June 27, 2018

It sure is dry and hot. You can see it everywhere you look and we can all certainly feel it. Wild animals are feeling the pressure too and they are heading into the farms and yards to get whatever they can. I lost a whole young apple tree to deer last week. I thought the cage I had staked into the ground would do the trick, but they really wanted that tender young tree! The raccoons have been raiding Willowbrook’s apricot trees each night as well. We are hoping to have apricots in next week’s share, so Hilary is planning to sleep out under the trees this week to scare the raccoons away. Never a dull moment!

This week we have potatoes and summer squash from Sanders’ Farm. Ramona and Dave have a small farm in Camp Verde and many of you who are longtime shareholders may remember seeing Ramona at our distributions in Cornville. We still don’t understand exactly how they do it (since it is so hard for other Verde Valley farmers to accomplish), but they grow amazing potatoes and we are so glad they do! This week we will be getting a yellow variety and they should be delicious.

I am headed to Lake Powell on Wednesday and will be out of service, so if you need anything or have any questions please contact Hilary at (928) 592-8886. I will be returning Monday afternoon, so next week’s email will be delayed. You should receive it in the early evening on Monday. I will try to post the week’s share on Facebook as soon as I get reception, so look for it midday if you are planning your menus for week.

If you are looking for extra items from Verde Gardener and Willowbrook Farm this week, you can order here. Ordered items will be brought to CSA distributions for you to pick up. Contact Susan or Denise for more information. If you have any problems placing your order you can contact Susan at (602) 885-8117.

Have a lovely week!
Meghan

What’s in your basket – June 27th

Beets – Whipstone Farm
Broccolini – Whipstone Farm

Dill – Whipstone Farm
Onions – Willowbrook Farm
Potatoes – Sanders’ Farm
Radishes – Whipstone Farm
Summer squash – Sanders’ Farm
Salad mix – Willowbrook Farm

The Whipstone crew’s hands after hours of pruning tomatoes. (photo by Dani)

Onions drying at Willowbrook Farm for this week’s share.

Tomatoes at Willowbrook Farm are almost ripe…

… but one determined gopher keeps sucking the plants down one by one.
Hope and Hilary are in full gopher-hunting mode.

The raccoons weren’t enticed by sardines, so Willowbrook is going to try sweet corn tonight to try to catch the culprits raiding the apricot trees.