An opportunity to live next to littleGrasse! If you or someone you know is interested in renting the white “farmhouse” next to our place, it’s available after August 1st. In addition to the two bedroom, two bath and garage, the household is 1 mile from Canton village/campuses plus convenient access to Taylor Park, our trail system in the woods and great neighbors! For more information contact Carolyn Filippi at cfilippi3@gmail.com or 315-261-9888.
We worked around the raindrops this week, getting the onion crop weeded (overdue but the bulbs look great). Onions will be available for distribution near the end of this month once they size up a little more. There are still wonderful scallions available and new this week, fresh garlic bulbs. We’ll harvest the remainder over a couple sessions later in the month and we’ll be sure to invite you for this annual tradition.
Did anyone else feel the chill in last night’s air? With the short, north country growing season, it’s already time to prepare for the final fall plantings of certain crops, such as the last transplanting of cucumbers, summer squash and some cabbage. Some of these vegetables will go into beds that have been “flipped” meaning they had a food crop in them already this year, while others are in areas that had a soil building cover crop.
July is flying by, soon it’ll be the next Garden Morning with potluck on July 29th! You are always welcome to come by sooner, folks can join us tomorrow or Saturday morning anytime 9am-1pm.
A clear summer evening was enjoyed in the herb garden, where folks learned about the origins, care, harvest and use of 10 popular herbs. From the self-sowing dill to annuals such as basil and hardy perennials including oregano and sage. My favorite part was the snacking, we tried mint syrup, multiple sun teas and herb infused gummies.
If you see this plant, pull it and remove from garden beds! Galinsoga and purslane are two weeds that love our sandy soil and produce seeds quickly. Eliminating these plants before they drop mature seed, spares us from weeding their thousands of “offspring”.
Tips & Flavor Notes
- Welcome You Pick Flower Shares! Remember, you can visit the farm any daylight hours through September 17th to harvest any blooming flowers or filler foliage. The limit per visit is one white metal vase, but come often to enjoy the changing blooms. The first sunflowers are opening at the top of Irene’s field. As with many varieties, harvesting stems when they just start to open will give you a longer vase life.
- We love how much food waste is being returned to the farm from home kitchens. There’s still buckets available in the share room. Many folks keep a smaller container in their kitchen and once that is full, transfer it to the white bucket to accumulate until their next visit to littleGrasse.
Snow peas are fabulous in every stir fry! Our homesteading project this week was blanching and freezing containers for winter meals.
Crops Available
This list and availability are subject to change, check the share whiteboard at the start of every visit. If you are unsure about how to harvest: ask us! In person, via text or email.
Cell phone numbers, Flip: 315-854-5399 and Bob 315-854-5395.
*Asterisk marks crops added this week
- Beets
- Bulb fennel
- Carrots
- Celery stalks
- Chard
- Garlic*
- Flowers*
- Head lettuce
- Kale- 3 varieties
- Lettuce greens
- Radicchio
- Rhubarb
- Snap peas
- Snow peas
- Scallions
Culinary and Medicinal Herbs
- Anise hyssop
- Bee balm
- Basil
- Bronze leaf fennel
- Cilantro
- Dill
- Lemon balm
- Lemon verbena*
- Mint
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Rosemary*
- Sage
- Tulsi holy basil
The ornamental garlic in the lower part of the perennial beds are a delight in bouquets.