2024 CSA Farm Update: Week 3
Hello everyone and welcome to week 3 of the Katchkie Farm CSA. I’m not sure I have a singular adjective to describe this past week on the farm. Maybe some alliteration would paint a better picture: a scorching squelcher, a cloud bursting cooker, or a precipitating puzzler? Anyhow, the intense heat during the week was followed by equally intense rains in the early evenings. The rains did help mitigate the heat but made for some very soggy fields. The plants seem to be holding out well and all of the rain definitely saved some time that would have been spent on irrigation. We do have to wait for a few days of dry weather until planting and cultivation can continue.
This week brings a few first-time appearances of the season. Our beloved zucchini and patty pan squash really took off during the past week producing bountiful fruits. The Genovese basil seems to be drinking up the sun producing large fragrant leaves. Our quintessential kohlrabi seems to be at its peak juiciness right now. Just remember, a little kohlrabi has never hurt anyone 😊
Back in April, while I was preparing one of our fields for a spring cover crop of oats and peas, I noticed a killdeer’s nest nestled among last year’s kale plants. These are the most unique birds in that they make their nests on bare ground. The nest itself is very hard to spot because it is made of gathered peddles and dry plant matter. The eggs are also speckled and blend in very well with the ground and nest material. What clued me into the nest was the killdeer scurrying away flashing its wing to get me to notice it and not the nest. Sooner or later, I will notice where the bird is coming from, and I can spot the nest. I do this not so much out of curiosity, but out of a desire to keep the nest intact. To keep the nest intact, I will not work the soil where the nest is. This means that all of the vegetation around the nest stays intact. This year the vegetation happened to be overwintered kale plants. I saw this as an opportunity to save some kale seed on Katchkie Farm. This was also an extra special opportunity because kale does not always make it through a winter outdoors in the Northeast. I gathered up the plants, bundled them all together and hung them up to dry in our workshop. If all goes well, we will have our own Katchkie Killdeer Kale variety as one of next year’s crops.
Finding those moments of wonder is one of the most nourishing parts of farming. Sometimes I need to look for it and sometimes it is right under my nose, or in this case the tractor.
Until next time,
Farmer Jon
This week’s share: