Slugs & Dahlias

They seem somewhat unrelated but they both interact in the farm system together.  In spring, when nice tender dahlia shoots are coming up through the soil, the slugs just may be their number one enemy.  Coming out at night and chewing off all that new growth the dahlias have been storing energy to make.  Finding an organic way to combat the slugs is difficult and most are only moderately effective while being somewhat expensive.  Not all slugs eat dahlias (and other plants of course) though.  Some slugs eat the slugs that eat the dahlias.  Limax maximus, the great grey or spotted leopard slug is a beautiful large slug that preys on other slugs and their eggs, making it a great beneficial species for your garden or farm. 

This particular individual was the only one I have seen all season, but I hope it will be an indication of a larger population on the farm.

Beautiful spotted leopard like markings on these slugs.

 With winter fast approaching and a few light frosts already hitting the farm, it is the right time to be digging up dahlias.  Dahlias are a perennial that grows from an underground tuber that in our climate, needs to be dug up and stored inside for the winter before being planted out again the following spring.

First the majority of the above ground growth is cut off.

Leave a small portion of the stem attached to the underground tuber.  

The tubers are carefully dug up, making sure not to snap the stem or any tubers off.   Gently remove excess soil from the tubers and if any tubers look rotten, cut them off.

These tuber will be stored in the greenhouse while they dry out and cure.  They are tilted stem side down to allow any moisture to drain out.  As the weather gets cooler, they will be moved into a cool, slightly moist place for the winter.  Storing them in crates is a great to keep air circulation around them and prevent rot but they can't be completely dried out.  If your storage area is very dry you can wrap each plant in newspaper to prevent drying them from out too much.

Dahlia tuber close up.  In the spring, these larger clumps can be split carefully into multiple plants.

Cataloging the dahlias while they are blooming is important for keeping track of your tubers and for making planting plants the following year.  Each variety has a number that corresponds with its name, photo and written description.

Sweet 16

After what started to be a very cold and wet season, I wasn’t sure we would make it all the way to week 16.  Luckily the weather turned around, and has managed to hold all the way through to what has been a very nice start to the fall.  Again, we want to thank everyone for your support in this first year and hope you enjoyed it enough to stay on for the future.  This last weeks’ box is full of items that can last beyond this week and would go perfectly into some heartier meals that go with the colder weather that is coming.  The assortment of winter squash will happily sit on your counter for months.  Onions and beets will also last in your fridge or cold storage for some time as well.  Leeks will make a wonderful addition to soups and stews but are also very nice braised as a side.  Kale, at this time of year is delicious and sweet.  For something a little different, there will be broccoli stems.  Most people have probably only ever eaten the florets of a broccoli plant but the leaves and stems are also great.  They make excellent soups.

The farm is slowly getting ready for the winter now with the exception of a few patches of vegetables that will overwinter for next spring.  Over the next few weeks we will be getting the last few patches tilled up and seeded with a cover crop.  I will keep updating the blog throughout the fall, winter and into next season with any activity at the farm and maybe even a few recipes with the vegetables I have preserved and stored from this year’s harvest. 

In your last harvest box you will find:

Beets

Kale

Broccoli stems

Long Italian and Jalapeno peppers

Winter Squash

Red Onions

Leeks

Enjoy!

Almost There

Well, this is the second to last box for the 2011 season.  Number 15.  Its starting to feel colder and colder at the farm and we are very busy getting ready for winter.  All the garlic is planted!  We have 3 varieties that will all be in the CSA next year; Music, Russian Red and Red Stripe.  This week in your box you will find:

Broccoli/Carrots
Rodina Beets
Red Cabbage
Salad Mix
Swiss Chard
Tomatoes (the last of them so some may need to sit on your windowsill for a few days)
Peppers
Acorn Squash

Next week I will be emailing out a little survey about how the season went for you.  If you can make some time to fill it out, the feedback would be much appreciated :)

Giving Thanks

Tiny red wild and yellow cherry tomatoes.

As we gear up to celebrate the harvest this weekend, I feel I have a lot to be thankful for this year.  Starting the farm this year has been challenging at times but also incredibly rewarding and enjoyable.  Thank you to everyone in the CSA for your support of the farm, especially in a season like this one, we needed and appreciate it.  I hope everyone has a great weekend and a wonderful Thanksgiving.





Here is what you will find in your box this week:

Romaine Lettuce
Broccoli
Kale
Beets
Tomatoes
Peppers and Hot Peppers (jalapenos)
Fennel (small bulbs so you can chop up the whole things and use it, not just the fronds)
Carrots
Winter Squash
Basil
Thanksgiving herb bundle: Rosemary, Thyme & Sage

These guys are all over the farm right now and seem to like hanging out in the flowers.

Yellow gypsy and purple peppers

Assorted tomatoes and peppers.  Yum!

Lucky 13

Wow it is already the end of September.  I hope everyone enjoyed their first winter squash last week.  We have a new variety in your box this week is a buttercup squash.  They have delicious sweet orange flesh that is dry when cooked making it a great candidate for your thanksgiving "pumpkin" pie.  The beans in this weeks box are something a little different.  Don't eat the pods, it is the bean inside the pod you want so they will have to be shelled.  It is called a Scarlett Runner bean and is a beautiful speckled purple to pink colour.  Cook them like you would any other fresh bean (lima, fava, etc).  Here is what is in your box this week:

Beets, Rodina & Red Ace
Carrots
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Peppers
Romaine Lettuce head
Cabbage, Green Charmont
Swiss Chard
Scarlett Runner Beans
Buttercup Winter Squash

                                                       Winter squash curing in the greenhouse.  Little gem (orange small hubbard), Buttercup (dark green), and Spaghetti (pale green/yellow).

                                                        One of the many frogs hanging around in Brenda's flower garden.  Seeing creatures like this make me glad I am an organic farmer.

Week Twelve Box

The first of the winter squash were cut last week and have been curing in the greenhouse for a short time.  This week there is a hubbard squash called Little Gem.  The flesh of these delicious squash is fine, dense and fairly dry when baked making them excellent for pies, soups and one of my favorites, mac and cheese (recipe to follow).  Also in your box this week are some great tomatoes and basil.  Get some nice fresh bocaccini and you have yourself a great classic caprese salad.  Yum. 

In your box this week:

Tomatoes
Butter Lettuce
Cucumbers
Summer Squash
Carrots
Red Russian Kale
Basil
Peppers
Little Gem Winter Squash

I base my squash mac and cheese on this recipe from Martha Stewart.  The recipe calls for butternut squash but I have used a number of different squashes and the little gem works great.  I only use whole wheat pasta because I think the white pasta noodles just don't have enough flavor.  I also don't know that using the ricotta is really worth it and don't put that in either.  The recipe seems to change depending on what I have around the house but I also always put a ton of bread crumbs on top to get a nice thick and crispy layer.  Other vegetables like kale and tomatoes can be thrown in and for non-veggies a little bacon can only be better. 

Box Eleven

Wow it was a big harvest this week!  Here is what you will find in your box this week:

Head Lettuce
Mixed Carrots
Beets, mix of chioggia (pink swirls) and golden
Green Cabbage
Broccoli & Pole Beans, the last bits of both most likely
Swiss Chard, bright lights mix
Tomatoes, a mix of wild, cherry and some larger varieties like black krim and big beef
Peppers, sweet, green and jalapenos
Summer Squash
Cucumbers

Enjoy!