Kids are back in school, grasshoppers are starting to slow down (fingers crossed), and big tomatoes are here! Tomatoes – and many other crops – are coming on a bit slowly this year, and you may recall that Willowbrook had to pull many tomato plants that had been affected by curly top virus. Despite the slow and rocky start, however, we finally get to enjoy some perfectly ripe slicing tomatoes this week, along with a mix of cherry tomatoes.
Our first apples of the season arrive this week as well. These Gala variety apples come from Marilyn’s Orchard in Camp Verde. After a few rough years in which late frosts wiped out all but the latest blooming varieties, we are so grateful for these mid-summer apples. It is not always easy for farmers to keep at it after multiple failed crop years, so we are grateful to Marilyn and Steve for sticking with this labor of love.
Delicious leeks, beets, cucumbers, and garlic help round out this week’s basket, along with yet another successive week of fresh lettuce. Thank goodness we will all enjoy more cool, crisp salads as we wait for some monsoon storms.
Have a fun week!
Meghan
What’s in your basket – August 9th
Beets – Whipstone Farm
Cucumbers – Willowbrook Farm
Garlic – Willowbrook Farm
Head lettuce – Willowbrook Farm
Leeks – Whipstone Farm
Tomato mix – Willowbrook Farm
Cherry tomatoes on the vine.
Pepper fields at Whipstone Farm.
First apples of the season!
They don’t make them this red at the grocery store.
The grasshoppers might be slowing down, but they are still making quite the mark.