Rising River Farm CSA Newsletter
Box 4*** July 12th 2006
13208 201st AVE SW -Rochester, WA 98579
(360) 273-5368
risingirverfarm@yahoo.com www.risingriverfarm.com

Yesterday when I was mentally drafting this newsletter while picking peas, I was thinking of commenting on how summery it feels. We are all so busy with many tasks crying out for completion all at the same time. A number of “classic” summer crops like zucchini, new potatoes, and yes, even a few sungold cherry tomatoes are ready to harvest. Many other crops are just on the cusp of being ready. But when I woke up this morning to a cold, steady rain I realized I’d have to take a different approach to the letter!

This rain is a good and bad thing (as with most things in life). It is a quick way to get caught up on irrigation. We love that! But on the flip side, the poor crew is presently soaked and mud-caked. I’ll have to bring out tea and coffee at break. I think it’ll be a shorter workday….The veggies love the rain, but so do the weeds! I can almost hear the weeds shout for joy and make plans to grow like mad! We can’t do much about it until the soil dries out just a bit. At least now our wheelhoe and walk behind tiller are fixed and back in commission. For the last few weeks we have endured at least half a dozen bizarre and hard to figure out mechanical breakdowns. It seemed as though only the uncommon, sorry-we’ll-have–to–order-that-part-from-Timbuktu things would break down. Thankfully, Jim is pretty handy at fixing things.

The fields are really filling up. We grow over 30 different crops, often several varieties of each. They fall into one of two categories of planting: one-timers or succession. We do weekly or bi-weekly plantings of many crops like lettuce, broccoli, carrots, beets, herbs, etc. through early August to ensure a steady supply. Many other crops are planted once early in the spring and just take a long time to ripen. Tomatoes, onions, squash, and corn all fit this bill. By late July/early August a lot of these “one timers” start to mature. We love this time of year when there so much more diversity in our diet. (All we need now is more energy to do something interesting with it.) Which reminds me. If any of you have recipes to share please leave a copy at your pick-up site or at the market and we may include them in the newsletters. We are always looking for new ideas.

Today’s Box:
New Potatoes: We’ve been craving them for weeks and now they are here! This variety is called Red Chieftain. We have been enjoying them chunked up and steamed. You can steam shell peas separately and serve together, perhaps with a touch of butter (though the potatoes are buttery enough on their own.)
Summer Squash: We grow green zucchini and yellow crookneck squash. You may see one or both this week. Both can be used interchangeable. It is funny how summer squash is such a highly prized crop at the beginning of its season and quickly becomes an out-of-control garden nuisance by summer’s end. I add squash to just about any savory dish I make: pizza, pasta, stir fry, soup, omelets, quiche….It adds a nice texture and color to nearly all of your favorite recipes.

Enjoy!
Jennifer