May 26, 2021

The wind this past week sure was a doozy! And it had extra impact on our local farms. Tender plants got beat up and row covers, which protect young plants from frost, were ripped off or whipped against the plants they are protecting. At Whipstone Farm, row covers and young plants were damaged and then exposed to a frost this weekend. Even Willowbrook Farm in Camp Verde got some frost-nipped plants! There is never a dull moment in farming. A change in weather can wipe out weeks or months of work and make or break a harvest. So let’s give big thanks to our growers for doing this incredibly hard and exhausting work day in and day out.

This week we are lightening up a bit on the greens, adding in some more early season root vegetables. Salad turnips can be eaten raw like carrots, sliced into sticks and dipped in ranch dressing or hummus, or sautéed and roasted like other root vegetables. They are milder that other turnips, so we hope you enjoy them. We also have a once-a-season treat of pecans from Windmill Garden in Camp Verde. Farmer Frank Geminden planted six acres of pecan trees when he moved to his farm and he has been harvesting the most delicious pecans ever since. They are such a treat! If you love them as much as we do, you can find them at the Lucky B Acres booth at Sedona Community Farmers’ Market. This week’s recipe should help you use up any extra greens you have from last week. Fried green meatlessballs can use any greens you have lying around, including beet tops and turnip tops. It’s a great way to get the most out of your share.

I also want to welcome The Hoppy Goat Farm to our list of growers this year. In addition to Willowbrook Farm and Sunnyside Farm, Hoppy Goat is supplying our eggs this year. Lyndsay and Eric Ludden have owned The Hoppy Goat Farm in Cornville for the past 5 years. Their chickens free range for half of each day in their lush pasture and are supplemented with corn-free, soy-free, GMO-free, organic feed. The Luddens raise their own worms for the chickens as well and give them organic fermented scratch grain. What lucky birds! You can find The Hoppy Goat Farm at Verde Valley Farmers’ Market in Camp Verde, and they will sometimes sell extra items at our Cornville distribution.

Have a wonderful week!
Meghan

What’s in your basket – May 26th

Arugula – Whipstone Farm
Pecans – Windmill Garden
Radishes – Whipstone Farm
Salad mix – Willowbrook Farm

Salad turnips – Whipstone Farm
Swiss chard – Willowbrook Farm

All the wind last week did a lot of damage at Whipstone Farm. Here are some rows that had the frost cloth ripped apart.

The eggplants at Willowbrook have a new guardian. Hopefully this little guy will scare off whatever is eating the plants.

Lyndsay of Hoppy Goat Farm with one of her happy hens.

Hilary and Marshall harvesting garlic at Willowbrook.

Willowbrook’s onions are almost ready to harvest.

The obligatory photo of Whipstone’s gorgeous flowers. So beautiful!