Well here we are at our last CSA pickup week for 2020. It has been a wild 26 week season with the pandemic throwing our systems into some havoc; but overall an abundant season for vegetables. We are so happy to have had you all join us and to have been given the opportunity to feed you. As a growing season 2020 has seen temperate weather making for both a long Spring and Fall; which is not the normal from our 9 years farming in this region. The summer was very hot and humid; but quick in comparison. Today, in November it is sunny and warm much like a normal day in early October. This year has seen some of our healthiest bunching greens, scallions, herbs, cabbage, fennel, eggplant, and okra we have ever grown. Tomatoes had a lull mid-season but have been very abundant overall. Whereas cucumber, summer squash, onions, broccoli, beans, and peppers were all inundated with disease or pest pressure and we have struggled to get much yield from them. Coming into our cool season crops, we are excited to see one of our best radicchio and chicory crops ever (our personal favorite), some of this is due to mother nature and the temperate weather and some to our timing and management, we are finally learning about this finicky family of greens. Carrots, parsnips, and other winter roots are also poised to be gangbusters as well. One of the joys of growing so much diversity is that even when some crops just are not having a good year, some other crops will produce in abundance.
Our season is far from over, as November and December include large harvest of storage crops for us, moving thousands of pounds of food into our tiny little walk-in cooler. We like being able to feed people year around in some capacity. We will keep going to market to get you food, although January and February only once per month. So do not despair or feel relegated to the produce section of a chain grocery store. There is produce in Virginia year around. If not from us, there are more and more small farm popping up to get you salad greens and other produce throughout the Winter, you just have to look around a little. Much of this week’s share is intended to be storable so you can stretch out your Tomten vegetables; such as the last of this year’s garlic and an assortment of root vegetables. The mesclun mix is transitioning to our winter greens, which includes things like chicories, kale, and cress in addition to lettuces and a few mustards, in our opinion this is when it is at its best. Check out the recipes below and enjoy the share…..Autumn and Brian
Parsnip Collard Green & Chickpea Curry