Veggies to Look Forward To in 2020

We've committed ourselves to growing veggies again in 2020, but we have also committed ourselves towards focusing on a much smaller set of crops as we do things like ... oh... raise the growing areas on our farm to address continued/increased wet conditions.  We announced the types of crops we are anticipating growing next year and we expect to continue to follow up on the details of what we are going to do in 2020 in this blog.  If there is something you would like us to address on these pages, please let us know.

Bunte Forellenschus

We have a commitment from the kitchens at Jorgensen Plaza for our lettuce in 2020, so we are going to pull out the stops on trying to have lettuce for as many weeks as are possible on our farm in the coming season.  This is great news for heirloom lettuce lovers in the area because that means we should have extra lettuce to provide to those that sign up for our program for much of the year AND for those who just want some fresh, local AND certified organic lettuce, but are not signed up with us.

Bunte Forellenschus is one of our favorite butterhead types to grow and eat.  We've found that it slots in very nicely for the mid Spring to early summer slot and again in the mid-Fall slot.  Leaves display much more of the red coloration in cooler weather, but the taste stays fairly constant regardless of the season.  When this lettuce is going well, the farmer can be caught humming as he pulls a tub of these in for cleaning and distribution.

Onions have done pretty well for us each of the last five or six seasons and we see no reason to stop what has become a good thing.  The biggest issue with onions is that they need to go in pretty early.  If things are too wet early, when do you put them in?  Well, like this past season, you just find ways to get it done - even if it isn't exactly the way you want to do it.

We prefer White Wing for our early season white onions, though we also grow Gladstone and Sierra Blanca (sometimes).  The white onion harvest is actually very pleasant because, in a very real way, they always feel a bit like a surprise to us.  Why?

Well, white onions usually start sizing up in July and the speed with which they put on the bulk can be a amazing.  We typically walk our fields every day just to keep up on everything - and they still manage to sneak up on us.  The process of white onion harvest is usually a quick walk of the bed, taking stock of how many are ready to be pulled (and how many we need for CSA or other orders).  The walk back allows me to simply bend down and pull up the onions that are ready.  Usually I can hold 20 to 30 in each hand (grasped by the stem/leaves) before I have to put them in a container.  First harvests are particularly pleasant because there are usually so many onions remaining in the bed that it barely looks like I've brought anything in!

It is Winter, so an heirloom tomato is bound to make the post simply because people miss a good tasting, fresh tomato about this time of year.  Shown above is a variety called Black Sea Man - a new trial in 2019.  Will it return in 2020?  We'll put it this way, if we have seed remaining in our inventory - yes.  If not, we'll focus on our Black Krim and Paul Robeson plants for tomatoes that fall into this class.  

We love putting the 'black/purple' tomatoes in the high tunnels since that is where they perform best for us.  Typically we put them in our white nest/stack trays - never more than two deep to avoid bruising or damage.  Usually, we get to eat fruit that will not transport well.  Hey!  These are heirloom tomatoes, there will always be some that won't go to market - fresh tomatoes on sandwiches and fresh pico for the farmers.  Good deal.

 The butternut squash have a history of doing fairly well for us most seasons (just not 2019).  We plan on growing about as many row feet as we have in prior years, but we also plan on doing more things to protect this crop in an effort to avoid some of the issues we have seen in 2018 and 2019. 

The butternut harvest is not usually one of my favorite events, nor is it among those I dread.  However, the display of quality butternut squash just after harvest?  That's something I love to see and photograph.  Butternuts are a long season crop and require effort throughout the year.  So, a nice harvest neatly set out represents a significant yearly accomplishment.

And, yes, we will grow Wapsipinicon Peach tomatoes this coming year.  The positive thing about the new system of CSA this year?  People who love them will be able to get MORE of them.  Just remember to catch that juice before it lands on your new shirt.