Big Red Farm Stand, Wednesday July 16, 1-5pm

Rainwater draining across the barnyard
into the over-full creek

Hello friends,

The farm family is moving into a new apartment this week, and we've been very busy packing and cleaning, so this week's newsletter is somewhat abbreviated.  Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately!), our move coincided with extremely heavy rain and intense thunderstorms, preventing us from harvesting a few of the vegetables we had planned to harvest.  Therefore, carrots and kale will be taking a break this week, but the zucchini and summer squash are looking great, and we have crisp summer lettuce, including romaine.  We've also added basil and a few bulbs of fresh garlic to the harvest list this week!  More summer veggies are on their way in the coming weeks.


ON THE FARM

Pumpkin seedlings doing their best
in very wet conditions

Pumpkins, winter squash, and watermelons are up!  Jake and the interns have been cultivating carefully, and they sprayed the tiny seedlings with kaolin clay to protect against the ubiquitous cucumber beetle.  Kaolin clay spray is exactly what it sounds like: the same type of clay used to make porcelain is dried and powdered, then we mix it with water and coat the leaves on the baby plants with it.  The clay forms a barrier against the beetle, causing what is called "excessive grooming;" the beetles spend time trying to rid themselves of sticky clay when they would otherwise be eating our plants and searching for mates.  Pretty nifty.

Beets

RECIPES

In the interest of getting back to packing boxes, I'm recycling a couple of recipes from last season -- if you didn't make them in 2013, here's your chance!  These are pretty much my favorite preparations for both beets {Roasted Beet Salad} and summer squash {Sauteed Summer Squash}, anyway; why fix it if it ain't broke?


AT THE FARM STAND


This week we hope to have the following available from 1pm to 5pm in front of Pop Hall:

• Multicolored String Beans - $3.50 quart
• Basil - $2.50 bunch
• Beets - $2.50 bunch
• Cilantro - $1.50 bunch
• Dill - $1.50 bunch
• Fresh Garlic - $1.25 bulb
• Lettuce - $2.50 head
• Rainbow Chard - $2.50 bunch
• Scallions (limited quantity, last week for these) - $2.50 bunch
• Summer Squash/Zucchini - $2.00 lb

HOW TO FIND US:

The farm stand is located right in front of Pop Hall, at the top of the stairs that lead down into the Bowl. Enter campus by the main gate on Route 206 (opposite the Lawrenceville Post Office and Craven Lane) and bear right into the circle. Bear right again at the fork in the road and continue straight until you see the farmstand signs.