Dear KCSA community,
The newsletter was on hiatus last week. But we are back with a farm update.
First, due to the torrential rain expected during pick up hours tomorrow, for this week only, we will be open to all members scheduled to pick up/u-pick on Wednesday (8/5) from 9am-12pm, in addition to our usual 1pm-7pm hours on Tuesday (8/4). Sticking to your allocated time windows is not important this Tuesday, either! The storm is predicted to be at its heaviest from 1pm-4pm. Please remember overflow parking is in the Kimberton Waldorf School.
Further, as most of our Friday members know, signs are up diverting traffic away from Kennedy Bridge. I can confirm that the bridge is, in fact, now closed. We have been told that this time it is only for a week...members should expect periodic closures in the future. For those not in the know, Kennedy Bridge is the covered bridge crossing French Creek at W. Seven Stars Road, right beside the Kimberton Waldorf School.
This means if you are driving to the farm from Kimberton/Phoenixville area, on W. Seven Stars Road, you should take follow the following detour:
Turn right on Hare Hills Road, north, toward PA 23 and PA 724
After you cross the metal grated bridge, take a left on Miller Road.
Follow Miller Road until the T-junction and then take a left on Hickory Grove Road.
Follow Hickory Grove Road until the T-junction and then take a left on W. Seven Stars Road.
The farm will be on your right just over the hill.
WHAT'S IN THE SHARES THIS WEEK!
LETTUCE, SWISS CHARD, DANDELION, DILL, ZUCCHINI, CELERY, GARLIC, COLLARDS, LEEKS, EGGPLANT, PEPPERS, TOMATOES, CUCUMBER, & SUMMER SQUASH
U-PICK:
CHERRY TOMATOES, TOMATILLOS, GROUND CHERRIES, FLOWERS, HERBS, & BASIL.
We have a few new vegetables soon to be on the share since our last communication: celery, garlic, collards, peppers and eggplant. On u-pick we have cherry tomatoes, tomatillos, and ground cherries
The celery is being harvest a little early due to some disease. It is difficult to grow celery. As one variety is worse off than the other, however, we think it might be seed-related. Nonetheless, when fungal spores get established, they spread quickly! We'll probably never be able to grow big celery hearts like the ones you can get in the store, but our bunches are perfect as a nice crisp, tasty, summer treat!
Heads of garlic will also be making their first appearance on the share. Members should note that we have sorted the garlic into larger, smaller and open bulbs. The open (damaged) bulbs will be on the share first as these have the shortest storage capacity. The smaller bulbs will be next. And by the time we are getting into our larger bulbs, we'll be sorting through them again to set aside the bulbs we'll need for seed. We have two varieties this year: German Hardy and Creole. German hardy are big bulbs with a few big cloves. The creole are smaller with more cloves. The creole has a slight reddish tinge to the skin as well.
Eggplant is self explanatory. We have a long, skinny Asian variety and a more bulbous Italian variety. Eggplant can be a little temperamental, so these will ebb and flow.
Collards are just coming in and hopefully they'll last through the fall. Expect a little insect damage!
And finally our sweet peppers are ready! We have a few varieties that will make it on to the share. Long term members will be familiar with our Sullivan Favorite Italian Frying Pepper. More information on them will be forthcoming in a newsletter in the next couple of weeks!
Avoid the flood!
Andrew
