Dear KCSA community,
Our latest succession of lettuce is not quite ready yet. In lieu, we will have a combination of arugula, mizuna and mustard greens on the share that can double up as salad greens if you dig that slight, horseradishy heat. We have tried a new variety of arugula this fall, which, supposedly, is more closely related to wild arugula than our regular cultivated type. Arugula is native to the Mediterranean where it is more commonly known as Rocket: Blast off!
As you may have noticed, the farm becomes a hotbed of pollinator activity in the fall. There is lots of action in the herb beds as the mints and alliums flower! Of course, we have more than a few enticers in there as well, with our Anise Hissop being the top bee attraction.
WHAT'S IN THE SHARES THIS WEEK!
SWISS CHARD, KALE, MUSTARD, ZUCCHINI, GARLIC, COLLARDS, EGGPLANT, ONIONS, PEPPERS, TOMATOES, & SUMMER SQUASH
U-PICK:
CHERRY TOMATOES, HOT PEPPERS, SHISHITO PEPPERS, TOMATILLOS, GROUND CHERRIES, FLOWERS, HERBS, & BASIL.
Our Gardens Underground flower garden (you know the one beside the pick-up shed) is also a big hit with the pollinators. Ex-KSCA intern (2012) Jonathan Kraus has meticulously designed and produced a festival of foliage for us all season long. I’m sure some cold hardy mums and some additional fall bulbs will be planted over the next couple of months or so to add some flourish and nectar in the late fall and early spring, respectively. You can email Jon to inquire about his services: gardensunderground@gmail.com.
There are plenty of potential bouquets still out in the u-pick flowers. Becky suggested adding Mexican sunflowers to the rotation this year and I have been amazed at the butterfly activity they have encouraged! There are also statice, cosmos, zinnias and strawflowers out there.
Even our basil buds are a-buzz with bees! The food it has provided for our members as well as our insect populations since mid-June is a win-win. It has been an awesome basil season.
And finally, where the most flowers are currently located on the farm: our buckwheat cover crop! Not only is buckwheat a great pollinator forage crop, but it helps protect the soil against bad nematodes as well as being a fast germinator that helps to smother any potential weeds. In addition to providing us with the ability to mow in "green manure" (probably happening this week), buckwheat has the unique ability to scavenge for phosphorous in the soil, which makes it an even more potent cover crop. The sections where the buckwheat is located will be primed for our fall garlic planting. Incidentally, garlic loves phosphorous…
Cheers,
Andrew
