Rain Lovers: Summer CSA Week #2

 In CSA Newsletter

Mid-May to early July is by far the craziest time in vegetable farming. All major seasonal tasks are needing to happen all at the same time: seeding, transplanting, cultivating (aka weeding), and harvesting – plus the logistics of starting up the CSA for the season. No other time of year has the same demands. Add to that two 90+ degree days and no rain forecasted, and well you had two pretty stressed out farmers last Friday morning.

Then something magical happened.

On Friday evening, it rained.

For us farmers, there’s nothing quite like the relief of a much needed rainfall.

Out of nowhere, a thunderstorm popped up on the radar. Our severe weather alarm went off and we had 50 mile an hour winds coming at us. Luckily the kiddos were down, so we were able to scramble outside together and put away flats of plants that were waiting to be transplanted.

Mike and I are like graceful, synchronized swimmers when it comes to rushing flats of plants to safety while foreboding, dark skies build. Multiple times a season this happens, whether it’s wind or hail threatening. Quickly, silently, deftly we move plants inside.

By the time we got back up to our front porch, the winds were fierce.  It was unnerving watching the wind whip at bushes and plants around the house, imagining what possible damage could occur in the fields. But soon the winds calmed and we felt a raindrop.

At this point, we could have gone inside to finish the dishes and start our movie, but instead we just sat together and watched the rain come. Slow drips at first. Drops got bigger and more frequent, and then finally a really good rain was upon us.

We couldn’t take our eyes off the rain, as if it were an unrequited lover giving us the attention we so craved.

While we have the technical capacity and infrastructure to irrigate our fields when we don’t get rain, natural rain is so much better. No work to move lines and pipes. No electricity used to run pumps.  No mid-night waking to change lines. No tracking which fields have been watered.

And so, Friday night, together we soaked in the beauty of natural rain. Thankful for everything it does. Awed by its power. And relieved we did not have to try and mimic it.

Cheers and happy eating!

Farmer Cassie

 

In the Box:

  • Basil, 1 stalk
  • Bok Choi
  • Broccoli
  • Butterhead lettuce
  • Garlic Scapes
  • Green Garlic
  • Radish
  • Salad Turnip
  • Scallions
  • Spinach
  • Zucchini

REGs only:

  • Chard
  • Red leaf lettuce

EOs only:

  • Kale, Green Curly
  • Kohlrabi
  • Mizuna Mustard Green
  • Salad Mix

 

Recipes:

Wednesday, June 15th. EO Group B