Being a farmer means that your work is governed by the length of the days. This time of year, the days are long and so are the work hours of the farmer. It is 9:30 on Sunday night as I sit down to write this newsletter. We have just come in from shifting chickens to a new pasture (this work needs to be done in the evening when the chickens are easy to move because we have to catch them).
Most of the time we can move them without having to catch them and carry them, but in this instance we were shifting to a pasture across the road. We set up the electric chicken netting as a fence that allows them to free range in their new pasture. We tow their shelter with the quad (the big, all-weather coop gets towed with the Toyota but the smaller ones can be managed by the quad).
Today was a Sunday of action; we packaged the meat birds that we slaughtered yesterday (they need 24 hours to chill in cold water so the rigor mortis loosens and they become more easily packaged), including prepping the organ meats and feet for freezing. Amber made pate from some of the livers and I put a whole chicken in the solar oven to roast with herbs, onions and potatoes. We broke down the last of the hoop tunnels covering squash, cucumbers and okra; they are now on their own to contend with the cucumber beetles. The beans needed covering because of the same aforementioned beetles; they are still small and vulnerable. We did some irrigation work, selected male cannabis plants for pollination, and even managed to jump in the pond to cool off late in the afternoon.
We have arrived in the full heat of summer, though it seems a bit early this year. That said, it is good to get some proper warmth after the cool spring we had. Summer squash are in full production for the first time this year, and we know that you will enjoy the bounty. We eat squash as a main staple for our household; summer squash from June until November and winter squash from November till June. Some folks get tired of zucchini, but we eat it with gusto almost every meal.
In the share this week, you’ll find a proper amount of summer squash for grilling, sauteeing, stir-frying, roasting or dicing for a chilled salad. There are several squash recipes included with the newsletter this week. Also in the share is salad mix, kale, squash, fresh herbs, and garlic from Irene. Delicious salads, grilled squash, sauteed kale with bacon await you!
We are enjoying the last days of cool and leafy greens as we march with inexorable steps into the heat of summer. As always, it is a joy to share this journey with you, much love and appreciation from us at Team HappyDay. CSA 2018 week 4 June 25th