August 9, 2017

With all this rain the farmers really only have two things to say: weeds and bugs. As you well know, plants love the rain, including the weedy variety. At Whipstone Farm, the fields are too wet to cultivate by tractor, so they are relying completely on hand weeding – quite a task for a farm of that size. The rain also makes it difficult to spray organic insecticides since they just wash away, so the bugs are having a field day. So the arugula this week might have a few holes in it, but c’est la vie. Willowbrook Farm was hoping to have lettuce again this week, but the high humidity is causing it to rot in the field, so hopefully we will have some next week. The forecast is looking a little drier over the next few days, which should give everyone a chance to catch up a little bit.

Good news for flower share members – flowers are back this week! We appreciate your patience as Whipstone Farm has focused on recovering after the big storm, and are so happy that our farmers can rely on dedicated CSA members to be there through thick and thin.

We are taking a break from fruit and summer squash this week, but there are other repeat veggies to keep you busy. This time of year is full of such bounty that you will often be getting the same items week after week. If you are looking for extras of any items for preserving, such as tomatoes, peaches, cucumbers, or anything else, please check out our Local Food Guide to get farmers’ direct contact information or catch them at the farmers’ markets. I am currently drying and freezing peaches as fast as I can, and then I’ll be on to tomatoes to can my yearly stash of ketchup and sauce. This time of year certainly keeps us all busy!

Enjoy your week!
Meghan

What’s in your basket – August 9th

Arugula – Whipstone Farm
Cherry tomatoes – Willowbrook Farm

Cucumbers – Willowbrook Farm
Onions – Willowbrook Farm
Parsley – Whipstone Farm
Potatoes – Sanders’ Farm
Shishito peppers – Willowbrook Farm
Tomatoes – Willowbrook Farm

Things are looking sunnier at Whipstone Farm.

We hope you’re not getting too tired of summer squash yet. There’s a reason it has “summer” in the name!

The bees love the flowering corn at Willowbrook Farm.

Whipstone’s squash blossoms are being served up at the Turquoise Room in Winslow. Not a bad excuse to head up to La Posada.