Farm News September 6, 2022
Rain. Lots of rain. Maybe five inches of rain when it’s all over? It’s a relief and it feels great to see the fields get some moisture. We are lucky that for the most part, it’s been a slow, steady rain that the hills can soak up. This is not the longest drought I can remember. That distinction goes to 1999, when it didn’t rain from May through early September. The last rain of any significance we can remember this year was in early July, but the combination of high temperatures and high winds makes it one of the most intense droughts in my memory.
Shell examines some primo arugula at the wash station.
We had been able to keep up with the watering so far, but we are in peak cover cropping season, where large sections of the farm need to be moist for us to drill in oats and peas, and winter rye and hairy vetch. The oats and peas grow fast but get killed by the first freeze, usually in November. The rye and vetch grow much slower, but they are winter hardy and start growing again in early spring and produce a huge mat of vegetation by June. These cover crops mop up nutrients that would be lost to the winter rains and promote the growth of soil bacteria and fungi that are the basis of organic growing. They also give the soil a protective coat over the winter, and when they decay they add to the organic matter to our soil. But it is critical to get them seeded in early September, so they have enough time to grow before the low light levels and cold temperatures in mid-October dramatically limit outdoor plant growth at our latitude. We are super grateful for this rain so we can get going on this important task.
The garlic gang found a shady spot to sort our cured garlic into different sizes, separating the extra large Seed for replanting this fall.
Cover cropping this year also means putting new land into production. In 2018 we started transitioning the North Field of our farm into organic production. We planted a vigorous summer annual call Sunn Hemp into the field, and then seeded it into hay and just mowed it for a couple years. This break from annual crop production allows the soil microbes lots of undisturbed time to proliferate. Last week we tilled in the hay crop and will get the fields ready to plant vegetable crops next spring. Putting new land in production means we can put our South Field parcels into hay, giving them a rest after 20 years of crop production.
Faye captured this change-of-season moody sky. This is the first year we’ve managed to stake our dahlias!
While a bit cooler, it’s still summery enough that many warm season veggies are doing great. We still have great harvests of tomatoes and sweet corn. Peppers are finally going gangbusters, especially my favorite, the sweet and crisp orange peppers. Cucumbers are still hanging on, but the summer squash is on the way out. Next week we will start bringing in winter squash to take up the slack. We have crazy amounts of basil this week, so plan on putting up some pesto. We have had a lot of trouble growing basil into the fall in past years thanks to the Basil Downy Mildew pathogen, so grab this gift of the drought while you can. We’ve got 4 types of potatoes with many more to dig. And we don’t have to irrigate for a week!
We hope you enjoy the farm and the harvest,
Paul and Rebecca for the Fort Hill Farm crew
Special Fort Hill Farm Store Feature:
With Elliott taking the lead, we’ve ramped up our Farm Store offerings this year. We’ve sourced a number of local delicacies that are otherwise out of reach. We hope these specialty crafted items are adding joy and value to the fresh produce you pick up at the farm.
Cato Corner Farm
Operated by mother and son team Liz MacAlister and Mark Gillman, Cato Corner Farm is located in Colchester, CT. They have been making raw milk cheeses with milk from their small herd of grass-fed Jersey cows for more than 20 years. We are currently featuring 6 of their cheeses including their Dutch Farmstead, Bloomsday, Aged Bloomsday, Womanchego, Black Ledge Blue, and Dairyere varieties. Check out catocornerfarm.com for more details.
Have you tried the Aged Bloomsday? It is sublime, with a deep flavor that finishes in sweetness, rivaling aged cheddar or Manchego. It’s also on SALE this week! Cato Corner cheeses are all superbly crafted, and we hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Featured veg:
Sweet Peppers: These late-summer treats are starting to come in now, because September is “Pepper Month”! You will find a variation of a mix of red bell, sweet red and yellow Italian, Orange snacking peppers, and Lunchbox peppers. Our favorite sweet peppers by far are the snacking and Italian peppers, which have an incredible sweetness that goes beyond the bells, and thin, crisp walls that pack a punch. The orange are best for snacking and salads, and the red and yellow are great for frying, roasting, or grilling. We’ve had a few comments over the last couple of years from folks wondering why our peppers are “hard.” The fact is, people aren’t used to peppers that haven’t aged for weeks in transit. These have true pepper flavor and they’re fresh too!
Kennebec potatoes: a great all purpose spud - great mashed, fried, roasted, baked, whatever .... Mix it up with Blue Gold and fry away. Elliott swears by baking them to great success. Turn on the oven while it’s cloudy and enjoy!
Also available:
Head lettuce, arugula, salad mix, pea shoots, carrots, red and French Breakfast radishes, curly and lacinato kale, rainbow chard, escarole, cilantro, basil, parsley, dill, chives, rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme, radicchio, red, Chioggia, and gold beets, scallions, Ailsa Craig and Red Torpedo onions, summer squash, cucumbers, red and Savoy cabbage, garlic, jalapeño, poblano, & shishito peppers, green bell peppers, limited eggplant (slow to come in this year!), lunchbox and sweet Italian peppers, heirloom, beefsteak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, Red Gold, Blue Gold, Dark Red Norland, and Satina Gold potatoes, sweet corn, fresh ginger
Coming Soon:
winter squash
Pick Your Own:
~Sunflowers:
get these late beauties this week while they last
~Perennial Herbs:
chives, oregano, sage, and thyme
~Flowers:
Flowers are in still going, and the dahlias are coming into their own now.
Recipes
Suggested by Rebecca Batchie
For more recipes, check out the Fort Hill Farm Recipe Database
Peach and Pepper Tacos
By Shelli McConnell, via ForksOverKnives
INGREDIENTS
1 large avocado, halved, seeded, and peeled
⅓ cup unsweetened, unflavored plant milk, such as almond, soy, cashew, or rice
2 tablespoons lime juice, divided
¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 small clove garlic, chopped
5 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon chili powder
1½ cups hot cooked barley
2 tablespoons slivered fresh basil
Sea salt, to taste
4 medium peaches or nectarines, halved and pitted
12 whole miniature bell peppers in assorted colors
1 large fresh poblano chile pepper, halved and seeded
1 small yellow onion, quartered lengthwise
12 6-inch corn tortillas
INSTRUCTIONS
For Avocado Crema: In a blender or food processor combine avocado; plant milk; 1 Tbsp. of the lime juice; the hot pepper sauce; garlic; and sea salt, to taste. Blend until smooth.
In a bowl combine 3 Tbsp. of the orange juice, the remaining 1 Tbsp. lime juice, and the chili powder. Add barley and basil; toss to combine. Season with salt.
Brush peaches, bell peppers, poblano, and onion quarters with the remaining 2 Tbsp. orange juice. Grill, covered, over medium-high about 10 minutes or until slightly charred, turning as needed and brushing with water as needed to prevent drying. Transfer to a cutting board; cool slightly.
Halve bell peppers and remove stems and seeds. Cut peach halves and onion into wedges; separate onion wedges. Cut poblano into bite-size strips.
Spread tortillas with Avocado Crema. Top with barley mixture and grilled peaches and vegetables.