Well, here we are half way through the CSA Season! We hope you have been enjoying all the farm goods these last 5 weeks! Hang on because these next 5 will be filled with lots more goodies! The sweet corn is starting to tassel out which usually means we are 3-sih weeks out from harvest. The cucumbers are super close so we should be seeing them very soon and of course, the tomatoes are really looking great….still green but getting some great size to them!

The biggest news on the farm this past week was welcoming 3 new milking goats to our herd! We bought three 4 yr old Nigerian Dwarf goats named: Ester, Rosie and Harriet! The first morning we milked them they gave us just shy of a gallon of milk! Wow! Yesterday we weaned the baby goats from their mamas. It’s the hardest day for me because it’s such a traumatic time for the mamas and babies. It hurts my mama’s heart but within a day or two everybody is fine and has adjusted. Pretty soon the moms are grateful to finally be free of the constant nursing and always having to babysit those crazy little kids! LOL!

I guess I can’t let this newsletter go by without mentioning the weather! Right?! How about that heat? A month ago we had frost and now we are tipping the scales at 100 degrees! Mother Nature sure loves to be dramatic! While many of the crops love the heat and our gardens are finally looking full and lush, it impacts the amount of water we need to use plus the animals aren’t fond of the heat. So water is at the forefront of our minds every day. We also need to watch out for our workers. We made a emergency call last week and said when it’s over a 100 degrees, no one is working unless it’s an inside project. So afternoons have been pretty quiet around the farm this last week. We hope you have been able to find some cool spots and sit back and relax!

Ok, let’s get to the good stuff! What is in your bag this week:

~Cauliflower and (New!) Cabbage: As we mentioned last week, we are organic and our produce proves that with an occasional bug or two. So, please soak these in cold water for 10-15 minutes before using. This should get out all the pests. These are the first cabbages harvested this year! We use cabbage for everything…tacos, salads, etc, etc! It’s so good lightly sauteed in sesame oil! Mmmmm!

~Garlic: The interns dug more fresh garlic for you today! Yum!

~Zucchini and Summer Squash: Are you tired of it yet? Haha! We literally can’t keep up with the harvest! But remember, this veggie is so versatile! You can use it in soups, stews, fresh, shred it for muffins and bread, sauté it up with other veggies or try this fun recipe: Cheesy Zucchini Bites.

~Lettuce: Nice cool curly leaf lettuce for a salad on a hot summer night!

~Radishes: Add some nice color to your salads this week!

~Cherries: Sadly these are Flathead Cherries! Unfortunately the Flathead got froze out this January and again in May causing total crop failure. Super sad! But we got these from our farm friends in Washington. They are pretty dang good!

~Italian Leaf Parsley: Perfect chopped up and tossed in those cold pasta salads or bean salads!

Enjoy your taste of the farm this week! Stay cool and we’ll look forward to seeing you next week!

FYI: Our Farm Store is open everyday on a self-serve basis so if you are looking for more produce, meat, milk or other items please feel free to swing by any time from dawn to dusk!