Earth Dance, Week #25

Weekly Produce List
Earth Dance Newsletter, September 30, 2010
(includes a piece written by Genna!)

Genna with an Earth Dance chicken. : )

Before we start our work this morning, I look out over the crops and notice the gorgeous Fall colors.

It's a chilly dewey morning, in the 50s. We start by cutting cilantro into rubber banded bunches.

Skyler arrives, and we move over to another field to harvest braising mix. The sun feels so good when it starts warming us.

Genna cuts the braising mix off near the ground, to be bagged later.

Different kinds of greens make up braising mix.

Mark cleaning eqiupment between harvests.

Next harvest is cucumbers.  Not many left ... that's why some members will get cucumbers this week, and some will receive braising mix ... farmer's choice.    : )

Mark at the washing station, washing the cucumbers.

Earlier this week, the interns had harvested acorn and sweet dumpling squash. Genna collects them from the cooler, and we place one of each into the members' boxes.

Winter squash ... sweet dumpling and acorn.

Genna and I wash, spin, and bag braising mix.

Genna helps Norm guide the tank full of potatoes onto the bucket of Norm's tractor.

Norm is then able to move the potatoes from the back of the pickup to the washing station.

We then place the potatoes into small bins ...

... and Norm uses his power washer to wash the layers of dirt off of them.

While Genna and I load the potatoes into the boxes, Skyler and Mark take the tractor out to the field to harvest the sweet potatoes. The day is getting more beautiful by the minute. It's windy, but it ends up getting into the 70s ... a beautiful gift for the end of September.

The guys bring the sweet potatoes up, and we wash them and load them into the boxes. Some are shaped like what you would expect sweet potatoes to be shaped like ... and some actually look like pink carrots!

Lunchtime, and I share my lawn space with the foraging chickens ...

... and they don't really pay me much mind. : )

This is what edamame looks like ... like pea pods.

Genna and Mark, bagging the edamame.

The onions are being stored in the greenhouse, to be distributed to the members over the next several weeks.

Genna and Mark collect what is needed for the members this week.

What a joy to be finishing up in daylight again! And the weather is so nice tonight. Riley had joined us after school, which allowed us to make quick work of harvesting and packing the tomatoes.

Genna goes to get the last load of boxes.

Mark, Genna and Riley use our standard 3-person relay for packing the boxes into the cooler (I was in on it on an earlier round). It really works quite efficiently.

We finish up, and I'm driving out the driveway towards home at 6:00 on the dot!

I can't believe it ... I only have 2 more Wednesdays left on the farm. October 13 will be my last day.  Where did this summer go?

This Week's CSA Box:
Potatoes, Roma tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, sweet potatoes, cucumbers/braising mix (farmer's choice), onions, edamame, beets, winter squash, radishes, pie pumpkin, cilantro.

Hope to see you all at the Fall Harvest Celebration this Saturday, October 2!