Share #9 August 13th & 15th

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Shell Peas, Romaine Head Lettuce, Summer Squash, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Carrots, Basil, Sunflowers, Maybe Beans,​ Snow Peas and/or Sugar Snap Peas

Harvest, water...repeat! The garden is yielding like crazy right now. We harvested 1130 cucumbers last week. We think it is a new record. It is so much fun to see all the produce coming in. I have to remember to hold my tongue everytime I walk in the wash station because Jennifer (our amazing veggie caretaker) is always in the midst of counting something and I don't want to interrupt her.
What happens in that wash station anyway? The volunteer crew brings in the harvest on the East side of the building. Greens are cooled in big water tubs and then spun dry in a wash machine set to the eternal spin cycle. Roots are unmuddied outside by spraying them off. Squash is counted as it goes into crates. Each crate that is "done" weighs the same as all the others holding the same produce. For example, all the Cosmic Mix crates always weigh 7 lbs. The carrots come in at 15 lbs. And the tomatoes always weigh 20 lbs. Each bucket of sunflowers always has 40 stems in it. After each item is processed (ex: all the Cosmic Mix is in a crates that weigh 7 lbs. each) we tally up the weight of the harvest. The total weight gets written on a dry erase board. The produce then heads into the walk in cooler to cool down even more.
Jed comes out of the field at some point around 11:30 to do the numbers. He looks at how many shares are going out on a given day, then takes the total pounds harvested and divides the weight by the share number. That's how we decide how many pounds (or counted #) of an item you get. 
Then the higher math begins. Jennifer (the aforementioned veggie caretaker, aka "wash station manager") pulls the veggies out of the walk in and begins to divide them by the numbers Jed gave her. Knowing how many shares are picked up at the farm, Wilson or Jackson she divides the veggies onto pallets destined for each pick up site. After they are divided they head back into the walk in.
Lots of math. Lots of weighing. Lots of moving produce in and out of the walk in. And lots of love. I love walking into the wash station and seeing all the produce as it is moving through this process. It is hard to remember to let Jennifer concentrate when I want to talk about how beautiful something looks! And the amazing smells. I love being in the wash station when the herb of the week is coming out of the spin cycle. The scent of the mint last week was the most refreshing scent I could imagine on a hot day, and the whole building smelled wonderful.
At 3 pm the truck driver arrives and the veggies are again pulled out of the walk in, then rolled out the West side of the building onto the truck to get to you!
This is just a small part of the veggie process, but at this time of year there is a steady stream of produce moving through the wash station on its way to you!!

Collecting questions!! What things do you want to know about the farm? Any topics that are of interest to you...veggies, animals, people, soil? Chances are if you are wondering about it someone else is too...but one of you has to ask me! Please email me ([email protected]) your questions and I will write about them in upcoming newsletters!

Workshare Lunch the week: Summer Sauté over pasta (on the Summer Squash page)
Recipe Ideas: Summer Squash Ribbons, Tomato Basil Zucchini Boats Recipe or Grilled Summer Squash

Recipes

The coolers at your site are stocked with Lifeline cheese and a selection of the beef and pork listed below. If you know you want something, please email me or tell your site host and I will make sure it is in the cooler, reserved for you. I don't send every cut every week, they simply won't all fit!
Beef Available: Tenderloin, New York Steak, Sirloin Steak, Round Roast, Liver, Ribs, Ground Beef, Patties, Hot Dogs and Bratwurst
​Pork Available: Shoulder Roast, Loin Roast, Spare Ribs, Breakfast Sausage, Chorizo, Grandpa Restuccia's Sausage, Canadian Bacon and Fat

WASH YOUR VEGGIES!!
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Bring Bags to pick-ups!

If you can't make it to pick up your veggies, send a friend!
Missed shares are forfeited for the week. 
Members get 20% off at the Farmer's Markets!
The People's Market: Wednesdays 4-7
The Driggs Market: Fridays 9-1
Jackson Saturday Market: Saturdays 8-12
Questions? Comments? Recipes to share? [email protected]