Meet Kris Belessis, pictured here harvesting your arugula. She's another educator for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation who's pinch-hitting for us until we can take volunteers and worksharers. Before working for CBF, she was a First Lieutenant in the Marines as an engineer. Thanks, Kris!!
Announcements
Now that we've tried out our new pick-up system, we have a few reminders and changes, as well as a few general notes.
Please use the FRONT ENTRANCE of the farm on Old Marlboro Pike: Some of you picking up at the farm noticed that GPS sent you to the back entrance of the farm on Ritchie Marlboro Road. It would be better if you ignore that suggestion, pass that back entrance, and turn right onto Old Marlboro Pike. Your app will redirect you to the front entrance of the farm on Old Marlboro Pike, which will be on your right. Entering this way means you will approach the washing station from the correct direction without having to turn around awkwardly to get in line. Thanks!
Sorry, we can't swap: Last week I mentioned that we can keep items in your share that you don't want to take home. Be sure to mention it BEFORE you take the bag. Once it's in your hands, we can't take it back. Also, we cannot exchange items. If you ask us to keep something so we can donate it, we can't give you something else in exchange.
Emergency messaging coming soon: We had a little trouble at the Dupont pick-up when we arrived to find a work crew tearing up the entrance to the alley where we expected to meet you. Thanks to some quick help from our volunteer, Deborah, and our co-worker, Danielle Hodgkin, we were able to contact everyone quickly by text or email. But it highlighted that we need a messaging service to contact everyone in case of last minute emergency change to your CSA pick-up. So stay tuned...we're looking into our options, and once we figure that out we'll give you an option to opt in or out. And thanks so much to the Dupont folks who were so flexible!
Fishy produce bags: We noticed that the green-colored, Biobag-brand produce bags we were using to pack the leafy greens last Wednesday and Thursday had an off-putting smell. The company representative assured us there is nothing to worry about, but we've decided to stop using them anyway.
E-mails: Unlike last week, this is the only e-mail we sent this week. We try to give you as much notice as we can about what's coming in your share, but this was a busy week in the field for planting (tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, melons and corn!) so we didn't get a chance. At the end of this note you'll see a detailed list of what we're expecting in the coming weeks, which should help.
Got a recipe you want to share? E-mail it to us!
This week's share
It's another small share this week, and the weather is in a grey, chilly holding pattern. But don't worry, all the crops are looking good and growing well. We'll get big shares eventually!
Heaping half-pint of strawberries
Bunch of garlic scallions (if you haven't used all of last week's yet, don't worry, they last a long time in your fridge)
Root medley (a beet, a purple-top turnip, and some baby hakurei turnips and radishes)
Salad blend (a crunchy, vibrant combination of baby mustard greens, tat soi, vitamin greens and pea shoots--you'll be instagramming your salads this week. Tag us #clagettfarm!)
CHOICE: Again this week we have a little of a lot of things so we're not sure which choices will end up where. Most will have an option of 1/4 pound lettuce or arugula, 1 pound of tender, young collards or possibly a cucumber. (There's lots more cucumbers coming soon so hang tight if it doesn't make it to you this week).
CHOICE of herbs: sage or onion chives with flowers
If you would like more seedlings, you can take up to two of whatever remains. Right now we have a bunch of basil, kale, collards, and a motley collection of tomatoes.
What to expect in the coming weeks
Strawberries should continue for a few weeks
Garlic scallions will continue for one more week and then we switch to garlic scapes
Onion scallions should start week 4
One more week of beets, week 3
Two more weeks of turnips, probably weeks 3 & 4
A few more weeks of radishes
Lettuce heads for a few weeks (probably weeks 3-5)
Baby bok choi next week
Chinese cabbage soon, probably week 4 or 5
Arugula & spicy mix probably through week 5
Collards continue and more kale soon
Cucumbers from the high tunnel these first weeks and then squash from the field beginning week 5
Let's hope for a soaking rain followed by a nice stretch of sun!
The Clagett Farm Team