We are in the height of summer harvest. We have beautiful squash, tomatoes, beets and beans. All cuts of grass fed beef and free range chicken!
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Pink and Purple Varieties of Tomatoe
Sometimes we get so busy around the farm I don’t have time to write a newsletter. That is what happened last week so I am just now writing to keep you up to date.
We have lots of vegetable plants at the market including cucumbers, squash, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, escarole, Swiss chard, cabbage, and broccoli. There are about 25 varieties of tomatoes and over 20 are heirlooms. Heirlooms are Cherokee purple, Brandywine, striped German, mortgage lifter ( radiator Charlie’s), pineapple, Rutgers, June pink, Eva purple ball, Italian tree, yellow pear, red pear, black cherry, red cherry, Tommy toe, large red cherry, jubilee yellow, German, marglobe, Arkansas traveler, and homestead.
I guess it is natural selling plants includes free gardening advice on how to grow them. So here is an important tip. Do not use chlorinated water to water your garden. If you are on city or county water it has chlorine in it. Most vegetable plants are sensitive to chlorine and it will stunt and eventually kill the plants. The best is to use rain or well water. If you must use city water draw it out in an open bucket at least 24 hours before applying to the garden so the chlorine can evaporate.
We still have kale from the garden and a few heads of romaine lettuce from the greenhouse.
Eggs are in good supply and so is Jersey beef. It will be a few more weeks before we have chicken.
After being out for a while we now have organic shiitake mushrooms from our partner farm in Low Gap, NC. These are the highest quality we have ever seen so we are glad to have them for you. Unlike the pale, puny shiitakes usually offered for sale in stores these are a beautiful brown and can grow to 6 or 8 inches wide. The robust regimen comes from traditional oak logs inoculated with certified organic spore at just the right time for the log to contain abundant nutrients. These valuable nutrients are transferred to the mushrooms as they grow so they are packed with nutrition and delicious flavor! We are talking the quality shiitakes sought after by top chefs and fine food connoisseurs. We are indeed fortunate to offer this gourmet item at such a reasonable price. We have them fresh, dehydrated, and in powder form to add flavor to your soups, stews, etc.
Here is a ‘heads up’ for you. On April 24 from 10:00 until 2:00 we will have a shiitake dish sampling at the market along with much more information for you. Our partners, Vilma and Patrick McDougal, will be on hand to help answer any questions you may have about shiitakes.
We are now open everyday at the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market ( farmers area #2, booth 74) except Monday. Hours are Tuesday through Friday 10:00 until 4:00; Saturday 8:00 until 4:00; and Sunday 10:00 until 4:00.
We hope to greet you at the market.
It has been a hot day here at the farm…87 degrees. My Mother used to say one extreme follows another. Of course, Moms are always right. I guess it’s making up for all those below normal temp days.
I am late getting this news letter out this week because things are really cranking up at the farm and at the market. We are busy planting and getting fields ready to plant as well as sowing seeds in the greenhouse. At the same time we have been setting up our permanent space at the market for the season.
We plan to be open at the market every week Tuesday through Sunday. However, we will be there this coming Monday, Easter Monday, 10:00 until 4:00. Our regular hours will be 10:00 until 4:00 each day except Saturdays which will be 8:00 until 4:00.
We have lots of Jersey beef as well as eggs. Remember. we are out of chicken until May.
In greens we have both green and red kale as well as turnip greens.
Offerings in plants include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, several varieties of lettuce, escarole, Swiss chard, and about 20 varieties of tomato. About 15 tomato varieties are heirlooms. Some of them are Brandywine, German, Cherokee purple, Eva purple ball, striped German, mortgage lifter, June pink, Italian tree, yellow pear, red cherry, black cherry, druzba, pineapple, etc.
I know some of you will want to try the Italian tree tomato. It can grow 12 to 15 feet tall and has the potential to bear 2 to 3 bushels of tomatoes per plant.
Remember, all our plants are grown without any synthetic chemicals.
We will look for you at the market.
Happy Easter.
Those tender sweet early spring greens are growing out quickly now with the warmer weather. They won’t last very long since they will soon go to seed. So we are planning to bring some to market Thursday and Friday 10:00 until 4:00, Saturday 8:00 until 4:00, and Sunday 10:00 until 4:00. We plan to have turnip and mustard greens, both green and red kale, collards, and upland cress.
Of course we will have our usual beef, chicken, and eggs. We will bring plants as well. It is time to set broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower which we will have. Also, we will offer four kinds of lettuce, Swiss chard, and escarole plants which may be set out as well.
Due to a 50% increase in market rent and additional fees we expect our marketing expense to be almost double from last year. We are trying to keep from raising prices but it may be unavoidable. As with any business, we have to evaluate our expenses to set prices that return a profit or we will soon be out of business. We are trying to increase variety, thus volume, which should help. But it may be necessary to make some price increases.
If you like spring greens now is the time to get them. We hope to see you at the market this week.