
- Lodi summer apples 2 (WHAT?!? The first from our young orchard!!!)
- Sungolds cherry tomatoes, 1/2 pint
Recipes of the Week
- Put those tomatoes front and center with fresh Pomodoro Sauce on Pasta
- Or add a little zest with Roasted Fennel Tomato Sauce, adding in your eggplant for extra flavor
- Salad on the side: Swiss Chard Salad
- Lodi summer apples don’t have the crisp out-of-hand texture of later varieties, but try serving Fried Apples over vanilla ice cream!