In The Box
Tomatoes – everyone gets at least one nice slicer, fulls get two, plus look for lots of #2 quality tomatoes in your box or in the pickup area – cut off the bad parts and make a sauce with what you have left. look for extras at delivery locations.
Winter Squash – 1 each

Summer Squash – 2lb/4lb

Peppers – Ancho, yellow, jalapeno, bell

Potatoes, new – delicious,

Italian herbs- oregano, sage, thyme, marjoram

Cucumbers – an over-abundance this week – please make some cucumber salad – 3lb. half/ 6 lb. full – look for extras in the pickup area
Chard – bunched & colorful – 1bu

Kale – bunched, multiple types- 1bu /

Carrots – bunched – 1bu / 2bu – bigger sizes
Beets – 1lb/2lb.

Fruit

First Fruits – the best Paonia peaches continue.
Peaches, Nectarines, White Peaches, Early Akami Apples

Box Value

coming soon.

On The Farm

The heat kicked in this week and the tomatoes are responding. both the hoop house and the field tomatoes are in full production & ripening well. One large section has a disease that is causing poor quality fruit (nearly all the tomatoes in this section are ‘seconds’), these can still be used for sauce but don’t work well for eating. The other tomatoes look great and have minimal damage. you will see some ripe tomatoes in your box, but mostly we try to pick most of the tomatoes at the pink stage when they are still firm enough to take some handling. Avoid refrigerating these pink fruit, just let them sit out until they ripen.

It was the apex, now its the long decline. You will see some decrease in the box content variety and quantities as the season wanes. Don’t be surprised or disappointed, its all part of the natural progression of the year! We do have lots of yummy winter squash and potatoes still to come.

In The Box

Tomatoes – everyone gets at least one nice slicer, fulls get two, plus look for lots of #2 quality tomatoes in your box or in the pickup area – cut off the bad parts and make a sauce with what you have left. look for extras at delivery locations.
Scallions – delicious, tender, mild
Flavored Basils – Lime, Cinnamon & Thai Basil (you get one)
Olathe Sweet Organic – new crop, tender ears – possibly the last corn this season!
Salad Mix – an especially flavorful (and a little spicy) mix this week.
Yellow Fresh Beans -half – 1 bag (1/2lb.)/ 2 bags for full – second bag green beans
Squash – still a few more weeks of squash… 2/4lb. email me if you want a stuffing sized squash!
Beets – half  1lb, full 2lb.
Eggplant or Peppers – look for some hot Jalapenos coming in, plus very dark green sweet Ancho chilies, and lots more of the hungarian hot yellow peppers (not really that hot). i have to rotate these crops around.

Cucumbers – an over-abundance this week – please make some cucumber salad – 3lb. half/ 6 lb. full – look for extras in the pickup area
Chard – bunched & colorful – 1bu half/ 2 bu full – blanch and freeze if its too much!
Kale – bunched, multiple types- 1bu / 2bu – lots of dino kale this week – blanch and freeze if its too much!
Carrots – bunched – 1bu / 2bu – bigger sizes

Fruit

First Fruits – the best  Paonia peaches continue.

This week we have Red Globes – expect greatness!  I don’t think the nectarines will be ready until next week.
Early apples and hopefully plums coming soon.

The Box Value

Half – $34. Full – $61.50.

Most of the time is filled with harvest, but in the other time available a few things are getting done. I planted what I think will be the last salad mix last week. The last patch always lasts a few weeks as the cooler days of late september slow the growth down. We are also tackling some final weeding projects – the salad beds, and the giant pigweed! Soon we will shift into fall cleanup and projects – cleaning up the leftover planting trays from the greenhouse, mowing & weeding the berries & orchard & setting up the berry trellising.

What’s Coming Up

As we head into the last 7 weeks of the season, I wanted to let you know what the expect!

Many of the crops we have now IN ABUNDANCE will continue for several or many more weeks: salad, carrots, beets, kale, chard, onions, squash, cucumbers & broccoli. Leeks a few more times, plus some scallions soon. Tomatoes are ripening very slowly in this cool summer, I will have some for you in the next few weeks, but  the supply will be limited. Eggplant look great, I will have more, plus more peppers.

Potatoes look good and we will start digging some next week. We will have more green cabbage, plus red cabbage and crinkly leafed ‘savoy’ cabbage (i think), plus white, orange and purple cauliflower. Beans are almost done, but winter squash is almost ready – delacata comes in first, there will be plenty, then acorn squash and small blue hubbards. the rest of the larger squash – spaghetti, butternut, buttercup come in at the very end of the season, usually at the end of september or the beginning of october. We also have a fall beet crop, and we should be able to get sweet corn one or two more times.

Fruit is limited this year, but early apples and nectarines are in so we will have those next week, then plums, pears and fall apples – we will have more peaches, several different varieties over the next month.

A Winter Box

It looks like we will have an abundant enough harvest to offer a winter box to members, full of onions, garlic & a variety of winter squash – you get all these things during the season, but the winter box will be a stockpile to store and use over the winter. It will cost a little more but still represent a great deal for what you will get. More details in an upcoming newsletter.

In The Box

Leeks – delicious, tender, mild
Onions – more of the early crop, half 1/full 2
Salad Mix – more to come
Green Beans -half – 1 bag (1/2lb.)/ 2 bags for full – french filet beans, slightly oversized but yummy!
Cabbage – 1 head
Beets – .75lb half / 1.5lb full

Squash – more and more… 2/4lb. email me if you want a stuffing sized squash!
Cucumbers – lots, 3lb. half/ 6 lb. full
Chard – bunched & colorful – 1bu half/ 2 bu full
Kale – bunched, multiple types- 1bu / 2bu – lots of dino kale this week
Parsley  (some of ou got peppers) – use fresh or hang and dry for later.

Carrots – bunched – 1bu / 2bu – big ones in 2-3 weeks
Broccoli – 1.5lb half/3lb. full – lots coming in now!

Fruit

First Fruits – the best  Paonia peaches continue. new varieties of peaches soon.
Early apples and nectarines coming soon.

The Box Value

Half – $31. Full – $52.50.

Generated by Facebook Photo Fetcher

On The Farm

Still no ripe tomatoes to speak of, but we are getting some more heat in the last few days, so hopefully that will change.

New boxes: we are introducing a new box for half sizes this week – the boxes were a little crammed, please let me know if everything transfered intact.  please be a little careful when opening these boxes, they are still brand new and the edges are a little sharp.also, please remember to return all your totes and these new boxes to the delivery point each week. thanks!

In The Box

Olathe Sweet Corn – Certified Organic – more yummy, local, organic corn – half/full -5 ears/10 ears
Onions – more of the early crop, half 1/full 2
Salad Mix – its back for another run (limited to fill boxes)
Romaine heads – last head lettuce of the season

Green Beans -half – 1 bag (1/2lb.)/ 2 bags for full
Squash – more and more… 2/4lb. email me if you want a stuffing sized squash!
Cucumbers – lots, 2lb. hals/ 4 lb. full
Chard – bunched & colorful – 1bu
Kale – bunched, multiple types- 1bu / 2bu – lots of dino kale this week
Italian Herbs – Sage, Oregano, Thyme, Marjoram in mixed bundles – perfect for sauce or dressings – use fresh or hang and dry for later.

Carrots – bunched – 1bu / 2bu – big ones in 2-3 weeks
Broccoli – 1.5lb half/3lb. full – lots coming in now!

Peppers/Eggplant 1lb/2lb.

Fruit

New this week – Paonia peaches from First Fruits, delicious picked very close to ripe.
Early apples coming soon.

Veggies Coming Soon

There are still a few things we haven’t started picking, and lots more of what we have had. The green and red cabbages look great, the greens will be first in a week or two. the cauliflower crop looks good, but is still a few weeks off. the melons are setting fruit but who knows if many will ripen, it all depends on the weather! lots of eggplant and peppers coming in soon, also the potato crop is looking good – we hope to pick a little bit for the csa in the next week or two.

Not in the Box (but available for special order, call or email)

Basil – special order at $12/lb. for pesto – plenty available now
#2 peaches for canning
Gladioli – stunning beauty for your home – $10 for 5 – email to request

The Box Value

Half  $30.00. Full $54.00.

Click image to enlarge and see if you can make out the turkey in the grass! When I took this picture there were a group of twenty wild turkeys winding their way thru the grass.

On The Farm

Big shifts at the farm as we enter the thick of the harvest season. Our crew has changed – Leonie returned to France, Jeane returned to Denver and Charlie crashed on his bike and is missing in action (but recovering). The crops are shifting as we pick the last of the head lettuce, and peas and shift to beans, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes and eggplant. Also the sweet corn is coming in and the Paonia peaches are almost ready.

It must be summer!

In The Box

Olathe Sweet Corn – Certified Organic – yummy, local, organic – half/full -6 ears/12 ears
Leeks – early crop, many more to come
Salad Mix – its back for another run, romaine heads next week will be the last of the season’s head lettuce
Peas – last of the shelling peas, yum, eat them and remember spring -half – 1 bag (1/2lb.)/ 2 bags for full
Squash – lots of varieties coming in, more and more over the next few weeks. 2/4lb. email me if you want a stuffing sized squash!
Cucumbers – lots more coming in, still more to arrive soon. limited this week, 1-3lb. each
Chard – bunched & colorful – 1bu / 2bu – plenty!
Kale – bunched, multiple types- 1bu / 2bu – more and more…
Carrots – bunched – 1bu / 2bu – big ones coming soon.
Beets – bulk 1lb/2lb. – we are topping these now, i figure you have enough greens!
Broccoli or Eggplant 1lb/2lb. not enough of both to go around so you will get one or the other this week, hopefully the opposite of last week!

Fruit

Redhaven early peaches from Domingez Canyon – these are a little firm and need to be left out for a day or two until soft, then eaten or refrigerated.

Not in the Box (but available for special order, call or email)

Basil – special order at $12/lb. for pesto
#2 peaches for canning
Gladioli – stunning beauty for your home – $10 for 5 – email to request

The Box Value

Half  $34.60. Full $58.20.

Here are some recent pictures:

Whats in the Box?

Onions (well, 1 early onion)
Basil – small bag
Beets (full members)
Baby Carrots – Half 1, Full 2
Chard Bunches – Half 1, Full 2
Cilantro – 1 bunch
Dill – 1 bunch
Kale – (not everyone got kale this week, but we will have plenty by next week.
Napa Cabbage
Cucumbers (Farm) or Broccoli (Deliveries) also, Full delivery customers got Eggplant.
Squash – 1lb/2lb
Peas – 1 bag/2 bags (deliveries got beans, more beans for everyone next week)

Fruit
Apricots – last of the season
Peaches – first of the season, from Palisade Peach Company, Certified Organic

The Box Value

Half $26, Full $48.50

Harvest season is in full force at the farm and everything is coming in! Some beds still need weeding, and I still have a couple more salad plantings to go, but really harvest has taken over our free time. We are starting to pick squash, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant and more. Here is a slide show that tells the story in pictures:

All the Crops, A-Z

In The Box

Basil – Farm boxes get these this week, we didn’t get them in the cooler last week.

Beets – Lots more coming in, this is the last week of bunched beets, we will switch to topped beets next week, fulls 2 bunches

Broccoli – starting to come in this week, everybody gets a little bit, lots more to come

Chard – last week of bagged chard, fulls get 2 bags

Cilantro – still tender, this is the end for Cilantro!

Kale, fulls get 2 bags

Lettuce, head – no salad mix this week, but lots of yummy head lettuce – green & red butter, red romaine, green leaf & more

Garlic – almost fully cured now, this is our standard ‘early while’ soft-neck garlic

Cucumbers – Just starting, we will have TONS of cucumbers this year, pickling cukes available, please order ahead.

Summer Squash – Just starting, we have a nice looking crop and will have lots by next week.

Peas – shelling peas this week, one more week as we transition to BEANS!

Spinach – full shares got the last of what we picked last week – use 1st!

Fruit

Apricots – last of the season

Cherries, Rainier – just a bit, all I could get from Paonia

It was a bad cherry season, but I will make it up in Peaches – starting next week with Early Glohavens from the Palisaide Peach Company (Certified Organic)

The Box Value

Full Box – $53, Half Box $30

On The Farm

Lots more coming in this week on the farm. The summer squash are starting to fruit and we picked a handful this week, we’ll have squash for the boxes in 1-2 weeks. We also picked a few early eggplant and peppers, these will show up soon too. The main weeding is now complete, and all thats left is a little more weeding on long season crops like carrots and onions, plus a little more salad planting, and a LOT of harvesting. Harvest is a busy, slightly chaotic activity on the farm.  Everything has to get out of the heat and the field by around 10am, then everything needs to be washed, bunched and bagged, orders and CSA boxes need to be packed etc. Its always a bit crazy in the harvest area, but we make it enjoyable with a team spirit. As I like to say, “many hands make light work”.

Delivery Notes

A Word on #2 Fruit

Last week included some #2 cherries in the boxes. I usually pack only  the best #1 fruit, but in this case I thought this might be my only chance to get Rainier cherries for the year. This week, plus more apricots from Domingez Canyon, a new, larger type called ‘Supreme’

Special Orders

We have a few items available for special order, this week we have #1 and #2 cherries or apricots by the box, please call for pricing and availability. We will have shelling peas available in bulk for freezing in the next few weeks, and basil for pesto later in the season.

In the Box

Chard & Kale –Half 1, Full 2
Parsley, 1 bunch
Lettuce –  speckled romaine, red crisp, red butter, green butter,  – halfs 1 head, fulls 2 heads
Peas – shelling, snow & sugar snap, some shelling (new) – 1 bag (1/3 lb.) Full, add 1 1/2lb bag snow peas
Salad – 1 bag – new crop
Radishes –  1 bunch
Beets – continuing to size up – half 1 bunch, full 2 bunches
Bok Choi – full box
Scallions – full box
basil, bagged -= lime, cimmaron or thai basil

Friut

Half/Full amount
Apricots 2lb/4lb.

Coming Soon

Green Beans
Cucumbers
Summer Squash
Broccoli
Carrots, baby
Soft Neck Garlic
Organic Olathe Sweet Corn

The Box Value

Half – $21.50, Full  $36.75 – fruit is usually right at the cost: this week half $6.00, full $12.00